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Pacific Island Countries’ Leadership on NDC Implementation

From the NDC Partnership. 

The Pacific is home to small island countries that are already experiencing the devastating effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and an increase in natural disasters.  While the region has made significant development progress, economic growth is hampered in many of these countries by their isolation from major markets and their tiny size (Niue, for example, is a country of approximately 100 square miles and 1,700 residents).  This is exacerbated by the high costs of fossil fuel imports, transportation, and shipping in the region.  Despite these and other development obstacles, Pacific countries are taking a leadership role on climate change by encouraging ambitious global action, reducing their own already-miniscule greenhouse gas emissions, and improving resilience to the impacts of climate change – a priority for the region.

This leadership was evident at the Pacific Regional Dialogue on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which was recently hosted by the Government of Fiji in the context of the Paris Agreement.  The dialogue convened all 14 Pacific island countries to exchange national experiences on NDC implementation planning, including linkages to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and opportunities to engage the private sector, advance gender equality, and link with energy sector planning.  The countries also discussed how they would carry their work forward through the recently established Regional Pacific NDC Hub, an arm of the NDC Partnership.

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