Samoa wants agencies to be clear about their roles in climate change - “always best to involve many than none”

By Asenati Taugasolo Semu, Press Secretariat of the Government of Samoa: http://www.savalinews.com

4 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - Compartmentalisation is one thing that the Samoa Chief Executive Officer of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Afioga Taulealeausumai Laavasa Malua hopes to see achieved at the end of this week’s Pacific Climate Change Roundtable.

According to Taulealeausumai, what he wants is for CROP (Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific) agencies and donors to clearly define their roles.

He said CROP agencies have different functions, but with climate change it seems they are all involved.

“So it should be clear, who is responsible for which and who is doing what,” said Taulealea.

“It seems that these kinds of things are hard to implement, but it’s always best to involve many than none, the most important thing is for each party to understand their role to play.”

Taulealea said it’s not about the separation of roles because that could result in the break up of communications.

Taulealeausumai is concerned about agencies that are carrying out adaptation and mitigation projects in the region are duplicating each other.

I’m hoping that at the end of this meeting there’s a clear and concise compartmentalization of who deals with what, you know – rather than countries being flooded by everyone coming in and duplicating all these adaptations and also mitigation activities.”

Pacific met services look for funding opportunities

By Asenati Taugasolo Semu, Press Secretariat of the Government of Samoa: http://www.savalinews.com 

2 July Nadi, Fiji - The 2^nd Meeting of the Pacific Meteorological Council in Nadi, Fiji this week provides a window of funding opportunities for Pacific Island countries, including Samoa.

This is the view of the head of Samoa’s Meteorological Office, Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea.

He says the meeting opens the door for discussions with donors.

“This is a window of funding for donors to help our met services offices,” said Mulipola.

The meeting is coordinated by Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) with support from the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIICSRTE), Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

 Mulipola said the PMC meeting greatly benefits Samoa as it strives to achieve the Pacific Islands Meteorological Strategy (PIMS) 2012-2021.

He said these strategies include the public, marine and aviation areas with projects and activities the PMC hope to achieve within the strategy timeframe, and that council member countries have implemented their own projects.

“Samoa has just implemented an upgrade project for its Meteorological Service Office with assistance from the Government of Japan.”

Tokelau

Over the years Samoa’s weather forecasts have been accessible to people in Tokelau, thanks to the strength of the Samoa radio broadcast. 

Although there was no formal agreement for this, Mulipola, says things may change with Tokelau planning to set up its own met office. 

Menny Tavuto, Environment Manager, Tokelau

Tokelau’s representative at the PMC, Environment Manager, Menny Tavuto said a new office should be opened by the end of the year.

Tokelau, like other Pacific islands, is also eyeing this meeting as an opportunity to access donor funding.

“I am here to plead for funds and training to get our new office going. This is the first time Tokelau has been represented at these meetings,” he said.

“We are still at the drafting stage process for a Meteorological Service Office, and at the moment we have recruited only one staff member.

UNFCC COP 18 High Level Statement by Samoa

The Prime Minister of Samoa (middle) Head of the delegation of Samoa at COP 18, Doha

 

Statement by Hon. Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi Prime Minister of Samoa

Mr. President,

Distinguished Delegates,

Invited Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

I want to place on record my delegation’s deepest appreciation to the Government and people of the State of Qatar for being gracious hosts.

Global warming is the greatest challenge to mankind. It is an existential threat and an issue of survival, especially for populations of low-lying islands who had long felt and experienced the impacts of climate change.

Durban produced a delicately-balanced deal last year to help address the threat of climate change, in the post-Kyoto Protocol period, and beyond. There were agreements and understandings reached in good faith, as part of the package. Doha was expected to deliver a Second Commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, to wrap up the parallel Convention track negotiations on long-term cooperative actions, and to progress and consolidate the Durban Platform negotiations for a new global climate policy architecture.

Doha however was not meant to reinterpret and renegotiate the Durban deal, as last week’s talks showed. In fact, one or two timelines had shifted, and some hard fought gains by some groups seemed to have been lost. The intransigent positions of others are stalling agreement on an ambitious plan to fight global warming. These are unhelpful and self-centered. Yet the gravity and the immediacy of climate change compel us to be decisive and be forward-looking. It forces us to step outside of our comfort zones to take a long hard look at ourselves and others, and the reality of the world we live in. The inaction and indifference to the plight of those vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and the least capable to respond effectively because of a misplaced sense of some that there is somehow insulation from such risks, only makes the goal of curbing climate change more difficult and more expensive. Time is running out.  

The World Bank report released last month revealed some sobering and frightening truths. The world is on a path to a 4 degree Celsius warmer world by the end of the century. And a series of scientific reports are forecasting similar scenarios unless bold actions are taken today, not tomorrow, and by everyone, not just a few. The dire consequences now predicted will also unavoidably be given focus in the Third Conference on SIDS that Samoa hosts in 2014.

Mr. President,

It is this clear urgency and the unsatisfactory state of the global response to climate change so far that prompts Samoa to try and be represented at the highest political level at the Conference of the Parties and all related meetings. As has been obvious for a long time now, increased ambition must underpin the whole of the climate change negotiations. But it should not be an exclusive domain to mitigation efforts only. We strongly support the call for ambitious mitigation targets pre-2020 and post 2020 with a legally binding Second Commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. But we also want parties to be just as ambitious in the provision of climate resources to benefit adaptation and mitigation activities equally, together with technology that are appropriate and affordable and the setting up of an appropriate mechanism to deal with loss and damage.

Mr. President,

The First Commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, an important milestone in the history of the global climate regime, will end on December 31^st. While we were hopeful that more states parties would join a Second Commitment period, obviously this will not be the case.

Given this reality and the uncertainty in the level of ambitions starting 2013, for Samoa, the focus should not be on whether one’s pledges or commitments will be made under the Kyoto Protocol or the Framework Convention, the real test for all of us is how to find a way to ensure that there is ambitious and meaningful emission reductions irrespective of where they are anchored. We see complimentary activities in the same vein as long as they are additional to existing pledges and can meaningfully contribute to reducing the ambition gap.

Mr. President,

Climate change is a global problem beyond the capacity of any one country or group of countries to solve successfully. Only a concerted global effort of states and their stakeholders working in genuine partnerships, where every input is valued and appreciated no matter how modest or insignificant it may appear, can we stand a chance of success. This is shared responsibility to act together to deal with the climate crisis according to one’s own capabilities.

Our message is simple and genuine.

We want to be part of the climate change solution and to make positive contributions to the global effort. Being a small isolated island country with a limited resource-base has never been an excuse not to do our bit. Although the size of our effort maybe be very small at the global scale it is nevertheless significant compared to the size of our country and economy. Very importantly, we continue to try and show through modest examples the critical nature of the collective effort and commitment required from all countries if we are to succeed in turning around climate change.  

While Samoa has acted domestically to do our part to contribute to the global response to climate change, it is only through partnerships with sympathetic countries and their willingness to act ambitiously domestically themselves that could make possible the magnitude of the response needed to address the catastrophic consequences of climate change now irrefutably predicted by science.

Thank you.

Pacific Voyage to Doha: Our Century's Challenge, Our Pacific Response

Ambassador Ali'ioaiga Feturi Elisaia (middle) moderator of the side event

29 November 2012, Doha, Qatar – “Durable partnerships” was the summation of a successful side event showcasing the Pacific region at the UN Climate negotiations in Doha.  Ambassador Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, Samoa’s Representative to the United Nations highlighted the role of partnerships to help bring about a better environment for the Pacific region.

“We have international agencies, regional agencies and national governments at this table, we know partnerships are important,” said Ambassador Elisaia.

“Durable partnerships are essential at all levels, across agencies and even within countries, between the civil society, business sector, local governments….everyone plays a crucial role.”

The side event launched the Pacific Environment and Climate Change Outlook Report, featuring speakers from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and delegates from Samoa and Vanuatu to showcase their response to the impacts of climate change at the national level.

 

The Pacific side event

Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea, Samoa

Mr. Tepa Suaesi of SPREP presenting an overview of the PECCO

Mr. Albert Williams, Vanuatu

The presentation panel

Questions from the floor

Pacific Women in Climate Change - meet Anne Rasmussen, Samoa

This is the first in a series of human interest stories by SPREP’s Nanette Woonton on Pacific women showing leadership in the climate change field.

L - Ms. Anne Rasmussen, Samoa

November, 2012, Doha, Qatar - Samoa, the Treasure Islands, has a hidden gem in Ms. Anne Rasmussen of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.  She is occupying a seat at the head table at the UN Climate negotiations in Doha this week having been requested to be a co-chair based upon eight years of experience working for the Government of Samoa and four years in the UN climate negotiations.

More precisely, Anne will be working with her co-chair from Japan to chair agenda items 4a and c under the Subsidiary Body of Implementation, drawing upon her climate change experience at both the international and national level.

“I first attended the negotiations to support the Samoa delegation, it wasn’t until two years ago that I took that step towards a more active role in the negotiations with the National Communications.  I have also negotiated on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States and when it comes to work in Samoa, a large focus for me has been the development of the Second National Communications and carrying out the National Adaptation Program of Action.”

The National Communication is a report to be tabled to the United Nations Framework to the Convention on Climate Change it is an obligation as a party under the UNFCCC.  It provides a national update on all the work done in country to address the issue of climate change, ranging from the vulnerability and adaptation assessment, greenhouse gas inventory, the capacity building and public awareness.

Samoa has tabled its second national communication and is now working towards raising funds to produce the third national communication report, a nationwide consultative process.

“It’s a useful planning tool for the country.”

L - R Anne Rasmussen with Dr Netatua Pelesikoti, SPREP

Anne Rasmussen is a friendly face at the UN Climate Change negotiations. 

She’s a breath of fresh Pacific air at this international conference that is weighed down by a ‘cloak and dagger’ atmosphere with different huddles and closed meetings taking place.  Behind most of the closed doors here, many are negotiating an international agreement that centers on billions of dollars, lowering the levels of greenhouse gases and survival for small islands.

This young woman from Samoa has spent time in the thick of the negotiations, despite being overwhelmed and intimidated she has had to work up the courage every time she has made interventions and spoken on behalf of her island home in a room with thousands of people.

She graduated from the University of the South Pacific with an undergraduate in geography and post graduate degree in climate change, upon returning to Samoa nine years ago, she has worked in this field ever since.  One of the most challenging parts has been her role in the UN climate change negotiations.  Samoa signed the United Nations Framework to the Convention on Climate Change in 1992 and ratified it in 1994.  It signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1998 and ratified it in 2000.  Two years after this, Rasmussen joined the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Samoa beginning her career in climate change and the UN climate negotiations.

“It’s very intimidating, very scary, you have so much in your head but when it comes to being here in this arena and you see a lot of experienced negotiators at this international forum, you get so intimidated you don’t want to speak out in case you say something wrong, or you feel you don’t speak the same language that they are speaking.   It gets scary.”

“How do I overcome it?  I pray a lot!”

This year Anne has taken on a new role, she is the Global Environment Facility Consultant, a position equivalent to that of an Acting Chief Executive Officer under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Samoa.  She still plays an integral part in the negotiations as without realising it Anne herself speaks the UN climate negotiation language, bantering in acronyms and talking the ‘climate change technical talk’.  

“It helps if you read up and know your stuff, a lot of research, understanding and engaging, you are never too old to learn!  Know your stuff, step out there and give it a go!”

L - R Anne Rasmussen with Ambassador Ali'ioaiga Feturi Elisaia

Anne has mastered the skill of being able to feel at home in the international climate change arena, as well as maintaining her strong link with Samoa to ensure climate change action on the ground nationally, the proof is in the second national communications report tabled to the UNFCCC from Samoa, a document which required nationwide consultations with many different levels of Samoa society.  She pays tribute to her mentors who have helped guide her at this level – Taulealeausumai Laavasa Malua,Tuuu Ieti Taulealo and Ambassador Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, her fellow delegation members at the UN Climate negotiations.  

Anne Rasmussen has found her feet at this international arena.

Attending the UN climate talks is stressful and challenging with each meeting circumstance being unique, however Annie has remained true to herself, she has not attempted to camouflage into the negotiations process by adopting the hard line approach in the corridors.  Nor has she shirked responsibility and gotten lost in the thousands of people attending the conference just cruising by.  She has maintained her Samoan sense of self; follows the negotiation thread she is charged with, speaks out when needed and always offers a friendly smile and sound advice to others – remaining humble this whole time.  

Writing this article has been a challenge in itself, as Anne wanted to downplay her achievements in the climate change process, both nationally and internationally.

The best gem from this hidden gem is the final words she imparts in this interview that sums up how united the Pacific is at the climate negotiations, rallying together for survival.

“Having faith in the sovereign Lord helps me overcome my fears.  Making friends and the right kind of friends….making close friends in this process and my faith that is what helps one survive.” 

 

Pacific Women in Climate Change