14 November 2022, Sharm El-Sheikh - On the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) hosted a talanoa session to discuss and dissect how the world is tracking against the goal to keep global warming to 1.5°C, and what options there are for limiting future global warming.
The session at the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion on Saturday was the culmination of a series of webinars hosted by the PCCC in partnership with the Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions at the Australian National University (ANU) on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, the world’s most authoritative sources of climate science, approved by 195 countries.
The sessions targeted the main findings of each of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment (AR6) Reports and its implications for the Pacific. The reports are Working Group I - An overview of the physical science of climate change, Working Group II - An overview of Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability & Working Group III - Mitigation and Climate Change.
The message from climate scientists in the IPCC reports confirms the critical need for governments to take urgent, concerted action to achieve the 1.5˚C warming limit.
Palau’s Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Environment and the Pacific’s Political Champion for Environmental Integrity, Hon. Steven Victor, who opened the side event, said leaders of the Pacific have been collectively calling to amplify ambitious global action to limit global warming below 1.5°C to secure the future generation of the blue Pacific.
“As Pacific Political Champion for Environment Integrity I reiterate the important role that science plays in informing the climate process, providing critical evidence and facts to build the case for climate action and urgency for implementation,” said Hon. Victor. “In the Pacific we need science-based solutions from scientific research to help move assessments and plans to implementation that will leave no one behind.”
The Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, concurred and reminded that Pacific leaders present at COP27 continue to call for Urgent scaled-up ambition and implementation to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, which is crucial for the survival of Pacific nations.
“I would like to acknowledge the partnerships with Pacific Governments including our host Government Samoa and acknowledge the presence of the Hon. Minister of MNRE here at COP27. I also want to acknowledge the generous support of the Governments of Japan and New Zealand, the Irish fund and partners. We also appreciate our partnership with the Australian National University (ANU) whom have been working closely with the Pacific Climate Change,” said Mr. Nawadra.
The Pacific Climate Change Centre talanoa session featured a range of Pacific experts as well as international technical specialist that are currently involved with the work of IPCC.
Moderated by SPREP’s Meteorology & Climatology Adviser, Mr. Salesa Nihmei, the panel featured Dr. Johanna Nalau – Lead Author IPCC Working Group II Chapter 15 Small Islands; Senior Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, and Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Mr Terry Atalifo – Fiji Meteorological Director, Afaese Dr. Luteru Tauvale, Assistant CEO Meteorology Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Samoa, Ms Yvette Kerslake – Science to Services Technical Adviser, PCCC and Ms Mahealani Delany – ANU graduate researcher, PNG.
From the webinar discussions, eleven factsheets designed to convey and communicate the key findings of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are available for all members of the public so they can stay up to date with the latest developments and how climate change impacts them. The Pacific Climate Change Centre has also developed animations translated into 6 Pacific languages.
Manager of the PCCC, Ms. ‘Ofa Ma’asi – Kaisamy, thanked the panelists and everyone who took time out of their COP27 schedules to attend the session.
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP27) is being held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt from 6 to 18 November 2022.
It is being attended by Pacific leaders and their delegations, who are advocating for their survival. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is lead of the One CROP, working together to provide support to Pacific Islands.