Climate Champion Inia Seruiratu emphasizes that for developing countries, sustainable development depends on implementing effective strategies to tackle climate change, as many nations are compromising the Sustainable Development Goals to meet urgent economic needs.

Speaking at the National Climate Action Dialogue, Inia Seruiratu said Fiji, like other countries, is harming the environment through logging, burning, and overuse of natural resources, all because of the focus on money.

He added that Article 2.2 of the Paris Agreement will be applied to ensure fairness, recognizing that countries have different responsibilities and capabilities based on their national circumstances.

He says people need to change their mindset and embrace the concept of sustainable development.

“Sustainable development means meeting the needs and aspirations of today without compromising tomorrow, the future. Unfortunately, for most of us, or in some instances, we are acting as if there will be no tomorrow. Let’s change that. Probably locally, compartmentalization in government, lack of coordination, lack of ownership, and lack of leadership are part of the problem.”

Seruiratu acknowledges the progress Fiji has made in the fight against climate change, including the adoption of the Climate Change Act and the National Climate Change Policy.

However, he says that now that there is a framework in place, it is important to understand the next steps moving forward.

Seruiratu says he is glad that Section 92 of the Climate Change Act allows the Minister to establish a committee focused on the private sector, highlighting the importance of stronger partnerships.

He adds that Fiji learned a big lesson after Cyclone Winston in 2016 and is now working on a strategic approach to resilience in its development efforts.

Seruiratu says he is working with the government to take a lead role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

He also stresses the importance of better legislation and budgeting, rather than relying on external financing.

Seruiratu adds that the government needs oversight over global commitments and hopes that nationally determined contributions will be presented in parliament for debate.

He emphasizes that while Fiji submits progress reports on the SDGs, these achievements have not been discussed in parliament, and it’s time to bring them there because of parliament’s important oversight role.

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