Climate Change

COP26 President’s Fiji visit to enhance climate change action

July 26, 2022 4:10 pm

[Photo: Cop26 website]

COP26 President Alok Sharma will begin his official visit to Fiji from tomorrow, visiting a village to see firsthand the impacts of climate change.

He will visit Buretu village in Tailevu, to witness how climate change is affecting the lives of Fijians.

The village is suffering from severe weather events driven by climate change, including regular flooding which causes significant damage to property, crops and village land.

Article continues after advertisement

Despite these impacts, the villagers have chosen to remain in place and fight to keep their homes.

In Suva, Sharma will hold an open dialogue with the Pacific High-Level Champions for COP and hear from leaders of the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific, discussing the region’s priorities for COP27 and how the UK can help realise them.

He will also deliver a keynote address at the Pacific Islands Forum.

Ahead of his visit Sharma says he is pleased to be visiting Fiji and working to champion the issues which matter most to the Pacific partners.

Sharma will also highlight the urgency for the biggest emitters to take action now and deliver the promise of the Glasgow Climate Pact signed by almost 200 countries at COP26.

His visit continues the work of the UK COP Presidency to press for updated climate commitments from all countries ahead of COP27 in Egypt, aligned with the crucial goal of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

Sharma will meet ministers to discuss how to build on the main achievements of COP26, including adaptation, loss and damage and climate finance.