the Fijian Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Dr Mahendra Reddy [right] [Source: Fijian Government]

Fiji has called on G7 nations for meaningful international momentum to be built to preserve our ecosystems and enhance climate ambition.

This was highlighted by the Fijian Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Dr Mahendra Reddy who is leading Fiji’s delegation to the G7 Environment Ministers meeting which is currently underway in France.

Fiji was invited by France, the current president of the G7, to participate at the G7 Environment Ministers meeting this week because of its growing role in climate and environment advocacy and awareness activities on the international stage.

Minister Reddy delivered intervention remarks on a separate session today on preserving ecosystems and enhancing climate ambition where he pointed out that “there is a very urgent need for a strong coalition whose mission would be to integrate and bring together the protection of our ecosystems with a view to preserving our communities and enhancing our climate ambitions”.

He added that this coalition should be more inclusive and should see the mobilsation of governments, the private sector, academia, civil society and all other interested stakeholder groups.

To effectively carry this out and to raise ambition, the Minister said that Fiji would support a global charter instrument that would deliver the preservation of coral reefs, sea marshes, mangroves and all wetlands and ecosystems.

He added that Fiji would support this charter if it would build capacity, strengthen advocacy and awareness models and support an accountability framework that would report back on the progress made in every area committed through the charter.

During the two day conference, the Minister will deliver interventions on various aspects of the linkages between climate, environment, science and economic opportunities.

He is supported at this conference by Fiji’s non-resident Ambassador to France and based in Brussels, Deo Saran.