Riya Mala 
[Photo: FILE]
Fiji is calling on world leaders to treat climate action and sustainable development as a single global agenda, warning that lasting progress depends on integrated solutions.
Addressing the Seventh Global Conference on Climate and SDG Synergies, Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya says countries can no longer afford to work in silos as the 2030 deadline approaches.
She says climate action and sustainable development are not separate goals but are essential to each other.
Tabuya adds that climate disasters such as cyclones continue to wipe out years of development progress, pointing to Tropical Cyclone Winston as a reminder of the long recovery process still faced by Fiji.
She says Fiji has not yet fully completed rebuilding from Winston, one of the most devastating cyclones recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Minister also highlighted the country’s progress on 24 of the 169 Sustainable Development Goal targets and confirmed work has begun on the country’s Third Voluntary National Review, to be presented to the United Nations in 2027.
Tabuya says protecting biodiversity, strengthening food and water security, reducing pollution and safeguarding oceans are key to building resilient communities.
She reaffirmed the commitment to working with international partners to deliver practical solutions, while ensuring the priorities of Small Island Developing States remain central to global decision-making.
