Fiji’s Representative to the United Nations Satendra Prasad.

There are hopes that many other countries will follow New Zealand which has committed funding to help developing nations facing losses and damages caused by climate change.

The announcement was made at the United Nations Climate Summit COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt with an initial pledge of $20 million.

Fiji’s Representative to the United Nations Satyendra Prasad has welcomed and thanked the commitment by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Speaking on Loss and Damage, Prasad says in Fiji affected communities are already being relocated and adaptation is too late.

“For whom 1.2 Celsius degree temperature is already too much and for these communities, the window of climate finance that applies to them is loss and damage and we really welcome New Zealand’s leadership and we hope for the Pacific, many other countries will follow its example. “

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna has also joined Pacific Island leaders in Sharm El Sheikh for COP27 to seek renewed solidarity with leaders of larger emitting countries, to deliver on the landmark Paris Agreement

Puna says they are calling on leaders to put all the discussion into action now.

“Adaptation, mitigation, climate finance, a host of priorities of significant importance to the Pacific region. But you know, what we’re really after is for the world to hold on to the 1.5 degrees goal that was clearly set out as a threshold for the survival of the Blue Pacific, but also of this blue planet of ours.”

Delegates from nearly 200 countries are attending the U.N. climate summit in Egypt with an agreement to discuss compensating developing nations for mounting damage linked to global warming, placing the controversial topic on the agenda for the first time since climate talks began decades ago.