[Source: Fiji Government/Facebook]

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has stressed the need for coordinated efforts and substantial investments in the transition to green shipping.

He advocated for this at the COP28 Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership in Dubai.

Rabuka states that Fiji led a collaborative initiative with neighboring countries including the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to establish the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership.

Rabuka has also emphasized the partnership’s commitment to aligning sea transportation with a 2050 net-zero emissions target, revealing plans to reduce fossil fuel use in domestic shipping by 40 per cent in 2030, 80 per cent by 2040, and 100 per cent by 2050.

Recognizing the economic and environmental toll of fossil fuel reliance in marine transport, the event spotlighted the urgent shift toward sustainable, low-emission shipping.

Rabuka outlined an ambitious plan to retrofit or replace over 11,000 vessels across the seven Pacific member countries.

Seeking global partners’ investment, the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership aligns with international goals for sustainable shipping, contributing significantly to the fight against climate change.

Rabuka expressed optimism regarding the initiative’s positive impact on the region’s marine transport sector and the broader vision for a sustainable and resilient Blue Pacific.