Fiji is coming up against strong opposition at COP30.
Manager for Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Genevieve Jiva, one of Fiji’s key negotiators in Belém, Brazil, said the first week of talks has revealed deep divides across several critical agenda items.
“So we’ve just concluded week one of COP30 in Belém, Brazil,” Ms Jiva said.
“We’re currently negotiating a number of contentious issues in adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, finance, just transition, gender and science.”
Ms Jiva said Fiji and the wider Pacific are lobbying to retain references to limiting global warming to 1.5°C as the core goal of the Paris Agreement, to reaffirm the special circumstances of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and to secure language supporting a transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.
“And we are coming up against some strong opposition from other groups who do not want those references and do not want ambitious outcomes.
“On Monday (Brazil time) we go into the high-level segment and ministerials.
“We will keep fighting to make sure that we have an outcome that works for Fiji and works for the Pacific.”
The Fiji Times observed several negotiation meetings in which developed Western countries, alongside Arab states and India, pushed back against SIDS positions on multiple agenda items.
According to observers, developed countries often resist SIDS proposals because small island states call for high climate ambition and demand substantial, predictable finance for adaptation and loss-and-damage, commitments that larger or wealthier economies are often hesitant to make.
