Fiji’s Leader of Opposition Inia Seruiratu says the global community needs to persist with efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change by significantly reducing carbon emissions.

And he said that while world leaders continued to do their part, they must also ensure their concerns were heard and their officials were commended for their efforts in addressing those issues.

For Fiji, Mr Seruiratu said preparation was crucial.

He said preparation involved organising the teams from each of the small island developing states (SIDS), as well as island leaders coming together as a region at COP.

“While we are continuing with our mitigation efforts, there are critical areas that we need to focus on. One of the most important areas is resilience and adaptation and another crucial aspect is funding,” Mr Seruiratu was quoted as saying in a government statement.

“We appreciate the funding that is coming, but we have always struggled with easy access to funding.

“We need to continue with our development, particularly after the irreparable damage that have occurred in the past.

“That is why the loss and damage funding is so important for us.”

Mr Seruiratu said there were also numerous innovations in the field of energy, including clean and green energy, as well as energy efficiency; and access to those innovations was crucial.