OPPOSITION Leader Inia Seruiratu has called on Government not to focus only on the economic benefits of initiatives that involve Fiji’s natural resources.
Responding to Minister for Forestry Alitia Bainivalua’s report on Fiji’s Emission Reduction Program in Parliament on Monday, Mr Seruiratu said as a small vulnerable country, adaptation was about survival and finding a balance between economic benefits and environmental protection.
“If I remember correctly, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement specifically talks about such, and the honourable Minister for Finance is well aware of the complications in this particular area, given the funding constraints or non-committal,” he said.
“Of course, huge programs need to be funded through these initiatives.
“It is important for us as well, particularly as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), to look at the balance when we look at the three pillars of sustainable development — economic development, social development and environmental protection.
“Let us not focus only on the economic benefits, but our environmental protection is so important.”
Mr Seruiratu also called on Government to support programs that encouraged biodiversity.
“While on that, this is about biodiversity and I wish to, again, encourage all of us to support every program that involves biodiversity, particularly when we talk about ecosystem diversity, species diversity, genetic diversity and even functional diversity because part of that is our forest, when it comes to biodiversity, and it affects our water, food and the quality of life as well.”
