The Pacific Way – the Way to Go!

Pacific Climate Action Network

Talofa, Mauri, Bula, Moi Oran, Kiorana, Kaselehlie, Fakalofa Lahi Atu!

Sept 7 Auckland, NZ

Acknowledgements

• Oxfam for organizing this meeting• Signifying a positive move of inclusiveness- Willingness to work hand in hand with Pacific

NGOs- We pledge our support to the work and the

fight we are all embarking on to save our home: Pacific…Earth!

International Affiliations

• CAN International• Oxfam• WWF• Greenpeace• Friends of the Earth• 350.org• SPREP• USP….PIANGO….

3 Hs

Head, Hands and Heart

Climate Action Network PACIFICCAN Pacific

*Climate Justice*Developments in the International Negotiations &*Imperatives for the Civil Society

Survival or Development?

• Broken Promises• Debt Crisis• Bad Trade• Climate Justice• Food crisis• Bad Governance

“Climate Change is not going away. The risks and costs – of inaction grow each year. The more we delay, the more we will have to pay – in lost opportunities, resources and lives.”

Ban Ki-moon, General Secretary of the UN, 2010.

Coconut trees dying from saltwater intrusion; Kiribati Goverment

Who are the PacCAN members today?

CAN exists in these countries:

• Tuvalu• Kiribati • Cook Islands • FSM• Fiji• Niue• New Zealand

In process:

• Samoa• Nauru• Solomon Islands• Tonga• Vanuatu• PNG

We are……• We are the Noise makers, the supporters of Pacific Governments.- When they negotiate silently, we shout- When they talk in rooms, we do it on the streets- When they need a shoulder, we lend ours willingly- We do things direct- We advocate and campaign world wide• We came into being as a response to the need of the grass root

people in the frontline• CAN Pacific is a network of member organisations from all over the

Pacific committed to combating harmful climate change. • This network is based on trust, openness and democracy. • The network of independent members of Pacific CAN act in terms of

their own mandates and organisational aims and objects.

What have we done

• Working closely with national governments• Part of national negotiating delegations• 350.org• Earth Hour • Awareness programs• Supporting government initiatives• Advocating worldwide• Assist with Adaptation projects

What is CAN Pacific doing?

• Position of 1.5 - pushed by PacCAN into CAN International

• Those not on delegation lobby from the developed countries on SIDS position from outside

• KiriCAN supports Kiribati and SIDS call to the world at the TCCC (have added some pic from Tarawa)

KiriCAN

KIRICAN ACTIVITIES• International Campaigns:

Aust/NZ/Belgium/Spain/Austria/US• UNFCCC: COP14, 15, 16 & the next COP..17• Awareness on Tarawa• TCCC (Tarawa Climate Change Conference• Awareness in the Outer Islands (five)• Water Harvesting• CC Children Exhibition• Waste Management???• USA Dancing Team Tour• Research and Journalists assistance (Media)

KiriCAN and Pacific CAN supports Kiribati’s Call to the World

CAN PACIFIC WAY FORWARD• Gender and Climate Change: We will work towards the full recognition of gender

within the UNFCC process• Green energy should be promoted widely in the islands and governments should

take drastic steps today to embrace green energy. Green energy also promotes health and decreases poverty and provides opportunities.

• Adaptation should reach the grassroots in each communities....the poor must be reached and touched by adaptation projects. Community based projects should be encouraged using NGOs in each region to perform these programs.

• Adaptation text should not be referenced to the Capacity Building text.• All regional governments should invite and encourage the participation of Climate

Change NGOs to be present in their policy making meetings. Decision making must involve and include all stakeholders.

• Climate Change finance need to have clear policies on how it should be distributed to vulnerable countries and to make sure they are given as grants and not LOANS.

CAN PACIFIC WAY FORWARD CON’T• The distribution of funds should reach each stakeholder sectors: The

Government/Private Sectors/NGOs. The government deals with national projects, Private Sectors deals with business projects and NGOs deals with community projects.

• A regional curriculum on Climate Change should be completed by the end of this year. All Pacific schools should incorporate Climate Change into their curriculum.

• We recognize the need for capacity building in the area of negotiation tactics for our negotiators.

• Adopt the UNESCO initiative on Climate change Education for Sustainable Development. This is being offered by USP.

• The Durban meeting should be the last COP. We cannot continue to negotiate. Its exhausting our resources

• Collaborate with regional governmental offices to implement the CC initiatives• The negotiations table in the international arenas should have a stronger voice of

NGOs and Pacific Forum members should work collaboratively with each other in these meetings.

CAN PACIFIC WAY FORWARD CON’T

• Collection and preparation of CC resources in the Pacific should be coordinated properly and distributed by one regional office.

• Each country to collect these resources and be able to print, translate into own language and distribute nationally.

OUR PLANS FOR DURBAN

• Organize a Climate Change Exhibition of dramas, songs, dances, poems that would reach and touch the world during COP17!!!

- An effort to showcase the richness and uniqueness of our Pacific culture that is under threat due to CC

• To be as supportive as possible to the Pacific Island negotiators

• Mobilizing our international networks to support our Pacific Islands and AOSIS positions

• Make as much noise as possible

I will leave you with blessings:

• Te Mauri Good Health • Te Raoi Peace• Te Tabomoa Prosperity

THANK YOU