THE Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology (MECDM), Minister Trevor Manemahaga will lead a delegation of 37 representatives to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) is scheduled to take place from November 11 to 22.
MECDM Deputy Secretary Chanel Iroi said the delegation comprises 17 officials from the National Government, with the remainder representing its stakeholders, including CROP agencies such as Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) as well as Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) like World Vision, the Solomon Islands Climate Action Network and youth representatives.
“We have allocated different thematic areas for each delegate to focus on, such as adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer, loss and damage, oceans, agriculture, capacity building, research and systematic observation, and finance,” Iroi said.
“Some of us who have attended previous COPs will guide the youth delegates to help build their capacity,” he added.
The technical team will depart on Sunday 3 November, while the rest of the delegation will leave next weekend.
Minister Manemahaga, who is currently attending the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, will arrive in Baku next weekend.
COP29 represents a crucial opportunity to accelerate global action against the climate crisis.
With rising global temperatures and increasingly severe weather events impacting communities worldwide, the conference will gather leaders from governments, businesses, and civil society to advance tangible solutions to this pressing issue.
A significant focus of COP29 will be on finance, as trillions of dollars are necessary for countries to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening effects of climate change.
The conference will also serve as a pivotal moment for countries to present their updated national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement, which are due by early 2025.
If executed effectively, these plans could limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels while simultaneously promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
Solomon Star, Honiara
