An empowered Niue is working to grow its presence at the UN Climate Change Conference. Niue is the world’s 177th largest emitter with a total share of zero greenhouse gas emissions, yet like all Pacific Islands nations, Niue is amongst the most vulnerable in the world to the impacts of climate change.
In 2022, Niue led a delegation of seven at the Twenty-Seventh Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, including the Honourable Minister Moana Ainu’u, who was the Pacific Champion for the Gender and Climate Change negotiations at COP27.
This week in Niue, the Pacific Island is holding a post-COP27 workshop supported by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP), the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).
This opportunity brings major Niue stakeholders together to learn more about the UNFCCC, the COP process, the outcomes of COP27 and how Niue’s empowered presence can grow and strategically engage in the negotiations for the next Conference of the Parties - COP28.
“We may be small, but we are a member of our global family that matters and as such we must work and ensure our Niue voice is heard. Climate change is affecting us all – this is the platform upon which we can work to make a difference,” said Ms Ida Talagi-Hekesi, the Chair of the Public Service Commission of Niue.
“We must be heard at this global level, as the decisions and discussions here do make an impact upon our island home. We welcome these discussions happening to strengthen our engagement.”
Niue is the very first Pacific Island Member of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to host a national post-COP event, permitting stakeholders and partners to participate. The Pacific regional post-COP event was held in Apia, Samoa in March 2023.
SPREP is the lead coordinating agency of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific and others, which provides strategic support to our Pacific Small Islands Developing States in the UNFCCC process.
Niue’s post-COP event is the first inter-Pacific agency event bringing together four different intergovernmental agencies to coordinate support for the Post-COP27 and Pre-COP28 partnership activities in Niue.
A series of meetings between SPREP, PIDP and the Government of Niue has led to a one-day workshop for stakeholders working towards climate resilience in Niue on Wednesday, 3 May. This was the opportunity for Niue to learn more about climate change, the COP and the outcomes of COP27 and how it will impact the island of Niue.
“If we aren’t at the table, we won’t be heard. We must be at this table because when we are not heard, we are left behind,” said Ms Tagaloa Cooper, Director of Climate Change Resilience of SPREP.
“We hear talk of the Green Climate Funding – it all began and came into being because of negotiations in the UNFCCC COP process, all our climate change work done at the national level stem from the talks within the COP. We encourage you all here today to find your voice to be heard loud and clear at all COPs.”
The Niue Post Twenty-Seventh Conference of the Parties Government and Stakeholders Meeting was held on 3 May 2023 supported by a delegation from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP). This culminated in a partnership between the Government of Niue and SPREP, The Pacific Community, PIDP, and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
