Transcript Presentation - Regional Policy Briefings

MSG Leaders Declaration on
Environment & Climate Change
Presentation by:
Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat
31 October, 2012
Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG)
At a Glance
 Established in 1988
 Members: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon
Islands, Vanuatu and the Kanaks of New Caledonia
 Purpose
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inter-membership trade
exchange of Melanesian cultures, traditions and values
Sovereign equality
economic and technical cooperation amongst members
Alignment of policies in order to further MSG member’s shared goals
of economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and
security
Country
PNG
Solomon Is
Fiji
Vanuatu
Population
(Estimated Figure)
6,732,000 (2009)
Land Area
(sqkm)
452,860
Total GDP GDP Growth
2010 (US$b) Rate (2011)
9.8
8.9%
530,669 (2010)
27,990
0.67
9.3%
837,271 (2007)
18,270
3.2
2.1%
234,023 (2009)
12,190
0.68
4.3%
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Key Melanesia Environment Challenges
 Threats to the loss of species and bio-diversity, and invasion of
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species;
Harvesting and exploitation of natural resources (forestry, fishery,
mining etc.) without suitable environmental and conservation
safeguards;
Soil erosion and degradation of coastal marine ecosystems;
Loss of terrestrial ecosystem and resultant loss of vital water supply,
food and traditional medicine, and employment and income; and
Impact of climate change across all sectors of society, and in particular
on and around the low lying islands, which will exacerbate the
impacts of current unsustainable resource use and poor
environmental management
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MSG Leaders’ Declaration on Environment &
Climate Change
 MSG Leaders signed the MSG Leaders Declaration on
Environment and Climate Change Declaration on 30 March
2012.
1.
Recognise the critical importance of a healthy environment for the long term livelihoods of our
people and the need for us to take significant steps to ensure the management and conservation of
our unique ecosystems and biodiversity including our tropical forests, river systems, mountain and
coastal ecosystems and marine resources;
2.
Realize the global importance and contribution of our Melanesian marine and terrestrial
biodiversity to Global Biodiversity and the need for urgent and significant action to conserve and
manage these resources;
3.
Highlight that climate change adds to the existing challenges of growing populations and socioeconomic development threatening the status of our natural environment, and the role of healthy
ecosystems as essential natural infrastructure in mitigating and protecting us from the impacts of
climate change;
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Declaration
1)
Endorse the adoption of a “Framework for Green Growth” as the basis for all
development and note the significance of existing regional initiatives such as the
Pacific Mangroves Initiative, Coral Triangle Initiative and other related initiatives
supported by donors and partners; and
2)
Call for a “Melanesia Blue Carbon Initiative”
3)
Announce the establishment of a “Melanesia Terrestrial Commitment”
4)
Call for the development of a Melanesia Green Climate Fund
5)
Commit to a significant MSG role in Environment and Climate Change issues
by formalizing an MSG Environment and Climate Change Ministers meeting, an
MSG Environmental and Climate Change Technical Advisory Group and an
Environment and Climate Change Unit in the MSG Secretariat
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MSG Green Growth Framework
Overall objective:
Enhancing economic growth and development
through the avoidance of loss of biodiversity and
unsustainable use of natural resources, and the
prevention of environmental degradation with a view
to improving society’s welfare
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Potential areas of focus national green growth
at the national level
 Integration of green growth opportunities into national planning
 Better integration of national sustainable development policies, including climate
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change mitigation and adaptation (and others such as DRR, social development,
poverty reduction, infrastructure)
Promote innovative financing mechanisms
Fiscal and budgetary reforms to promote more sustainable production and
consumption, and to finance a green growth transition
Promote best available technology transfer
Promote eco-efficiency in the productive sector such as SMEs
Traditional governance for resource conservation
Public outreach
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Key sectors of a Green economy
 Mining
 Forest management
 Fisheries
 Energy
 Agriculture
 Manufacturing
 Infrastructure and transport
 Tourism
Important role for government is to create an enabling environment for
private sector led green growth.
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Dual Consultative modality
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Melanesia Blue Carbon Initiative
 Call for a “Melanesia Blue Carbon Initiative” that recognizes the
significant role of mangroves, wetlands, coastal swamps and sea grass beds
in sequestering carbon as well as other inherent benefits such as coastal
protection and food security.This initiative will inform decision makers in
Melanesia on the scale and value of these important areas as well as a
strategy to conserve and manage these resources.
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Draft Proposals
 Proposal 1: Identification of the contribution of Melanesian blue carbon
in the global carbon storage and fluxes.
 Proposal 2: Awareness raising on the role of blue carbon in carbon
sequestration in relation to climate change.
 Proposal 3: Identify funding opportunities to support the protection
and management of mangroves, seagrass and other coastal ecosystems as a
contribution to global mitigation efforts.
 Proposal 4: Monitoring and evaluation of the change of the extent and
value of blue carbon resources
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Melanesia Terrestrial Commitment
Commitment to…
 Conserve and Manage
 Forests
 Major water catchments and river systems
 Mountain and coastal ecosystems
 Sustainable Land use practices
 Agriculture
 Development
 Engage and Support traditional landowners
 Manage and conserve their environment
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Recognizing communities role with the
environment
- Communities are owners or caretakers of environment goods
- Development and conservation partnerships
- Commit communities to management of natural resources
- Support governance structures
- Long term engagement
- Spreads benefits of development or resource boom beyond
resource owners
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Melanesia Green Fund
 Development of a Melanesia Green Climate Fund and matching
national funding mechanisms to be resourced by climate change
mitigation and adaptation funding and other innovative mechanisms
including investments from the mining and extraction industries and
private sector, that will support the implementation of the Melanesia
Terrestrial Initiative and related marine activities to undertake climate
mitigation and adaptation action
 Establishiment
 Seed funding
 Contribution by other development partners
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Conceptual thoughts on Climate Fund
Sub-regional
entry point
National pool
Community
input
• Regional partnerships
• Cross country focus
• Supporting National environment
development focus
• Access into communities
• Partnership in Green Growth process
• Pacific Islands Regional Multi-Country
Coordinating Mechanism proposal
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Useful Lessons
 All of the Countries in the MSG have developed National
Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA).
 Many adaptation programmes at community level
 Vanuatu – Community Pilots, Tegua Relocation & Paama Rainwater Harvesting
projects
 PNG – focus on 6 priority area s - Coastal flooding, sea-level rise, Inland flooding,
Landslides, Malaria and vector-borne diseases, Agriculture yield and damage to coral
reef.
 Fiji - AusAid Building Resilience Project – Ba and Macuata Province - to protect and
improve coastal ecosystem services and support long term food security, livelihoods
and the well being of the Fiji an communities through activities that reduce
community vulnerability to the effects of climate change.
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Challenges
 High cost of travel to outer islands – will be a deterrent to spreading
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projects
Enhance public education and awareness raising on climate change.
Strengthening institutional mechanisms within members to
coordinate CC issues
Harmonization of climate change-related programmes, projects and
initiatives.
Coordination of stakeholders and their activities at the donorgovernment level and down to the planning and implementation of cc
related programmes
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Way Forward……MSG
 Establishment of Environment and Climate Change function
within the Secretariat
 Initial 2 years support from the German Government though GIZ
 National Consultations undertaken on the Draft Frameworks
and working with key Partners UNESCAP, IUCN, GIZ, SPC
 Endorsement by MSG Environment and Climate Change
Ministers Meeting
 Endorsement by MSG Leaders – 2013
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