Port Vila, 12 August 2022 (TDI): Oxfam in the Pacific has congratulated the Republic of Vanuatu on becoming the first island state in the pacific to launch revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Oxfam in the Pacific congratulates #Vanuatu on being the first #Pacific island state to revise its #NDCs. Despite being a climate negative country, Vanuatu’s revised NDCs have some of the most ambitious plans for #mitigating #climatechange and addressing #LossAndDamage.
— Oxfam in the Pacific (@oxfampacific) August 12, 2022
Markedly, Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable countries concerning the fight against climate change. It has made one of the most ambitious NDC commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement. Moreover, only 12 nations have met their commitment so far, with Vanuatu becoming the smallest as well as most vulnerable nation to do so.
Furthermore, this is among the first NDCs to provide full and thorough attention to the loss and damage, acknowledging it as essential to the Paris Agreement’s execution and adaptation.
Statement by Deputy Prime Minister
On this occasion, Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau stated, “Every day Vanuatu suffers the consequences of the climate crisis. This is not a tomorrow problem; this is an emergency right now.”
“Vanuatu believes in working together to solve this climate emergency, humanity’s greatest threat. We believe in the United Nations Paris Agreement. We believe in norms and the rule of international law.
And we firmly believe that our existing international laws and conventions already contain critical protections for human rights, and for the environment, and for supporting victims of climate harm,” he added.
Statement by Minister of Climate Change
Silas Bule Melve, the Minister of Climate Change of Vanuatu, addressed the ceremony. The minister stated, “today, Vanuatu is one of the few countries to revise and enhance its NDC under the Glasgow Pact from COP26. This is the most ambitious NDC in the world including 148 commitments on lowering emissions, expanding adaptation and addressing loss & damage.”
“Vanuatu’s NDC is unique in the world in that it directly includes commitments to address Loss & Damage. We are stepping up again today and showing the world that if the most vulnerable nation on earth can commit to addressing loss and damage, so too can every other country,” the Minister added.
