Statement by the Hon. Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi at the Pacific Islands Forum High Level Roundtable on Urgent Climate Action

Chair of the Forum, Fellow Leaders

Honourable ministers, Forum Dialogue Partners

Ladies and Gentlemen  

1. As Pacific Island leaders we continue to reaffirm that climate change represents the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific. The Kainaki II Declaration for Urgent Climate Change Action Now calls on the International community to join the Blue Pacific to take bold, decisive and transformative action to address the challenges of climate change. We cannot allow COVID 19 to disrupt ambitious climate action.

2. As Forum Leaders we are committed to strong regional action, harnessing shared stewardship of the Pacific Ocean and acting as one Blue Pacific continent. These are vital to addressing the challenges facing the Blue Planet, to planning and owning our development agenda, and to building the resilience of the Pacific, particularly in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence the development of the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy for our Blue Pacific continent.

3. The Strategy will respond to our region’s great challenges, with climate change the single greatest threat to the Blue Pacific.

4. Samoa’s enhanced Climate Change Actions indicate our commitment to being part of the solution despite our insignificant Green House Gas emissions.

5. In response to this call to action, the Samoa Climate Change Policy (2020 -2030) was developed and approved to be part of our whole-of-society response. The Policy will ensure there is effective and coordinated implementation of our climate change obligations at all levels.

6. Samoa’s ambition is reflected in it being part of the SC1.5ENCE (SCIENCE) not SILENCE Campaign promoting advocacy and actions in line with the findings of the IPCC 1.5 degree Celsius Special Report. We are on track to meet our Paris Agreement target of 100% renewable ahead of schedule, through an accelerated uptake of low emissions technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, hydropower, biomass and biogas and carbon-neutral transportation. This is a seismic shift from diesel dependence to clean energy independence.

7. Securing the climate financing needed to continue down this path will be extremely important as the transition will be dependent on new and resilient infrastructure, technology shifts towards green buildings, climate proofed roads and protection of local community assets.

8. Our revised Climate Change Policy offers a way forward for Samoa, and provides a clear mandate for the national coordination of climate change policies and actions across the whole of our society. The policy provides the baseline for the evolution of national adaptation and mitigation targets, complements prevailing climate activities, and promotes a multidisciplinary and complementary approach, building upon relevant existing plans and programmes including our Enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions(NDC).

9. Some of our adaptation and mitigation milestones include:

• the integration of climate change into all sector plans - climate strategies have been completed for Agriculture, Health, Tourism, Forestry
• the development of a Green Climate Fund and GEF funded flood management control scheme for the Vaisigano Catchment area which covers the central business district and includes Infrastructural interventions (river walls) to adapt to the rainfall patterns as well as soft solutions such as payment for ecosystem services activities.
• the adoption of the Community Integrated Management Plans (CIMPs) as Adaptation interventions for district and community levels through the conservation of mangroves, marine ecosystems, forestry, water catchment as well as hard solutions such as river and seawalls to respond to the severe impacts of climate change. All contribute to enhanced resilience
• Waste to Energy has also been utilized to launch small scale biogas systems in communities.
• The 2 Million Tree campaign to contribute to mitigating carbon being released in the atmosphere has been enhanced and we have reached this target and beyond.
• Launching of the Afolau Biomass Gasification Plant (750KW), to contribute to the Renewable Energy target set under the NDC for 100% RE by 2025. The plant utilizes invasive species for feedstock.
• Mr Chair, we are aware that the global transition towards renewable energy and resilient infrastructure is beginning to happen, but not at the scale or the speed required to avert the worst effects of the climate crisis. We know that the biggest challenge in the fight against climate is time.
• Samoa has joined the Island Resilience Partnership through Gridmarket to address this issue through utilization of GridMarket’s predictive analytics, mapping technology, and competitive marketplace to design, develop, and deploy distributed energy resources for island nations. Through this partnership we have achieved significant progress in the midst of the global pandemic and international lockdowns. Thank you!

Listen to PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi Speech here