Vanuatu, a Pacific country, has established one of the world’s most aggressive climate policies, pledging to 100% renewable energy in electricity generation by 2030 and setting lofty loss and damage objectives.

The declaration is another example of the little island state creating a name for itself in international climate efforts.

All countries were asked to “revisit and reinforce” their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) on climate action by the end of 2022 during last year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow. Vanuatu is one of only 12 countries to have done so, and regional experts have commended its bold goals.

“The Vanuatu government has been quite courageous in pursuing the ICJ opinion, and all of this is excellent for the Pacific.”

– Tagaloa Cooper-Halo

“They are truly setting an example for the rest of the world,” said Tagaloa Cooper-Halo, director of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s climate change resilience programme (SPREP).

“Vanuatu is leading by example in many respects, while having zero emissions. They are taking the initiative by presenting their strategy. This was a massive effort by their administration and other parties since making that declaration requires a lot of work and coordination.”

Vanuatu is currently a carbon-negative country, meaning it absorbs more emissions than it emits, but it has committed to going much farther, phasing out fossil fuels nearly entirely and aiming for 100% renewable electricity generation by 2030.

They are also advocating for the immediate establishment of a loss-and-damage finance fund to assist vulnerable areas.

According to the government, the expenses of meeting Vanuatu’s updated obligations by 2030 are anticipated to be USD 1.2 billion.

“Vanuatu was the first nation in the world to demand climate polluters to pay for the permanent losses and irreversible damage caused by their emissions thirty years ago,” said Dr Wesley Morgan, a senior researcher at the climate council.

“Today, Vanuatu is pushing for the establishment of a new loss-and-damage funding facility at the UN. To be an effective climate ally in the Pacific, Australia should support a new loss-and-damage finance structure.”

This action also sets the tone for the Pacific’s preparations for the COP27 meeting, which will take place in Cairo in November.

Vanuatu, the UN-designated country most vulnerable to natural catastrophes, is also requesting that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issue an advisory opinion on climate-related harm.

“The Vanuatu government has been quite courageous in pursuing the ICJ opinion, and all of this is excellent for the Pacific,” Cooper-Halo added.

According to the Vanuatu government, more than 80 countries from around the world are supporting their request for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice ahead of a vote at the UN General Assembly’s upcoming session.

Info source – The Guardian