From President Hilda Heine to a large contingent of Marshallese youth, the Marshall Islands has been actively participating in the global climate summit, COP29, in Azerbaijan since late last week.
Marshall Islands youth representative at COP29 Jewan Jamore spoke at the Global Centre for Climate Mobility side event at the the Climate Summit in Azerbaijan Monday this week.
He joined with the President of Niue Mona Ainu’u and a large group of young people.
“I talked about what I’ve witnessed in the RMI and what I’ve seen (in terms of the effects of climate change),” Jewan said. “These are stories without the statistics, and facts behind the statistics. I introduced the Marshall Islands with stories and wishes from the future generations. I came before the director and event leaders of Global Centre for Climate Mobility, youth delegates of the program and more. I came in with a passion for the islands and a voice for the people.”
In other COP29 developments:
The dire reality of the climate crisis was highlighted for the world to remember as 40,000 delegates, including a strong representation from Pacific island countries, gathered for COP29 in Azerbaijan, said the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program.
“Colleagues, we are on a road to ruin. But these are not future problems. Climate change is already here,” said COP29 President-elect Mukhtar Babayev.
The poignant reminder was delivered (November 11) during the official opening ceremony to an audience including UN member states, political leaders, diplomats, scientists, officials, civil society organizations, journalists, activists, indigenous groups and many more.
“Whether you see them or not, people are suffering in the shadows. They are dying in the dark and they need more than compassion, more than prayers and paperwork. They are crying out for leadership and action.”
President Heine emphasized that the success of the new collective quantitative goal depends on all parties meeting their commitments.
“The real question is whether the energy transition will be fair and inclusive,” she said as reported by the online news site, report.az/. “While we move away from fossil fuels, some countries continue to extract and use coal, worsening the climate crisis. Vulnerable nations like ours suffer the most due to limited resources.”
Heine highlighted the need for urgent funding to implement the Marshall Islands’ clean energy strategy, impacting all aspects of life, including infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
“Future generations will judge us by our actions and commitments. We must reform international financial institutions to address inequality,” she added, stressing that climate change is a human rights issue and that women and children will be disproportionately affected without immediate action. She concluded that the Paris Agreement offers hope, but success requires a collective effort.