Description
ABSTRACT: Pacific Island Negotiators at COP26 were outnumbered by fossil fuel representatives by more that 12 to 1. The Pacific Islands are of those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with increasing risks of the inhabitability of islands. In an advancing digital age, representation from these islands have increased and Pacific participation was felt at many side events during COP26. However, these countries with low internet penetration, still face challenges in having their voices and needs consulted.
Through the prism of climate justice, communities most affected by the impacts of climate change need to be consulted. It is not enough to listen to their plight; they must be actively involved in shaping climate policy. This paper critically asserts and engages with amplifying voice and agency of vulnerable communities in the South Pacific Islands, to recognize the needs and preferences of these communities to better inform policy and adaptive strategies.
This paper will draw and reflect on the widening discrepancy between climate policy development, community perceptions and needs. It will assess how climate governance policy outcomes do not represent the voices of the most vulnerable, asserting the need for their inclusion and a higher standard of accountability to States whose words do not match their actions.
Presented as a guide to facilitate discussion, this paper offers, a people-centred approach, which favours multiple adaptive strategies that incorporate the variety of perspectives that demonstrate regional, community and even cross-generational preferences and needs.
