MSG Leaders Declaration on Environment & Climate Change

1. MSG Leaders Declaration on Environment & Climate Change Presentation by: Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat 31 October, 2012

2. Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) At a Glance • Established in 1988 • Members: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the Kanaks of New Caledonia • Purpose • inter-membership trade • exchange of Melanesian cultures, traditions and values • Sovereign equality • economic and technical cooperation amongst members • Alignment of policies in order to further MSG member’s shared goals of economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security

3. Key Melanesia Environment Challenges • Threats to the loss of species and bio-diversity, and invasion of species; • Harvesting and exploitation of natural resources (forestry, fishery, mining etc.) without suitable environmental and conservation safeguards; • Soil erosion and degradation of coastal marine ecosystems; • Loss of terrestrial ecosystem and resultant loss of vital water supply, food and traditional medicine, and employment and income; and • Impact of climate change across all sectors of society, and in particular on and around the low lying islands, which will exacerbate the impacts of current unsustainable resource use and poor environmental management

4. MSG Leaders’ Declaration on Environment & Climate Change • MSG Leaders signed the MSG Leaders Declaration on Environment and Climate Change Declaration on 30 March 2012. • Recognise the critical importance of a healthy environment for the long term livelihoods of our people and the need for us to take significant steps to ensure the management and conservation of our unique ecosystems and biodiversity including our tropical forests, river systems, mountain and coastal ecosystems and marine resources; • Realize the global importance and contribution of our Melanesian marine and terrestrial biodiversity to Global Biodiversity and the need for urgent and significant action to conserve and manage these resources; • Highlight that climate change adds to the existing challenges of growing populations and socio-economic development threatening the status of our natural environment, and the role of healthy ecosystems as essential natural infrastructure in mitigating and protecting us from the impacts of climate change;

5. Declaration • Endorse the adoption of a “Framework for Green Growth” as the basis for all development and note the significance of existing regional initiatives such as the Pacific Mangroves Initiative, Coral Triangle Initiative and other related initiatives supported by donors and partners; and • Callfor a “Melanesia Blue Carbon Initiative” • Announce the establishment of a “Melanesia Terrestrial Commitment” • Call for the development of a Melanesia Green Climate Fund • Commit to a significant MSG role in Environment and Climate Change issues by formalizing an MSG Environment and Climate Change Ministers meeting, an MSG Environmental and Climate Change Technical Advisory Group and an Environment and Climate Change Unit in the MSG Secretariat

6. MSG Green Growth Framework Overall objective: Enhancing economic growth and development through the avoidance of loss of biodiversity and unsustainable use of natural resources, and the prevention of environmental degradation with a view to improving society’s welfare

7. Potential areas of focus national green growth at the national level Integration of green growth opportunities into national planning Better integration of national sustainable development policies, including climate change mitigation and adaptation (and others such as DRR, social development, poverty reduction, infrastructure) Promote innovative financing mechanisms Fiscal and budgetary reforms to promote more sustainable production and consumption, and to finance a green growth transition Promote best available technology transfer Promote eco-efficiency in the productive sector such as SMEs Traditional governance for resource conservation Public outreach

8. Key sectors of a Green economy • Mining • Forest management • Fisheries • Energy • Agriculture • Manufacturing • Infrastructure and transport • Tourism Important role for government is to create an enabling environment for private sector led green growth.

9. Dual Consultative modality

10. Melanesia Blue Carbon Initiative • Call for a “Melanesia Blue Carbon Initiative” that recognizes the significant role of mangroves, wetlands, coastal swamps and sea grass beds in sequestering carbon as well as other inherent benefits such as coastal protection and food security. This initiative will inform decision makers in Melanesia on the scale and value of these important areas as well as a strategy to conserve and manage these resources.

11. Draft Proposals Proposal 1: Identification of the contribution of Melanesian blue carbon in the global carbon storage and fluxes. Proposal 2: Awareness raising on the role of blue carbon in carbon sequestration in relation to climate change. Proposal 3: Identify funding opportunities to support the protection and management of mangroves, seagrass and other coastal ecosystems as a contribution to global mitigation efforts. Proposal 4: Monitoring and evaluation of the change of the extent and value of blue carbon resources

12. Melanesia Terrestrial Commitment Commitment to… • Conserve and Manage • Forests • Major water catchments and river systems • Mountain and coastal ecosystems • Sustainable Land use practices • Agriculture • Development • Engage and Support traditional landowners • Manage and conserve their environment

13. Recognizing communities role with the environment • Communities are owners or caretakers of environment goods • Development and conservation partnerships • Commit communities to management of natural resources • Support governance structures • Long term engagement • Spreads benefits of development or resource boom beyond resource owners

14. Melanesia Green Fund • Development of a Melanesia Green Climate Fund and matching national funding mechanisms to be resourced by climate change mitigation and adaptation funding and other innovative mechanisms including investments from the mining and extraction industries and private sector, that will support the implementation of the Melanesia Terrestrial Initiative and related marine activities to undertake climate mitigation and adaptation action • Establishiment • Seed funding • Contribution by other development partners

15. Conceptual thoughts on Climate Fund

16. Useful Lessons • All of the Countries in the MSG have developed National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA). • Many adaptation programmes at community level • Vanuatu – Community Pilots, TeguaRelocation & Paama Rainwater Harvesting projects • PNG – focus on 6 priority area s - Coastal flooding, sea-level rise, Inland flooding, Landslides, Malaria and vector-borne diseases, Agriculture yield and damage to coral reef. • Fiji - AusAidBuilding Resilience Project – Ba and MacuataProvince - to protect and improve coastal ecosystem services and support long term food security, livelihoods and the well being of the Fiji an communities through activities that reduce community vulnerability to the effects of climate change.

17. Challenges High cost of travel to outer islands – will be a deterrent to spreading projects Enhance public education and awareness raising on climate change. Strengthening institutional mechanisms within members to coordinate CC issues Harmonization of climate change-related programmes, projects and initiatives. Coordination of stakeholders and their activities at the donor-government level and down to the planning and implementation of cc related programmes

18. Way Forward……MSG • Establishment of Environment and Climate Change function within the Secretariat • Initial 2 years support from the German Government though GIZ • National Consultations undertaken on the Draft Frameworks and working with key Partners UNESCAP, IUCN, GIZ, SPC • Endorsement by MSG Environment and Climate Change Ministers Meeting • Endorsement by MSG Leaders – 2013