Reducing the 75 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions coming from the transport sector in the Pacific Islands, will be the focus of the Pacific Islands Transport Forum and Expo hosted by the University of the South Pacific (USP) as part of their 50th anniversary from 8 – 10 November 2018.

50 years after the first nuclear test, and 20 years after the last. The French Polynesia atoll of Mururoa is still largely a no-go zone. Photo: AFP

USP stated that the event is in support of the 1.5 degree climate goal. However, USP warned that further delays in incorporating the transport sector into Pacific Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would slow down the decarbonisation process, and could also undermine the diplomatic leverage of the Pacific Island Countries in demanding action from nations responsible for much larger shares of carbon emissions.

It said each country will have steps identified to understand the transport sectors contribution to GHG emissions and that government representatives will review the current status of the sector in the region, define national targets for reducing transport emissions in the 2030 and 2050 timeframes, and start developing pathways to reach these targets.

USP announced the Expo will be opened to the public alongside the Forum showing displays of clean technology for land, air, and sea transport from companies in the Pacific region and around the world.

The event will conclude with a declaration that will define regional goals for transport decarbonisation, and call for the establishment of national low-emissions transport roadmaps by 2020.

As host nation, Fiji will co-chair the event with the Republic of the Marshall Islands as the first Pacific Island Country to integrate transport targets into its NDCs.

Other partners include the COP23 Presidency, Asian Development Bank, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), and Pacific Community (SPC) and UN agencies.

Such an event is being organised since PICs recently took on a global leadership role in addressing climate change impacts, hence it is imperative that each country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) address all sectors that generate greenhouse gas emissions.

The timing of the event will allow for formulation of outcomes prior to the next UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP24) and align with the completion of Fiji’s COP23 Presidency and the 50th anniversary of USP.

Pacific Islands Transport Forum and ExpoUniversity of the South Pacific (USP)Greenhouse Gas EmissionPacificpacific transport