Mandate
“The Pacific Hub is a tool that will use the valuable help of willing partners to
energise our NDCs and produce more ambitious, concrete, coordinated actions.
Sharing experiences, mobilising resources and raising political support for
ambitious action: That’s what we will need if we are to go further, to 1.5 degrees.
That’s how we will get the job done.”
Extract from the Fijian Prime Minister’s launch address, 14 November 2017, Bonn, Germany
The Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) leaders first envisioned the need for a dedicated regional facility to support the implementation of the nationally determined contributions of the Pacific island countries at the inaugural Climate Action Pacific Partnership Conference held in Fiji in July 2017. The PSIDS leaders expressed the urgency of climate action in pursuit of the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement and the need for PICs to bolster their adaptive capacity and build resilience.
At the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP23) of the UNFCCC, the Fijian Prime Minister and COP23 President Josaia V. Bainimarama formally launched the Regional Pacific NDC Hub – a dedicated regional facility, created and owned by the PICs – to provide catalytic support for NDC implementation in PICs and support processes of ambition ratcheting and transparency of climate action. It was envisioned that the new regional facility would make a contribution to the global NDC Partnership.
Vision
A sustainable, low-carbon and climate resilient Pacific.
Goals and Objectives
The central goal of the Hub is to realise the vision of a sustainable, low-carbon and climate resilient Pacific. By supporting processes for the full implementation of the NDCs that PICs have committed to under the Paris Agreement considering their national circumstances, including mobilising support through its internal and external partners and its broader network, the Hub aims to advance the following specific objectives:
- Improve NDC planning, policy, strategy and legislation in PICs.
- Strengthen enabling environment for NDC implementation.
- Accelerate NDC action and project/program implementation in PICs.
- Enhance NDC measurement, reporting and verification and transparency of climate action.
Guiding Principles
Urgency of Climate Action
The latest scientific evidence by the IPCC20 expresses the urgency of climate action in that limiting warming to 1.5oC requires dramatic emission reductions by 2030 and the need for climate vulnerable countries to ramp up adaptation efforts in order to reduce the negative impacts on key economic systems and development sectors. For the PICs, the need to urgently undertake concrete climate actions has never been greater.
Alignment of Development Agenda
This principle recognises the need for alignment of regional climate action with the Paris Agreement and other development frameworks such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant international and regional development frameworks, with the mandate of the Hub. It is also critical that climate change is mainstreamed in national and sectoral policy in PICs. The principle also recognises the need for an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to climate change response and one that embeds long-term climate change considerations into the national planning and development machineries of Pacific governments.
Gender Equality, People and Wellbeing
Women and men tend to experience the impacts of climate change differently, therefore climate action in the PICs ought to first and foremost address gender disparities. The PICs focus on gender dimensions in climate change response, and in part, this would help the region achieve SDG 5 on gender equality. This principle also recognises that Pacific people and their prosperity is both the rationale for and objective of regional climate change response. As such, the region’s response to climate change should leave no one behind, address poverty, raise regional prosperity and promote social cohesion in Pacific island communities.
Green Recovery and Build Back Better
The convergence of the climate crisis21 with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected Pacific people and economies in unprecedented ways, means there is a need for transformative climate action that raises regional prosperity, creates new and additional income streams, green jobs and puts Pacific economies on a sustainable development pathway. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement thus need to become the guiding basis for a green and climate resilient recovery.
Ownership and Build In-Country Capacity
The NDC Hub is owned and driven by the PICs. It is a facility mandated by Pacific leaders to support PICs transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon and climate resilient future. This principle recognises the added value of the NDC Hub as a unique multi-partner platform and further recognises the need for in-country capacity building to sustain long-term climate action. PICs have the opportunity to learn from each other and develop institutional capacity that enhances efficiency and reduces reliance on international expertise for transformative climate change response.
Collaboration and Partnership
Deepened collaboration and partnerships are critical for promoting urgent, effective and equitable responses
to climate change and to provide a strengthened platform for evidence-based learning, advocacy, and exchange of knowledge and experiences. In a capacity-constrained environment, dialogue with stakeholders and partners can result in harmonised approaches and resource efficiency that is critical for climate action. This principle also recognises the need for regional coordination, especially amongst the development agencies operating in the Pacific region.
