pn919. Pacific leaders welcome Australia’s ‘renewed commitment’ to climate change

 

Albanese hails Pacific Island Leaders Forum a success but Fiji’s prime minister says Australia must end its ‘fossil fuel addiction’

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Australia must end its ‘fossil fuel addiction, including coal’, Fiji prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, pictured at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) with Anthony Albanese in Suva, says. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Kate Lyons and Geraldine Panapasa in Suva

Thu 14 Jul 2022 22.09 BST

Pacific leaders have welcomed Australia’s “renewed commitment” on climate change and interest in co-hosting a United Nations climate summit with Pacific nations, as Anthony Albanese heralds a successful reset of relationships in the region.

At the close of the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva on Thursday, leaders emerged on time and smiling from their daylong leaders’ retreat, before cutting a cake with a ceremonial sword and posing for a selfie when Albanese pulled out his phone.  Read more.

pn918. The Forum Through Both Ends of the Telescope

UPDATE. Click here.

The Forum opened with PM Bainimarama saying a strategy within the strategy must be about ensuring no external entity has strategic control over any of us, alluding presumably at China and Taiwan but perhaps also at Australia, NZ and the USA. 

He said, " It is my personal belief as a proud Pacific Islander that we are at our most resilient as a family, we speak more powerfully as a family and we can only build our best possible future, together, as a family. [Our]  collective prosperity must fundamentally drive the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. [We] must be able to effectively address their core vulnerabilities over the long term."

The 2050 Strategy for  the Blue Pacific Continent adopted at the previous Forum meeting consists of seven thematic areas including climate change, resources, technology and development, political leadership, regionalism and security.

 Bainimarama says economic, trade, and resource management considerations, and the key enablers that support these areas such as the rule of law, environmental protection, regional security and transport must under pin their cooperation through this strategy.

So far, New Zealand has committed to spend  NZ$1.77 billion mainly on climate change over the next three years, at least half on the Pacific, the rest on support adaptation initiatives. The U.S. aims to increase spending on the Pacific three-fold, with US$60 a year for the next ten years, although some will be spent on reopening and opening new embassies, With Australain PM Anthony Alabene due to arrive for the Forum today, we can also expect a similar announcement by Australia.

This is all well and good. Much of the money will be spent on vital development and environment projects but Bainimarama's warning about "externl entities" should not be forgotten.  He who pays the piper calls the tune — at least some of the time.   

Think of the AUKUS and ANZUS treaties  concerning the Indo-Pacific region, and how NATO is strengthening relations with its Asia-Pacific partners Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand which has prompted alarm in Beijing. 

Important as they are, from one end of the telescope the Forum and the Pacific appear as small parts of a much bigger scene. 

We need to look through both ends.

-- ACW

pn917. Fractured Regionalism: Let's Hope Pacific Islands Disunity isTemporary

A PIF meeting

The unity of Pacific nations seems to be falling apart just when they need to stay focused on the major issues facing the region — climate change and sea-level rise,  the Covid-19 pandemic, growing mainland Chinese influence and the question of links to China or Taiwan.   

Following the 2006 Coup Fiji was expelled and formed the Melanesian Spearhead Group,  a possibly divisive alternatve.  More recently, there was discord in the Solomons following its "switch" from recognition of Taipei for Beijing. Its most populous island Malaita is opposed to the switch.  

Then, when we thought that the issue of the appointment of Cook Island leader Henry Puna to head the Forum (instead of the head of a Micronesian state whose turn at leadership is was) was resolved, the issue flared up again. 

On Sunday, Kiribati left the Forum, and the leaders of the Marshall Islands and Nauru, for a mix of reasons, will also not attend the meeting that opened in Suva yesterday. The Cook Islands  will also not attend due to imminent elections.

Jacinda Arden expressed understanding and disappointment at the Kiribati

departure but held out hopes it would soon rejoin. Already in Suva, she announced new climate change funding for the Pacific.  The Australia PM Anthony Albanese arrives tomorrow. Fiji's PM Frank Voqere Bainimarama is chairing the meeting.

-- ACW

Australian and NZ Pacific Policies: Similarities and Differences

pn249

Increased concerns about the growing influence of China in the Pacific seem to be the main reason why Australia, and to a lesser extent NZ, have "reset" their Pacific aid programmes. Their combined yearly aid now totals A$1B and both have increased their diplomatic presence. 

Who's Stupid? Who's Culpable?

The NZ Herald (weekly circulation 790,000) couldn't find any space for the Beo Declaration on Climate change signed by NZ, Australia and 16 Pacific Island nations, all seriously worried about climate change,

Hosking, apologies to Tom Scott.  pn71

But as always it found space for the opinions of the buffoon, our very own know-it-all-on-everything climate change denier, our forever-in-the-news Mike Hosking.
And this on the same day the Forum closed.

"Stupid climate solutions - people don't want to bike to work"  he says in writing off the Productivity Commission's report.   The Herald adding it will only take you "3 minutes to read" so attention-deficient readers should be able to get through this one.

Hoskings says the report  was  undertaken "at our expense... to make our lives more miserable ... (it) has 77 recommendations, including taxing motor cars while making electric ones cheaper, and getting rid of a lot of farms and planting a lot of trees (but) there is still much debate about climate .. (change (sic!)  We ...  don't make any significant contribution  ... at what point do we draw the line between the upheaval required and the shambles it would create to do so?

"In simple terms, are we prepared to wreck our economy and therefore standard of living merely to be seen to be doing our part?"

I'm really so disgusted with Hosking's views  and  the Herald's  culpability for publishing them. They shouldn't be given any more publicity, except that I wanted to share my disgust with you .

Here's a summary of the  Productivity Commission Report. A link to the full report is provided at the end.

ACW
P,S. I see Whaleoil republishes Hosking's article in full, with no comment. I presume he approves.