S.I wants urgent actions on climate change

Hon. Peter Shanel, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade. (Pic Solomon Times)

By Andrew Fanasia Jr.
In New York (UN Headquarter)

Solomon Islands Foreign and External Trade Minister Mr. Peter Shanel made an urgent call from the 65th United Nation General Assembly for enhanced measures to be taken on combating climate change among other highlighted issues.

“It is critical that we must have a clear path of stabilizing green house gas emissions.”

“Solomon Islands supports Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) call to reduce temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius and to bring down green house gas concentration to well below 350 parts per million,” Mr. Shanel said in his statement before the Assembly’s high-level debate on Monday.


Referring to the legally binding agreement on climate change which set to be held in November in Cancun Mexico, Mr. Shanel said, the necessity of reaching the climate change agreement “cannot be over-emphasized.”

Mr. Shanel said our planet is already absorbing more heat and getting warmer.

He added under the current trend, science tells us that the temperature will further increase by 4 to 7 degree Celsius by the end of this century, threatening the survival of many including Solomon Islands.

Noting there is limited atmospheric carbon space left, Mr. Shanel stressed a carbon budget approach is an option to prevent the climate from reaching irreversible levels in a just and fair manner.

Our country, he said, “it takes into consideration development needs, our shared responsibilities and rights towards meeting the demands of the health of our atmosphere.”

Also highlighted in his statement before the UN General Assembly, Solomon Islands is to some extent off track in terms of meeting its 2015 Millennium Goals.

Mr. Shanel told the Assembly that our country have its special situation that demand special international attention.
In this regard, Mr. Shanel stressed, “Solomon Islands call for a special category for Small Islands Development States (SIDS) within the UN system.”

Meanwhile, in his statement Mr. Shanel acknowledges United Nations outreach to Solomon Islands this year by convening a UN National Competitive Recruitment Exams in December.

“We welcome this engagement as it provides the opportunity for successful citizens to fill our national quota of international civil servants serving our family of nations,” Mr. Shanel told the President of the 65th session of the General Assembly on Monday in New York.