Excellencies,

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

The path to net zero and the urgent requirements and timelines involved with limiting global average temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees are daunting and a challenge for us all. But with a challenge of this scale comes great opportunity. The path in question is not only the path to net zero and climate security, but also the path to a more inclusive, sustainable, and peaceful world.

 

Our collective efforts to reshape, recreate, and transition our economies through new technologies, innovation, and collaboration, will only be successful if these efforts can be guided by the core principles of inclusion and equity. The just transition that we are here to discuss today – is not only about the transition of technology, jobs, and financing, it is about the transitions in governance required to face up to a rapidly increasing global threat.

This transition in governance and policy must reflect a changed economics in which social and natural capital are better valued, enhanced, and protected. The ‘just transition’ must be firmly placed within the framing of what is, without any credible doubt, the beginnings of the fourth industrial revolution.

 

This just transition or just transformation of our economies requires sensitivity to context and the circumstances of different stakeholders at the national level. It is a story that will be defined by a ‘whole of society approach’. As we move towards economy-wide NDC’s – the implications of action to address these commitments will reverberate across many elements of our societies.

 

The implications of transition can be compatible or incompatible with national wellbeing and as a result ensuring positive compatibility with national priorities and livelihood security is at the core of the responsibility of Governments. To meet this responsibility, we must leverage and command diverse and strong coalitions to support positive change and avoid negative disruption.

 

In Fiji, despite the strong economic, ethical, and practical rationale for renewable energy investment, uptake, and scale up, we face challenges with the financial models, the landed costs, the expertise requirements, and the behavioural shifts needed to grow into this new phase in energy production and use. Fiji’s National Energy Policy, endorsed earlier this year, presents a comprehensive stocktake of the challenges, solutions, and policy objectives that will support our people and provides an opportunity-centred approach to our energy transition needs. But as stated, ‘just transition’ is about much more than energy alone – it’s about collaborative and inclusive economic diversification.

 

Without meaningful collaboration and adequate financing, technology dumping, structural economic disruptions, and the exacerbation of inequity will plague our efforts and compromise our collective objectives.

 

We must also consider the detriment caused by uncertain and weak policy signals and the threat a lack of clarity and consistency has on the potential for just transition. We must consider the impact of:

• The commitments and objectives that change with the political cycle.
• The existence of conflicting national policy objectives
• The investment incentives that lack certainty and clarity.
• And the broad political statements that lack follow up, action, and commitment

– these factors erode potential for safe, strategic, and stable transitions to be orchestrated.

 

Encouraging investments at local and national levels, scaling up engagement, involvement, and uptake requires robust policies, laws, and legislation that enable, promote, and reward common intent.

 

We must home in on the real stakeholders, policy levers, and issues that will enable the partnerships that can underpin just transitions at national, regional, and international scales.

 

In March 2023, Fiji joined Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, and Niue – in the Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific. Through this call we have called for accelerated action to enable the just and equitable phase out of coal, oil, and gas. In doing so we have also identified key ‘pacific-tailored development pathways’ to support our collective move towards renewable energy.

 

We all must identify the means and strategies for unlocking concessional financing required to deliver against the policies we preach. At the global level, this means reappropriating harmful fossil fuel subsidies and clear redirection of finance towards enabling the just transition.

 

In deliberating on the means and strategies required to bring about a Just Energy Transition we must focus on the consideration of three critical factors:

 

TECHNOLOGY

Firstly, Technology transfer and the various dimensions it entails is vital and many of us face particular challenges associated with our particular contexts and circumstances.

 

Many small island developing states like Fiji are dependent on international technology transfer and have limited local research and development capacity. We also have limited access to capital due to the constrained size of our economies, and face trade barriers and challenges associated with our distance from key markets. We must find ways to diversify our access to technology, finance, and research to advance locally led innovation.

 

PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT

Secondly, while the role of the Private sector is well understood in driving the energy transition, it is crucial to recognise the features of the enabling environment required for the private sector to be meaningfully involved in supporting the shift to clean energy. Given the reliance of fossil fuel imports in small and emerging economies and its susceptibility to global demand and supply fluctuations, private sector stakeholders must be given the tools and incentives required to strategically integrate new technology into their operations and portfolios. We must critically consider transition impacts on vulnerable sectors.

 

The identification of industries and workforces most at risk before, during and after the transition need to be identified and supported with adequate assistance through sectoral planning.  The proactive identification of factors such as the type of reskilling needed, new regulatory reform and legal frameworks required, and the development of strategic modalities for deploying financial assistance will help minimise these transition risks.

 

GENDER AND SOCIAL PROTECTION CONSIDERATIONS

Finally, it is important to consider in your deliberations today that the shift to a cleaner and low carbon economy must benefit everyone, especially vulnerable and marginalised communities, including women, children. Recognition of social disparities and inequalities must be well understood and addressed within all planning and implementation activities to ensure the energy transition does not come at a cost to the most vulnerable in our societies.

 

Excellencies, as I understand it, the Just Energy Transition Partnership is a financing mechanism, a vehicle to drive a multi-sector, and multi-stakeholder collaborations that are the key to a just global energy transition for combating climate change issues.

 

I applaud Vietnam, Indonesia and South Africa for progressing their clean development objectives and ambitions through the development of comprehensive financing and implementation plans to enable just energy transition in a contextually relevant and impactful way.

 

Let us use this gathering as an opportunity to gain and explore new perspectives and lessons to further the impact of Just Energy Transitions Partnerships noting the different considerations, national circumstances, and actions required in our own jurisdictions.

 

The just energy transition must be an agenda that is anchored in the concept of leaving no one behind. Let us translate this ambition into action by working together to enable national, regional, and global energy transitions that are built on principles of inclusion and equity and enabled by partnerships, innovation, and good governance. If we do so, a triple win, for our peoples, economies, and environments is within reach.

 

Thank you and Vinaka Vakalevu.