By Samisoni Pareti at COP21

The leadership of Tuvalu's Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga at the COP21 negotiations has been praised by the new head of the Pacific’s environmental agency.

Kosi Latu, who will become Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme in Samoa next month said Prime Minister Sopoaga, leader of the small island nation of Tuvalu, as lead negotiator and spokesman of the Pacific led from the front, braving long negotiation sessions till the early hours of the next day.

“Prime Minister Sopoaga demonstrated exceptional leadership at the negotiations,” Mr Latu told Pacific journalists that covered COP21. Other island government officials confirmed Mr Sopoaga’s drive and determination were inspiring as he brushed aside enormous pressures from leaders of bigger and wealthier nations to ease up on the Pacific’s red lines in the negotiations. 

These were a below 1.5 degree Celsius target, stand-alone loss and damage mechanism, and scaled up, adequate and more accessible climate financing. Mr Latu admitted that while there were a few red lines remaining in the negotiations for a new climate change agreement, he was “quietly optimistic” that a deal would be reached.

“Our rationale for pushing for loss and damage is that for us in the Pacific, loss and damage goes beyond adaptation. For example, if our island goes under the sea, what will be there to adapt?”

The new Director General of SPREP says on the below 1.5 degrees target, the list of countries that seem to agree with the Pacific position is growing. Instead of the 2 degrees or well below 2 degrees wording being offered in the draft, the islands would prefer to stick with the below 1.5 degrees.

He also feels there’s room for some convergence on climate financing. What remains to be worked out is the how and when aspects of the funds.

Member states of COP21 have been unable to agree on the text of the Paris Agreement on climate change by today, Friday, forcing negotiations to work through today as well as tonight. COP President Fabius is hoping agreement could be reached by Saturday afternoon.