1 week Ago By Rakesh Kumar
Cjildren born today will face an average of two to seven times as many extreme weather events than their grandparents, says British High Commissioner to Fiji Brian Jones. While speaking at the announcement of Fiji’s COP29 delegation in Suva on Friday, he drew the attention of the 55-member Fiji delegation to the 2022 Save the Children Report titled “Born Into the Climate Crisis”. “One of the most striking statistics in that report for me is that children born today compared with their grandparents will suffer between two to seven times as many natural crises as their grandparents did when they were growing up,” Mr Jones said.
He reminded the delegation that they will be negotiating in the COP29 for the future of their children. British High Commissioner to Fiji Dr Brian Jones says children born today face an average of two to seven times more extreme weather events than their grandparents. While speaking at the announcement of Fiji’s COP29 delegation in Suva on Friday, he drew the attention to the 55-member delegation to the 2022 Save the Children Report titled “Born Into the Climate Crisis”.
“One of the most striking statistics in that report for me is that children born today compared with their grandparents will suffer between two to seven times as many natural crises as their grandparents did when they were growing up,” Dr Jones said. “So, drought, water shortages, cyclones, king tides, our children born today will suffer two to seven times as much as their grandparents did.” Dr Jones reminded the delegation that they would be negotiating in the COP29 for the future of their children.
“For those who are going to COP29, this is really for you. “You’re delegated to create the future for the children and to make sure that those catastrophic scenarios don’t realise.” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Professor Biman Prasad, who will be leading the team, said while COP29 would not be a milestone COP by mandate, it would be a foundational COP that would set the basis for the means of implementation and the ambition that would define action over the coming decades.
“In being such a moment, it is yet again cross-roads that requires a strong and united voice – across the agendas, issues, and negotiations,” Prof Prasad said. “It is incumbent upon us as civil servants, as leaders across different sectors representing the people and communities, as well as the interests of future generations, to establish a bold and strategic shared narrative and be resolute in delivering positions that are unequivocal, firm and bold.”.
