Samoa launches the process to fulfill its obligations under international climate change convention

September 4, 2020

Participants of the joint NESSC special meeting and launching of the TNC & BUR Project at Taumeasina Resort today. Photo credit: L.Lesa/UNDP

Apia, Samoa – Samoa today launched the process to fulfil  its obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – an international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Third National Communications (3NC) and the first Biennial Update Report (BUR) Project held its inception workshop today with key stakeholders.

The project will help Samoa update information on national circumstances with inventories of greenhouse gases, and will also contribute to Samoa’s voluntary report for Sustainable Development Goal 13, to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. It is working together with the Environment Sector through the joint implementation and development of the State of the Environment 4th Report.

The  Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) will spearhead project implementation.

“These reports and updates are very important as not only do they fulfil our obligations to the convention, but also strengthen the technical and institutional capacity of Samoa through the preparation, collection and update of its national reports, and subsequent transition into the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement on a continuous and sustainable manner,” said the Chief Executive Officer of MNRE, Ulu Bismarck Crawley.

The project, worth about USD$852,000, is being co-financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with financing by the Government of Samoa and UNDP.

“As part of the UNDP’s SIDS offer, I am pleased to note that Samoa is party to the “climate promise” to leverage support to assist countries in enhancing its Nationally Determined Commitments (NDC). The review and update of the Greenhouse Gas inventory via this project will also assist in Samoa’s 2nd NDC submission to the UNFCCC. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the Government of Samoa, the Ministry, the GEF focal point, and all stakeholders involved in the project design which had led to the approval of this project by the GEF,” said UNDP Resident Representative, Jorn Sorensen.

The project is also in line with a key objective of Samoa’s Strategy for Development – to implement mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although Samoa’s GHG emissions are negligible by global standards (0.0006 of global total emissions), as a member of the community of nations, Samoa is committed to play its part to address the global climate crises and urgently deliver ambitious climate action consistent with its obligations under the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Today’s launch coincided with the special meeting of the National Environment Sector Steering Committee (NESSC).

-ENDS-


For more information about the project, please contact:
Galumalemana Anne Rasmussen, ACEO GEF & Climate Change Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,  anne.rasmussen@mnre.gov.ws

Yvette Kerslake, Assistant Resident Representative, Environment & Climate Change Unit, UNDP I Tel: (685) 23670; yvette.kerslake@undp.org

For media queries, please contact:
Laufaleaina Lesa, UNDP Multi Country Office, Samoa|Tel. +685 23670|E: laufaleaina.lesa@undp.org
Website: www.ws.undp.org Facebook: @UNDP in Samoa, Cook Islands, Tokelau & Niue Twitter: @undpsamoa