Corrupting the Climate Debate

On Sunday, The Guardian article from Casten Ned Nemra, Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs, marks a trend of increasing attention from global media on the central role shipping emissions play in decarbonizing our global economy. 

RMI was joined by Kiribati and the Solomon Islands in calling for full decarbonisation by 2050 in their recent IMO submission, recognizing the IPCC AR6 report indicating sea level rise will continue for decades ahead, even if the 1.5 degrees trajectory is met by 2030. 

Recognition of the urgent action required has been widespread, but the issue of loss and damages to Pacific Island Countries – some of the most vulnerable and least culpable for our current global trajectory – is not being acknowledged with the same consensus.

The earlier joint submission by RMI with Solomon Islands for a GHG levy starting at US$100 has been met with resistance from various national representatives and shipping industry stakeholders in the IMO. 

Unfortunately – unlike certain other UN bodies – in the IMO, industry stakeholders often perform as national representatives in a mindboggling display of unmitigated conflict of interest. 

A glaring example of this is appears to be the reporting on the Cook Islands permanent representative to the IMO, Captain Ian Finley, who, in an article published by DeSmog on 17 September, is revealed to have received over US$700k in payments since 2010 through the International Parcel Tanker Association.

Source: Fiji Sun 22 September, 2021

Both Finley and IPTA are based in the UK. Given the IMO Secretary General’s earlier reference to Capt. Finley’s insights when asked about mentors in May 2021, blurred lines between national representation and industry haven’t been sounding any alarms within the existing organizational structure.

Concern should be expressed by the entirety of the region over this past week’s revelation around Capt. Finley’s purported corruption and his consistent, vocal opposition in IMO to cutting emissions in-line with the scientifically-backed urgency Fiji, RMI, and other countries in the region have demanded. 

Transparency and impartiality are key to good governance, and solidarity is crucial for Pacific Island nations to face the climate crisis effectively. 

Without presenting a unified regional voice in international fora such as the IMO, we risk losing this immense opportunity RMI and the Solomon Islands have proposed in the IMO to see those nations most vulnerable to climate change appropriately engaged in finally redressing issues caused by over 150 years of industrialization by overdeveloped nations.

By: Andrew Irvin, USP Project Officer for the Cerulean Project at MCST.
(Also published in Fiji Sun)

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