‘Heading towards a very unsafe world’: Vanuatu’s climate change minister fights to end fossil fuel projects

Sitting under a tree in a quiet courtyard, Vanuatu Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu sips on a long black as he prepares for a whirlwind trip to Dubai for the COP28 climate change summit. He’s hoping developed countries such as Australia commit to phasing out fossil fuels like coal and gas at the UN’s annual meeting. The future of his country depends on it.

With the world already warmed by 1.3 degrees since pre-industrial times, the biggest challenge is to minimise that damage, Regenvanu said. But he’s not sure if that’s even possible.

Vanuatu Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu is on his way to COP28, where he hopes developed countries will commit to phasing out fossil fuels.Credit: Steven Siewert

“We are rapidly heading towards a world that will not be very safe and livable for our children. And that’s something I think most of us have accepted already: can we make it a bit less unsafe, or a bit more livable?” he says.

Vanuatu, made up of roughly 80 islands and home to more than 319, 000 people, has estimated about $US1.2 billion is needed by 2030 to ensure adequate adaption, mitigation and loss of damage. That means taking action to limit the impacts of climate change and make the community more resilient to its effects. Much of that money would come from international countries such as Australia or America.

Regenvanu said the country has been smashed by natural disasters such as cyclones, which have soaked up almost half of the annual budget. But if the country is able to secure global funding before 2030, Vanuatu might be able to climate-proof its infrastructure, economy, and communities.

“Our country is continually in a response and recovery mode,” he said.

Developed countries, like Australia, have a duty to help developing nations, such as Vanuatu, which contribute very little greenhouse gas emissions, he said. In 2021, the country emitted 174,859 tonnes of CO2, compared to Australia’s 391 million tonnes of CO2.

“Other countries by their activities have caused this damage to us. Who’s going to pay for the damage? And who’s going to pay to make us be able to withstand into the future these increasingly catastrophic events?” he said.

Regenvanu said Vanuatu, like many former colonies, had been underdeveloped during colonisation. The country only achieved developing status three years ago, which is no small feat given only five other countries have managed to achieve an upgrade in the past 40 years.

“Historically, we have been exploited to create the climate crisis, and now we are victims of it. Accountability and justice … is really critical in climate change talks, especially in terms of resourcing sustainable development for the world.”

Could Australia host COP31?

Regenvanu, who has been in parliament since 2008 and was previously Vanuatu’s minister for foreign affairs, is on his way to Dubai for COP28, where the first global assessment of progress since the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015 will be presented.

At Paris, delegates set a goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees, while aiming for a cap of 1.5 degrees. But this is expected to be exceeded in the near future.

Australia has lagged other wealthy countries on climate action, with the former Coalition government resisting pressure to set more ambitious carbon emission targets at last year’s Glasgow climate summit.

Since then, the Albanese government has set a target of reducing emissions to 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 which it is nearing. But environmental groups say the ongoing approval of fossil fuel projects undermines the government’s efforts.

It’s also an issue Pacific nations want Australia to address, ahead of its bid to host COP31 in 2026.

“That’s something Australia has to do, not only for the Pacific but for the world,” he said.

Australia is considered one of the front-runners to host COP31, having won support from several members of the “Western Europe and Others” group that will decide where the meeting is held.

Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has repeatedly emphasised the Pacific’s role in the meeting should Australia win the bid.

While Regenvanu said Vanuatu is keen to work with Australia, the nations won’t start talking until the bid has been finalised. He also said Australia will need to ensure Indigenous voices are at the forefront of the summit.

But Regenvanu said despite COP summits, there had been a lack of real commitments from countries like Australia that was disheartening and slowed down any meaningful change.

“We need to see much more commitment to taking money away from the fossil fuel sector and putting it into adaptation,” he said. “We’re not seeing enough courage from governments in the fossil fuel producing countries [to do so].”

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