MEDIA RELEASE

Majuro (Thursday, 1 June 20223)

The World Climate Industry Expo Leaders Summit hosted in the city of Busan by the Republic of South Korea was held on Saturday, 27 May at the Bexco Exhibition Center.

The summit invited high level participation from the Pacific and Caribbeans - Bahamas, Belize, Fiji, Tuvalu, RMI, Barbados, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, International Maritime Organization and GGGI. The theme for the summit was "Global Cooperation and Solidarity for the Fight against Climate Change" focusing on two main topics: Ocean Conservation in the face of Climate Change; and Carbon-Free Shipping toward a Greener Ocean.

Tuvalu and Marshall Islands presented in the second session: Carbon-Free Shipping toward a Greener Ocean. Tuvalu's Prime Minister Honorable Natano highlighted Tuvalu's efforts at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the need for global action in the shipping industry to reduce GHG emissions by 2050, calling on other member states to support the efforts made by members of 6PAC through their submissions to the IMO particularly on the levy proposal submitted by the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and Solomon Islands.

RMI's Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Honorable Kitlang Kabua, in her remarks, highlighted the urgency to reduce GHG emissions in the shipping industry in line with the 1.5 pathway and noted that the upcoming MEPC80 meeting in July at the IMO would be vital in negotiating a revised GHG reduction strategy for the RMI and the Pacific. She stated that “the Marshall Islands will take responsibility, as one of the largest shipping registries in the world, to push for an agreement on a zero greenhouse gas emissions target for shipping by 2050 at the latest'', and that a universal greenhouse gas levy on international shipping would generate revenues that could help climate most vulnerable countries such as SIDS and LDCs respond to the rising impacts of climate change.

– End of Media Release –

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