HON. PM BAINIMARAMA'S REMARKS AT THE NZ EVENT, ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE LAUNCH OF NEGOTIATIONS TOWARDS AN ACCTS

Mr/Madam Chair/ President.
 
Despite the 2015 Paris Agreement, most countries’ climate policies show a chronic lack of ambition and the world remains on track for temperature increases of more than 3°C.
 
Against this backdrop, the world needs transformative solutions.
 
In climate policy discussions, relatively little or no attention is paid to global trade architecture. If the world is to restrict global warming to 1.5°C, trade must be a central part of the solution.
 
As a starting point, bilateral and regional or multilateral trade agreements that are currently under negotiation should be made more climate-friendly. Climate change issues embedded in trade agreements could help to meet climate goals.
 
Taking this one step further, Fiji together with the Heads of Government of Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and Costa Rica, is supporting and giving its voice to the initiation of negotiations on the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS)
 
One of the key objectives of this Agreement is the removal of tariffs on environmental goods and the establishment of new and binding commitments for environmental services.
This will increase market access for goods and services that are more sustainable in nature. However, we also propose that the agreement look at both tariff and more importantly, non-tariff barriers, and work to remove subsidies for fossil fuels and other products that harm our climate.
 
As we develop this initiative, it is important that it has the appropriate safeguards built in and is not simply a means for countries with a trade advantage to use the agreement as a means for dumping or promoting goods, or putting in place new barriers on imports under the guise of sustainability.
 
Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.