November 12, Suva, Fiji – The Pacific Islands Transport Forum and Expo was hosted this week by the Government of Fiji in conjunction with the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) and the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fjji. The three-day event drew over one hundred participants representing the private sector, governments, and other organizations from the across the region.
GGGI played a key role in planning the forum, and sponsored the morning and afternoon tea breaks. GGGI Pacific Regional Representative Katerina Syngellakis participated as a panelist on the session on progressive strategies and technologies employed globally, and GGGI Senior Pacific Regional Officer Kristin Deason facilitated discussion as a moderator on the gap analysis panel session and served as a judge for a student research competition held as part of the Expo. GGGI staff also participated in a “Critical Mass” group cycling ride held as part of the event to raise awareness of cycling as a sustainable transport option.
GGGI’s Katerina Syngellakis speaks during the panel session on progressive strategies and technologies (Photo credit Kristin Deason)
The Fijian Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, National Disaster Management and Meteorological Services, Honourable Inia Seruiratu, officially opened the event, stating ““As part of our commitment to tackling climate change, we see this as an important opportunity for us to talanoa here in the Pacific, and focus on the key sector that has yet to be looked at – transport.” He added that the Fijian Government is working with the Global Green Growth Institute on several projects, including a feasibility study on the use of electric vehicles in the country.
The Fijian Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, National Disaster Management and Meteorological Services, Honourable Inia Seruiratu officially opening the Pacific Islands Transport Forum and Expo (photo credit Margaret Seravatu)
The aim of the forum was to prioritize transport decarbonisation as a key sector for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Pacific, set clear pathways for national action plans under a coordinated regional transition program, and bring together stakeholders and actors. The agenda included panel discussions on progressive strategies and technologies employed globally, linkages among the transport sub-sectors of land, sea, and air, links to Sustainable Development Goals and Nationally Determined Contributions, and financing options to support the transition to a more sustainable transport system.
Kristin Deason moderates the panel on gap analysis and next steps (photo credit Yunae Nam)
Other partners involved in planning and implementing the event were the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Micronesian Centre for Sustainable Transport (MCST), Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), COP23 Secretariat, Secretary of the Pacific Community (SPC), Fiji Ministry of Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Land Transport Authority (LTA), and MTCC Pacific.
More information about the forum, including video footage of the panels and events, can be found at https://research.usp.ac.fj/pacific-islands-transport-forum-expo/?fbclid=IwAR1RomYGBsq5xGo8ovW0solJLFDNDt3Cupa6p_853E5nz3v1uyQdZ4owj3A
Group photo of forum attendees