It is rather daunting to consider how climate change will affect the future economies of the 44 states and observers that makeup the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). 

 

One disadvantage that all member states share is their susceptibility to the adverse effects of climate change. This global phenomenon is causing an unprecedented amount of economic hardship for the local people. 

 

They incur huge costs associated with the:

·      damage of their property

·      damage of local infrastructure (roads, power lines, bridges, sea walls) 

·      damage of farms (used as a source of income)

 

These massive disruptions in their daily life also means lost time for children to become educated and difficulties for adults to maintain a profitable business. 

 

To combat such injustices, AOSIS hopes to impose harsher economic sanctions on global institutions that have negative production externalities. 

 

Our solution is a tax reform that proposes the abolishment of the ‘Pigouvian tax’ – this is when companies pay tax on a per unit basis of production. 

The tax would be modified to the ‘cap-and-trade permit’, where the owner can buy/sell a permit that gives allowance to emit a certain quantity of pollution each year. 

 

This reform has huge upwards potential as it doesn’t drastically affect governments ability to raise revenues, and, also allows proven scientists and politicians to collaborate in assessing how much pollution is admissible while staying on track to achieve the outcomes of the recent COP23 summit. 

 

The outcomes of COP23 were encouraging, with Fijian president Frank Bainimarama declaring that “we have done the job we were given to do” (Earthfile 2018). However, the US’s withdrawal under the Trump administration was a sour ending - as one of the world’s biggest polluters ceased their support for action. 

 

In a poignant and paradoxical manner- it is ultimately the actions (or inactions) of the global north who will determine the future for AOSIS.

 

AOSIS is in a sink-or-swim situation (literally), and so we will proactively pressurise the major polluters to comply with our proposed solution and thus successfully meet the targets of COP23. 





Bibliography 

 

Earthfile 2018, ‘Outcomes of COP23 Climate Change Conference Pt 1, Earthfile, ChannelsTV, viewed 12 May 2018

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uYMgMMhT9Y>

 

 

Given the strong culture that is found across all 44 states of the Alliance of Small Island states (AOSIS) the social and cultural issues that climate change will bring on are irrefutable. Millions of citizens who are proud of their nation and culture are losing their very existence. Their sense of identity is so closely attached to their land that in some instances he notion of holding their ground against the rising tides is more desirable than having to leave. The strength and resilience that the Polynesian culture instils in its people can only be categorised as polarising. The culture of the AOSIS was already altered many centuries ago when the European missionaries came and went. We are now seeing a second coming of the ‘West’ within the islands of the pacific, however this time it is not their diseases that threaten our existence but rather their reckless polluting. 

Given that the culture of the AOSIS is attached to the land in which is sinking below our feet the position that the organisation is adopting is that our major neighbours in the pacific the USA, Australia and New Zealand as well as the collective global north to welcome us with open arms. Our culture is rich and our people are friendly. The member citizens of the AOSIS will make a strong addition to your society as we will cherish our new nations just as we did our own homelands.

Farbotko, C. & Lazrus, H. 2011, ‘The first climate refugees? Contesting global narratives of climate change in Tuvalu’, Global Environment Change, vol. 22, pp.382-390.

This visualization shows the effect on coastal regions for each meter of sea level rise, up to 6 meters (19.7 feet).  Land that would be covered in water is shaded red.
https://climate.nasa.gov/interactives/climate-time-machine

There is a lack of legal discourse that addresses climate migrants or “refugees” under International laws. As the thousands of misplaced climate refugees increase, the need to define and consolidate this global issue is of utmost importance. A gap between environmental climate migrants and a legal guide is apparent. International laws such as Environmental Law, International Refuge Law and Human Rights do not directly relate to issues of climate induced migrants. This situation reflects the rapidly changing environment and fore coming issues yet to be addressed, suggesting current laws are outdated. 

Through mitigation, adaptation and adoption of the United Nations on Climate Change framework, AOSIS have successfully represented a coalition through a bottom-up approach. We are leading the global north and south by advocating how and why climate change is severely affecting our culture and people and why we need to act urgently. During the Paris Agreement, the agreement to limit pre-industrial global warming to 1.5 degrees was successful. However, existing agreements are not enough to meet the goal without commitments from all Parties.

The need to take immediate action through scientific research and technical mitigation on reducing coal emissions must be legally-binding or through side-payments. Research shows that “To reduce these deaths coal-fired electricity must be eliminated and the results showed that 51,999 American lives could be saved per year by transitioning from coal to PV-powered electrical generation”, (Prehoda & Pearce 2017, p. 9). Not only is climate change affecting the developed countries but critically affecting SIDS. A stronger commitment from the global north is a must. 

 Prehoda, E. & Pearce, J. 2017, ‘Potential Lives Saves by Replacing Coal with Solar Photovaltaic Electricity Production in the U.S’, paper review, Michigan Technological University. 

 

The UNHCR optimistically asks AOSIS if they will support the creation of this new entity in the upcoming COP24, as well as 

collaborate with us as representatives of your region in order to develop appropriate mechanisms to appropriately address this crisis. 

 

Kind regards,

Allyson Todd (UNHCR legal representative) 

Regards