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marine environment .
In 2018 , the Marshall Islands implemented a deposit return scheme , targeting Polyethylene terephthalate beverage bottles , aluminum cans and glass bottles . The deposit was set at 6 cents , of which 5 cents is returned to the consumer when they bring the container to one of two manual collection centers , both operated by the public sector . The remaining 1 cent is taken as a handling fee to fund the operation of the scheme .
“ The first year of the scheme saw a return rate of 109 percent , which is likely due to high returns of non- ( deport return system ) bottles bought before the scheme and the excellent commitment of the nation to reducing plastic waste ,” Royle said . “ This is just one example of a Pacific island nations paving the way against the global plastic problem .”
However , small island states are disproportionately affected by plastic pollution . Alongside the plastic waste generated by their own citizens and visitors , plastic produced by other nations enters their waters and washes up on beaches . This in turn is harming efforts to transition to a sustainable blue economy and the islands ’ pristine image that attracts tourists and investment .
Now more than ever before , small island states require the judicious execution of ambitious and well-designed policies to reduce the plastic pollution that proves so damaging to people and the planet . This includes starting with accurate plastic reporting data so countries can measure the success of policies , track reductions in plastic consumption and understand any changes .
Around the Pacific
‘ This is not a distant dystopian fantasy ’ UN official stands up for Pacific island nations
Against the backdrop of ultramodern architecture , towering buildings , luxury shopping and lively nightscape , world leaders gathered in Dubai for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference .
“ For the people of Tuvalu , this is not just another meeting amid the glitz and glamour of Dubai , it is a fight for existence ,” said Munkhtuya Altangerel , resident representative of the UN Development Programs for the Pacific Office in Fiji .
Altangerel called the world ’ s attention to Pacific island nations , whose voices , she said , “ are critical to the negotiations on climate financing , loss and damage .”
“ Small island developing states like Tuvalu , Vanuatu , Solomon Islands , Kiribati – the list goes on – are fighting for their future ,” she said .
While funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Pacific region may have increased over the years , Altangerel said the level still falls short of where it needs to be . “ What will that future look like should they not be able to adapt ?” she asked .
In a statement preceding the UN ’ s two-week summit that opened on Nov . 30 , Altangerel underscored the need to amplify the Pacific voices at COP28 . “ Without understanding the contextual
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By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
nuances of the region and the impacts that are already being felt by Pacific peoples , we will continue down a path with critical ramifications ,” she said .
Also known as the Conference of the Parties or COP28 , the event saw the gathering of world leaders and government representatives from 200 countries , alongside an estimated 70,000 delegates .
In the Blue Pacific region , Altangerel said the threats of climate anomalies lurk behind the pristine waters and lush greenery . “ Countries are slowly disappearing , their very existence threatened by the continued impacts of climate change . This is not a distant dystopian fantasy , but a grim reality facing many small island developing states ,” she said , stressing that adopting solutions “ is non-negotiable .”
Altangerel noted that geographically isolated island countries with scarce resources are already experiencing the impact of sea level rise , saltwater intrusion and more extreme weather events year after year . “ Take a nation like Tuvalu : its highest point above sea level sits at just 4.6 meters or 15 feet ,” she said .
While signs of climate change are evident , Altangerel said the 2024 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report indicated that efforts to double down and combat the crisis are regressing .
“ In fact , the current trajectory of the
PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES December 2023
Asia-Pacific region indicates that achieving any of the sustainable development goals by 2030 is highly unlikely ,” she said .
Altangerel said the disparities widen each year due to the weakened policy implementation . The report indicated that the goals will not be achieved in Asia and the Pacific until 2064 , she added .
Besides policy issues , funding is another challenge .
Altangerel cited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report , which estimated that adaptation needs would reach US $ 127 billion and US $ 295 billion per year for developing countries alone by 2030 and 2050 , respectively .
“ At present , adaptation accounts for just 4-8 percent of tracked climate finance , a figure that totaled $ 579 billion in 2017- 2018 ,” Altangerel said .
Altangerel noted that Vanuatu is one country that has experienced “ the true force ” of climate irregularities , with twin typhoons hitting the island nation one after the other earlier this year .
“ One of the most at-risk and disaster-prone nations across the world , Vanuatu faces a range of natural hazards such as cyclones , volcanic eruptions , floods , earthquakes , tsunamis , droughts and sea-level rise .” she said .
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