Baku, Azerbaijan – November 12, 2024 – H.E. President Hilda C. Heine and First Gentleman Thomas Kijiner, Jr. attended the Opening Session of the COP29 World Leaders Climate Action Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.
During the opening of the High-level segment, President Heine delivered the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ National Statement, focusing on the need for global action on climate change. Drawing from the Marshall Islands’ deep cultural heritage as navigators of the Pacific, President Heine highlighted that the time for climate action is now. “The tide is turning,” she stated, emphasizing that the question is no longer if we transition away from fossil fuels, but how—and whether that transition will be fair, inclusive, and fast enough.
She urged major emitters, particularly G20 nations, to make stronger commitments aligned with a 1.5°C future and to set clear, economy-wide emission reduction targets. President Heine also called for an overhaul of the global climate finance system, noting that the Marshall Islands has received only half the funding needed to implement its previous climate commitments.
“Climate finance must be scaled up and directed to those on the frontlines of the climate crisis,” she said. “We need a new collective climate finance goal—one that is realistic and responsive to the trillions of dollars needed for adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage.”
President Heine also emphasized the importance of inclusivity, advocating for the participation of women, children, and marginalized communities in climate solutions. She called for Taiwan’s inclusion in global climate discussions, noting that its vulnerability to climate impacts and innovative solutions should be recognized.
In closing, President Heine invoked the Marshallese saying, “Wa Kuk Wa Jimor”—”We are all in the same canoe,” urging global unity and collective action to secure a safe future for all.
