United States Announces $9M In Funding For Local2030 Island Network And Islands Launch New Communities Of Practice To Address Climate Change

GLASGOW, Scotland, Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States announced $9 million in financial support for the Local2030 Islands Network as part of the President's Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) at the Partnerships for Island Resilience: Sharing Solutions in the Great Ocean States event hosted by the U.S. Center during the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).¹ This commitment builds on initial support from Ireland as well as from Global Island Partnership members and the Hawaii Local2030 Hub to build capacity for islands to measure and advance progress on local climate goals.

"I am very excited to announce that as part of our PREPARE commitments we will be providing an initial $9 million to support the Local2030 Islands Network," said Assistant Secretary Monica Medina for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs with the U.S. Department of State. "The Local2030 Islands Network is an innovative island-led coalition of partners committed to achieving net-zero emissions and adapting to climate change."

The Local2030 Islands Network is the world's first global, island-led peer-to-peer network devoted to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through locally driven solutions. Palau, Fiji, and the British Virgin Islands joined as members of the Local2030 Islands Network during the COP26, partnering with Ireland, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Curaçao, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Ibiza.

The event speakers included the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama, the Honorable Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama of the Republic of Fiji, the Honorable Minister of Climate Resilience and the Environment Simon Stiell of Grenada, and Kathy Jetñil-Kijner, Co-Founder and Director of Jo-Jikum from the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

"I have been shaped by my experience growing up in Hawaii...I am an island kid," said 44th President of the United States Barack Obama. "I was proud to see the Biden Administration embrace the Local2030 Islands Network. U.S. Islands like Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico will connect with island nations and islands around the world as they take the lead in pursuing sustainable development and adapting to climate change. Initiatives like these...offer a model of what's needed around the world."

To advance a climate-resilient and net-zero emissions future, the Local2030 Islands Network launched two topic-specific Communities of Practice during COP26 in Glasgow to facilitate engagement between islands through an iterative, peer-to-peer process. The Communities of Practice will kick off in December 2021 to share experiences, raise ambition, promote solidarity, and identify and implement best practice solutions. The U.S. Department of State will support this unique island-led partnership and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will work with the network and other partners to enhance the capacity of island nations to integrate climate data and information, and apply effective coastal and marine resource management strategies to support sustainable development. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with the Low Emissions Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP) will provide targeted technical assistance to support island-led initiatives, and support peer learning via island-led communities of practice in priority topic areas.

• Communities of Practice to support resilience and clean energy systems deployment will be developed and led by island stakeholders. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will support these island-led communities of practice and collaborate with members to implement priority initiatives
• The Data and Dashboards Community of Practice will build capacity for islands through data and decision support tools in partnership with the Hawai?i Local2030 Hub, Esri, and U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"Climate products, services, decision support tools, and early warning systems enable us to better prepare for and respond to climate change. This information is most useful when it's developed through scientific collaboration and partnerships, local ingenuity, and sharing of experiences across national borders," said Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator Dr. Richard Spinrad. "We are pleased to be part of partnerships that bring people together to address the climate challenge such as the Local2030 Islands Network."

"Islanders, despite being small in landmass, have been really holding their weight throughout these conversations and really holding the line in these negotiations," said Kathy Jetñil-Kijner, Co-Founder and Director of Jo-Jikum from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. "We are really grateful to also be a part of the Local2030 Islands Network that will allow us to continue to exchange knowledge across islands."

The Hawaii Local2030 Hub and the Global Island Partnership form the secretariat of the Local2030 Islands Network, which was established at the UN in September 2019 during the UN General Assembly. The next in-person meeting for the Local2030 Islands Network is planned to take place in Palau during the 7th Our Ocean Conference in February 2022. The network brings together a diverse set of island nations, states, provinces, communities, and cultures from around the world to advance the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SOURCE Local2030 Islands Network