The following guiding questions are aligned to each of the three main Leadership Dialogues planned for the Stockholm+50 meeting and will be integrated into the overall consultation agenda and report. Please refer to the question number in your comment.
LD3: Accelerating the implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development:
What are the biggest challenges we are facing in implementing the commitments to the 2030 Agenda and other environmental commitments (MEAs)? How do we create an enabling environment for delivery on the ground?
What are the good practices and pathways that you would like to see scaled up to accelerate the implementation of the environmental dimension of Sustainable Development in the context, of the Decade of Action?
How to transform governance and legal systems that maintain long-term economic stability and ecological and social wellbeing for all?
What measures are needed to align public, private and development finance with existing commitments and priorities?
What type of partnerships from the UN and beyond are needed to accelerate a green and sustainable economic transformation that leaves no one behind?
What capacities and technologies are needed to improve human wellbeing in harmony with nature? nature?
Hello! Please share your thoughts below by creating an account and posting a comment - you can think of it a little bit like a facebook comment section. You can respond to and add to other people's comments as well as add your own, once posted, other people can like and respond to yours!
All ideas, thoughts and insights shared in this discussion will be compiled and used in a national report for Samoa. This report will directly feed into discussions and reports being produced at the high level international environmental meeting that is taking place in Sweden in June - Stockholm +50.
We are very much looking forward to following the discussions going forward!
What are the biggest challenges we are facing in implementing the commitments to the 2030 Agenda and other environmental commitments (MEAs)? How do we create an enabling environment for delivery on the ground? Ensuring that commitments align with National Priorities, Policies, Legislations and Strategies in place for implementation. Working in close collaboration with Government partners to ensure implementation frameworks are cohesive and well informed to reduce long delays and bottlenecks for processing of funds for implementation on the ground. Buy-in from national partners and coordinating ministries is crucial to ensure that implementation is weaved into their existing workplans.
What are the good practices and pathways that you would like to see scaled up to accelerate the implementation of the environmental dimension of Sustainable Development in the context, of the Decade of Action?
Capacity building of Civil Society Organisations, NGOs, PSOs etc should be provided to ensure effective implementation of on the ground activities. Assistance is needed for local communities re: Grant Managament, implementation to align with int. organisation requirements, understanding reporting requirements via effective data collection, monitoring and reporting to capture realities at the local level.
How to transform governance and legal systems that maintain long-term economic stability and ecological and social wellbeing for all?
Public access to the right information is critical - if the public are not aware, then governance mechanisms and legal systems are not held accountable for their deficiencies. Technological transformation and tools could be the enabler.
What measures are needed to align public, private and development finance with existing commitments and priorities?
Private sector engagement is required - engagement with organizations such as SCCI on climate finance and access to climate finance can be a way forward. Ministries (MoF, MCIL, MWTI etc) need to work more cohesively to provide an enabling environment for private sector engagement.
What type of partnerships from the UN and beyond are needed to accelerate a green and sustainable economic transformation that leaves no one behind?
Strengthening of partnerships with Government is needed to ensure initiatives implemented align or support existing work. Further, better coordination of projects and partnerships via UN is needed to avoid duplication of activities. Further, ensure that pipeline projects align with current national priorities, supported by thorough consultations with the right people and the appropriate agencies.
What capacities and technologies are needed to improve human wellbeing in harmony with nature? nature?
Policies for waste management/segregation and waste recovery at the national level is crucial. This will enable new technology to be introduced as well as enable engagement from local communities and private sector to create innovative solutions for the recycling and repurposing of waste.
Agricultural practices also to be considered however, I can't comment as I do not have the expertise.
Question 1 : What are the biggest challenges we are facing in implementing the commitments to the 2030 Agenda and other environmental commitments (MEAs)? How do we create an enabling environment for delivery on the ground?
Based on observation and experience in the context of the Pacific,some of the challenges include;
Lack of coordination in-country on the implementation of some SDGs (for instance, two different projects addressing the same environmental issue/implementation is often disjointed)
Lack of access to data to properly identify the status of a certain SDG
The sheer number of required reports is challenging for countries in our region with small bureaucracies and limited human resources to implement action on the ground.
Priorities of donors and partners are often swayed by geopolitical interests instead of addressing pressing needs of our developing countries
financial sustainability issues
How to create an enabling environment?
Proper cooperation and coordination among government agencies to include the relevant stakeholders and link environment and development departments. Negotiate for relevant and meaningful indicators for Pacific islands.
12. What are the biggest challenges we are facing in implementing the commitments to the 2030 Agenda and other environmental commitments (MEAs)? How do we create an enabling environment for delivery on the ground?
Generically speaking, mostly lack of communications and resources which I suppose can be an broad operations issue. It is difficult to implement commitments when there is a disconnect between in-country and international partners operating in the region. A useful tool could be a network and means of communications within groups and sectors. This is easy and seems like common sense in theory, but more often difficult in practice due to bureaucracy, political agendas, etc.
16. What type of partnerships from the UN and beyond are needed to accelerate a green and sustainable economic transformation that leaves no one behind?
Government partnerships would go a long way. The UN is already on this and creating MoAs and MoUs between relevant agencies in the gov't, but this likely the biggest partnership that the UN and other agencies can achieve in the Pacific region. Any sort of awareness campaign, study/research, community development project, etc. would benefit directly from strong government partnerships and giving the country and the people ownership of the work being done in-country.
Qn 17: What capacities and technologies are needed to improve human wellbeing in harmony with nature? Speaking from the Samoan context, a lot needs to be done so that the locals are fully aware of how some of our actions can impact the environment. Adverts on TV and on the radio provide awareness and educate the people on how trashing beaches, roads and roadsides, burning rubbish, etc can seriously impact our local environment. Government ministries, matai/chief councils, local committees, etc are constantly providing such awareness programs but a large proportion of the local population don't seem to take heed. Discouraging and even enforcing a zero tolerance policy on tree felling, destroying our natural environment in forests, wetlands, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, etc, must be put in place. Imposing fines and penalties on those who destroy our flora and fauna must be seriously considered if we are to improve human wellbeing in harmony with nature. Local communities must be educated on the impact of deforestation as well as the criticality of planting trees because of the significance of trees and plants in our environment. It will in some way contribute to delaying the effects of climate change which is happening at an alarming rate. Technology which is more eco-friendly must be promoted to replace those which are not so in harmony with nature.
Question 14 : How to transform governance and legal systems that maintain long-term economic stability and ecological and social well being for all?
Firstly, we should reflect upon our own governance and legal system challenges and engage in robust national dialogue on reforms to enable an effective and inclusive governance system for all. There should be affordable service to navigate the legal system for all people. It is important to make the complex administrative processes that our people go through transparent, and accessible. To improve service delivery, perhaps consider digitizing every expect of the legal experience from client engagement to paperwork and processes
Question 17: What capacities and technologies are needed to improve human wellbeing in harmony with nature? nature?
Technology
There are existing technologies (as mentioned above by Tupe on waste management in Samoa) and some that are yet to be fully adopted by Samoa and neighboring countries along with behavioral change to help us live in harmony with our environment. From my understanding, Samoa is "getting there" but still needs a “technological catch-up” with leading countries to learn how to acquire and adapt existing/new environmental friendly technologies. Such as;
Smart home devices to conserve energy. For instance, home appliances that shuts off automatically when they aren’t in use
Electric vehicles and biofuels – already demonstrate a positive impact as they do not produce carbon emissions or contribute to pollution.
Remote sensing – to enable the detection of human impacts such as deforestation, mining in certain areas. Yet to be used by Samoa for this particular purpose.
Capacity;
Based on experience, capacity in environmental data analysis and the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) is very limited but it is needed in Samoa and the Pacific for environmental monitoring works.
Capacity to develop policies around science and technology if we are to fully incorporate technological change in the way we do our work.
There are now mobile apps for collecting environmental information and data - for instance we used KoboToolbox to collect data in the aftermath of a cyclone in Vanuatu - and capacity if very much needed to utilize these tools as they have transformed how we do environmental impact analysis and researches and in some cases like Samoa, we use these apps to help us collect and process data to help us better understand and conserve the environment and flora/fauna species.
What are the biggest challenges we are facing in implementing the commitments to the 2030 Agenda and other environmental commitments (MEAs)? How do we create an enabling environment for delivery on the ground?
In order for countries to align with the 2030 Agenda, we need to have quality reporting methods and good quality data analysis skills. In a country like Samoa, where we only contribute to about 1% o total Greenhouse gas emissions in the world, Samoa needs to focus on climate adaption methods. Samoa needs to invest in mangrove plantation to avoid coastal reef erosion and to invest in the planting and protection of coral reefs in order to protect important aquatic life.
In order to create an enabling environment on the ground, have appropriate SDG officers in each of the countries to report on this information. Make sure they are probably financed and make sure they can have easy to access grants so local people and NGO’s can avail of them.
Climate education is also a really important aspect of this so raising awareness of what the SDG’s are and what the public can do to achieve them is also critically important.
What are the good practices and pathwaysthat you would like to see scaled up to accelerate the implementation of the environmental dimension of Sustainable Development in the context, of the Decade of Action?
Really what we need to do is have the public, Ngo’s and civils society organizations to have them to co-ordinate and carry out their own projects. So much of what is done in the climate space is about talking about projects, but very little of what we actually talk about is implemented. Here in Samoa, we can focus on create proper recycling centers, reducing the levels of plastic on the roads, and to promote the voices of indigenous and vulnerable groups here in Samoa.
Good practices that I have seen are the training of sustainable agriculture practices here in Samoa. By training our farmers to incorporate smart and sustainable farming practices, it will help to create sustainable farming supply chains and to promote healthy lifestyle options. Easy to access climate grants for farmers should also be a priority, so so they can become more resilient to climate shocks and changing weather patterns.
Comments (7)
Hello! Please share your thoughts below by creating an account and posting a comment - you can think of it a little bit like a facebook comment section. You can respond to and add to other people's comments as well as add your own, once posted, other people can like and respond to yours!
All ideas, thoughts and insights shared in this discussion will be compiled and used in a national report for Samoa. This report will directly feed into discussions and reports being produced at the high level international environmental meeting that is taking place in Sweden in June - Stockholm +50.
We are very much looking forward to following the discussions going forward!
Capacity building of Civil Society Organisations, NGOs, PSOs etc should be provided to ensure effective implementation of on the ground activities. Assistance is needed for local communities re: Grant Managament, implementation to align with int. organisation requirements, understanding reporting requirements via effective data collection, monitoring and reporting to capture realities at the local level.
Public access to the right information is critical - if the public are not aware, then governance mechanisms and legal systems are not held accountable for their deficiencies. Technological transformation and tools could be the enabler.
Private sector engagement is required - engagement with organizations such as SCCI on climate finance and access to climate finance can be a way forward. Ministries (MoF, MCIL, MWTI etc) need to work more cohesively to provide an enabling environment for private sector engagement.
Strengthening of partnerships with Government is needed to ensure initiatives implemented align or support existing work. Further, better coordination of projects and partnerships via UN is needed to avoid duplication of activities. Further, ensure that pipeline projects align with current national priorities, supported by thorough consultations with the right people and the appropriate agencies.
Policies for waste management/segregation and waste recovery at the national level is crucial. This will enable new technology to be introduced as well as enable engagement from local communities and private sector to create innovative solutions for the recycling and repurposing of waste.
Agricultural practices also to be considered however, I can't comment as I do not have the expertise.
Question 1 : What are the biggest challenges we are facing in implementing the commitments to the 2030 Agenda and other environmental commitments (MEAs)? How do we create an enabling environment for delivery on the ground?
Based on observation and experience in the context of the Pacific,some of the challenges include;
How to create an enabling environment?
Proper cooperation and coordination among government agencies to include the relevant stakeholders and link environment and development departments. Negotiate for relevant and meaningful indicators for Pacific islands.
12. What are the biggest challenges we are facing in implementing the commitments to the 2030 Agenda and other environmental commitments (MEAs)? How do we create an enabling environment for delivery on the ground?
Generically speaking, mostly lack of communications and resources which I suppose can be an broad operations issue. It is difficult to implement commitments when there is a disconnect between in-country and international partners operating in the region. A useful tool could be a network and means of communications within groups and sectors. This is easy and seems like common sense in theory, but more often difficult in practice due to bureaucracy, political agendas, etc.
16. What type of partnerships from the UN and beyond are needed to accelerate a green and sustainable economic transformation that leaves no one behind?
Government partnerships would go a long way. The UN is already on this and creating MoAs and MoUs between relevant agencies in the gov't, but this likely the biggest partnership that the UN and other agencies can achieve in the Pacific region. Any sort of awareness campaign, study/research, community development project, etc. would benefit directly from strong government partnerships and giving the country and the people ownership of the work being done in-country.
Qn 17: What capacities and technologies are needed to improve human wellbeing in harmony with nature? Speaking from the Samoan context, a lot needs to be done so that the locals are fully aware of how some of our actions can impact the environment. Adverts on TV and on the radio provide awareness and educate the people on how trashing beaches, roads and roadsides, burning rubbish, etc can seriously impact our local environment. Government ministries, matai/chief councils, local committees, etc are constantly providing such awareness programs but a large proportion of the local population don't seem to take heed. Discouraging and even enforcing a zero tolerance policy on tree felling, destroying our natural environment in forests, wetlands, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, etc, must be put in place. Imposing fines and penalties on those who destroy our flora and fauna must be seriously considered if we are to improve human wellbeing in harmony with nature. Local communities must be educated on the impact of deforestation as well as the criticality of planting trees because of the significance of trees and plants in our environment. It will in some way contribute to delaying the effects of climate change which is happening at an alarming rate. Technology which is more eco-friendly must be promoted to replace those which are not so in harmony with nature.
Question 14 : How to transform governance and legal systems that maintain long-term economic stability and ecological and social well being for all?
Firstly, we should reflect upon our own governance and legal system challenges and engage in robust national dialogue on reforms to enable an effective and inclusive governance system for all. There should be affordable service to navigate the legal system for all people. It is important to make the complex administrative processes that our people go through transparent, and accessible. To improve service delivery, perhaps consider digitizing every expect of the legal experience from client engagement to paperwork and processes
Question 17: What capacities and technologies are needed to improve human wellbeing in harmony with nature? nature?
Technology
There are existing technologies (as mentioned above by Tupe on waste management in Samoa) and some that are yet to be fully adopted by Samoa and neighboring countries along with behavioral change to help us live in harmony with our environment. From my understanding, Samoa is "getting there" but still needs a “technological catch-up” with leading countries to learn how to acquire and adapt existing/new environmental friendly technologies. Such as;
Capacity;
What are the biggest challenges we are facing in implementing the commitments to the 2030 Agenda and other environmental commitments (MEAs)? How do we create an enabling environment for delivery on the ground?
In order for countries to align with the 2030 Agenda, we need to have quality reporting methods and good quality data analysis skills. In a country like Samoa, where we only contribute to about 1% o total Greenhouse gas emissions in the world, Samoa needs to focus on climate adaption methods. Samoa needs to invest in mangrove plantation to avoid coastal reef erosion and to invest in the planting and protection of coral reefs in order to protect important aquatic life.
In order to create an enabling environment on the ground, have appropriate SDG officers in each of the countries to report on this information. Make sure they are probably financed and make sure they can have easy to access grants so local people and NGO’s can avail of them.
Climate education is also a really important aspect of this so raising awareness of what the SDG’s are and what the public can do to achieve them is also critically important.
What are the good practices and pathways that you would like to see scaled up to accelerate the implementation of the environmental dimension of Sustainable Development in the context, of the Decade of Action?
Really what we need to do is have the public, Ngo’s and civils society organizations to have them to co-ordinate and carry out their own projects. So much of what is done in the climate space is about talking about projects, but very little of what we actually talk about is implemented. Here in Samoa, we can focus on create proper recycling centers, reducing the levels of plastic on the roads, and to promote the voices of indigenous and vulnerable groups here in Samoa.
Good practices that I have seen are the training of sustainable agriculture practices here in Samoa. By training our farmers to incorporate smart and sustainable farming practices, it will help to create sustainable farming supply chains and to promote healthy lifestyle options. Easy to access climate grants for farmers should also be a priority, so so they can become more resilient to climate shocks and changing weather patterns.