Three Samoan youth, Sufia Luna-Rossa Lomitusi Ape, Tasimaisaua Va’ai-Ah Him and Matthew Schuster are in Bonn, Germany for the ongoing 62nd Session of the Subsidiary Bodies to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB62).
The June Climate Meetings are running from the 16th to the 26th and include interactive side events. In the lead up to the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30), a number of high-level government negotiators, international non-governmental organisations, youth climate change activists, media personnel and social justice practitioners are on site at the World Conference Center in Germany’s UN Campus.
Matthew Schuster, a research scientist at the Scientific Research Organization of Samoa and a member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) youth syndicate — the Global Shapers Community (GSC) — noted that the SB62 meetings and panel sessions are smaller and more focused than the usual COP negotiations.
Two of the thematic areas where the Samoan delegation has been able to contribute include the discussions on Just Transitions and Technology Mechanisms. Schuster also stated that, concerningly, “negotiations-wise, (there has been) slow progress (towards) solid decisions on text (and paperwork) that will support and outline the COP30 negotiations. Plus, the lack of United States presence is definitely felt.”
He is optimistic, however; fellow World Economic Forum GSC member, electrical engineer Sufia Luna-Rossa Lomitusi-Ape, has had the opportunity to bring a Pacific voice to the panel discussions.
Both Mr. Schuster and Afioga Sufia Luna-Rossa had the opportunity to represent Samoa at last year’s COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Together with Ms. Va’ai-Ah Him, they will travel to Belém, Brazil this coming November to attend COP30.
