Climate change hub comes close to reality

Transcript

A regional Climate Change Centre funded by Japan is nearing reality in Samoa.

Kosi Latu is the Director General of the regional environment body SPREP which will host the state of the art facility.

He told Sally Round the hub's been designed and there's just a wait now for Japanese experts to come back and discuss the next phase.

Kosi Latu: That was the whole idea of that, is for the Climate Centre to be the climate hub.  To be a catalyst, a conduit, of actually bringing together all of the climate change activities in the region.  It will be a centre where we can have capacity building and training for our people.  You know, it's going to be a centre where we can bring scientists and experts who actually, you know, look at applying research that would be relevant not just to climate change but a whole range of issues.  So it's a significant development for the region, and I think it's opportune, you know, we're talking about the outcomes of COP21, well the centre, the Climate Change Centre provides an excellent opportunity where we can start helping countries implement their commitments under the new Paris agreement.  

Sally Round: And when will it be ready?  

KL: Well, I wanted it yesterday.  There's indication from the Japanese government that construction could start at the end of the year, but that will depend on their own internal processes.  So if it's not the end of the year, we could be looking at construction early next year, but the preparatory phase is already underway and we're looking forward to that.  

SR: So it will be a state-of-the-art facility?

KL: Well, it will have certain equipment, we have put in a request to the Japanese we want state-of-the-art equipment that will help with training.  For example we want to do training for meteorological services, where we're able to give them the greatest standard of support in terms of not just the science itself, but in terms of the kind of equipment that will help them do their job.  So yeah, we're waiting for the Japanese to come back and confirm with us the list of equipment that we actually sent them.  But yes, our intention is to have the latest state-of-the-art equipment that will help countries.