Climate Change

The Cook Islands Government recognised the importance of responding to climate change when it signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992. Since then Environment Service has facilitated various projects that aim to help us address climate change. The Climate Change Country Team formed in 1997 and has guided climate activities outlined in the chart below. Please follow the links to learn more.

Facts

Climate Change affects Temperature, Rainfall, Sea Levels and Extreme Weather Events around the world. Scientific evidence shows that climate change is already happening. Human activities are polluting the air with too many green house gases that hold heat, causing global warming. The Cook Islands produces few greenhouse gases, but faces high risks of being badly impacted by climate change and sea level rise It is important that the people of the Cook Islands take precautions so everyone is prepared for climate change and help reduce potential damages by adapting.

	NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE TEAM Representing Climate Change Stakeholders
	IMPACTS Temperature, Rainfall, Extreme weather events		ADAPTATION National Priority Response Options			MITIGATION Minimise greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) to slow global warming
	RESEARCH AND SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATIONS Data collection/education: Met Service, GCOS, SLR, SCOPIC, NIWA		MAINSTREAMING INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENTS Pilot projects: CBDAMPIC, AIACC and CLIMAP (NSDP, Red Cross VCA, WWF, WCC)			RENEWABLE ENERGY/ENERGY EFFICIENCY Barrier studies, Pilot projects: UNRET, PIREP
			REPORTING National Communications
	Intergovernmental panel of scientists (IPCC)		NEGOTIATIONS International & Regional UNFCCC, PACIFIC FORUM, AOSIS			Global Mechanism to reduce GHGs KYOTO PROTOCOL

For more information about the Climate Change Division,
please contact: Ms Pasha Carruthers,
Climate Change Research Technical Officer,

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