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How the island of Palau is confronting the realities of climate change
In this episode of the Sustainability Matters podcast, speakers discuss Palau's climate resilience strategy, the significance of nature and the crucial role of global collaboration in aiding vulnerable island communities.
For the people of Palau, a nation of over 300 small islands in the Western Pacific, climate change is not a future threat, but an immediate and pressing reality. Rising temperatures and sea levels have changed their way of life and are already impacting communities. How are they confronting these changes, and what can the rest of the world learn from their experiences?
In this episode, host Bruno Sarda is joined by Mikayla Etpison from the Palau Office of Climate Change, and Martine Crowe, a member of the EY team that codeveloped a broad climate strategy with the government of Palau.
Mikayla emphasizes the disproportionate impact of climate change on Pacific nations, which, despite contributing less than 1%(1) of all global emissions, are experiencing some of the most severe consequences. Warmer oceans, typhoons and coral bleaching threaten delicate ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Mikayla points out that Palau has limited resources for mitigation projects and the need for support from the larger emitters is critical.
The discussion also covers Palau’s proactive measures, including a government climate policy, codeveloped by EY teams and Mikayla’s team, that integrates traditional Palauan marine conservation practices.
This episode is a testament to the resilience of island nations and the critical role of collaboration in forging a path toward a sustainable future. Listen to understand the challenges faced by Palau, the innovative strategies they employ, and the lessons they offer to the world in the fight against climate change.
Key takeaways:
The regions most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are often those that have contributed the least to it.
Climate change already results in warmer weather and higher sea levels, which have a devastating impact on Pacific coastal communities.
Pacific island nations are working together to formulate strategies and ensure their voices are heard at international climate events.
Climate adaptation solutions can be informed by traditional practices and methods.
For your convenience, full text transcript of this podcast is also available.
Mikayla Etpison
Pacific Islands contribute less than 1% of all global emissions, but are among the most vulnerable and experiencing the most severe impacts.
We know that climate change affects us all, but hearing the stories of individuals experiencing these impacts really brings this global issue down to a person level and makes you care more about the issue. These narratives, they aren't statistics, they're the future of Palauan families, culture and livelihoods.
Bruno Sarda
Hello and welcome to the EY Sustainability Matters Podcast, our regular look at ESG [Environment, Social and Government] and sustainability topics, and how they impact businesses around the globe. I'm Bruno Sarda, Climate Change and Sustainability Partner at the EY organization and your host for this series. Today, we turn our attention to the Pacific Ocean, where a group of small island nations is grappling with the pressing challenges of climate change. These islands are steeped in rich cultural heritage and are now facing the stark consequences of a changing climate.
The escalating threat of rising sea levels, coupled with the intensification of storm events, threatens their homes, their communities and critical infrastructure. And moreover, the economic foundation of these nations, heavily reliant on marine life, is under threat as the warming of ocean waters and the resulting acidification lead to the disruption of delicate marine ecosystems. Yet, amid all these challenges, the fight of the Pacific Islands against real threats of climate change often goes unheard. Their struggles and their stories are overshadowed by the larger, more dominant narratives driven by the world's developed nations and the biggest polluters. In the grand scheme of international climate change discussions, the urgent needs of these island nations are frequently overlooked; their calls for help and solidarity lost in a sea of political agendas and economic calculations.
The challenges faced by these vulnerable island nations underscore a broader narrative of global inequality, particularly in regard to climate change response. It's imperative that industrialized nations significantly increase their climate funding commitments, especially in support of developing nations that require resources for climate adaptation and mitigation. The support is a crucial step to correct the imbalances that leave vulnerable nations facing a climate crisis that they did little to create, moving us toward a more equitable and sustainable global economy. So, in this episode of the Sustainability Matters Podcast, we hear the story of the nation of Palau, an archipelago of over 300 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, as it is confronted with the realities of climate change. We'll discuss how Palau has embarked on a pioneering journey with help from EY organization and where our teams from EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services in Oceania codeveloped a detailed climate strategy with the government of Palau that is as innovative as it is essential. So, with me today here to discuss this is Mikayla Etpison from the Palau Office of Climate Change, as well as Martine Crowe, one of the key EY team members who work on the climate strategy for Palau. Thank you both so much for coming. So, Mikayla, if I can start with you, island nations like yours are considered a frontline victim of the climate crisis. What are some of the most challenging climate change effects experienced by Palau at present, and what challenges are you facing when addressing through either mitigation or adaption efforts, the impacts of climate change?
Etpison
Well, thank you, Bruno, for having me. It’s a pleasure to chat with you today, and to share a bit about Palau’s experiences and approaches to addressing this massive global issue. Palau’s already experiencing many climate change impacts, including increasing temperatures, hotter days and cooler nights, and changes in rain patterns. Palau is a tropical island and it rains almost every day, but it's projected to become more frequent and intense. And it feels like these changes are seeming more unpredictable.
Another impact is sea level rise, and that's seen through flooding during high tides, storm surge and this combined with heavy rain events can have really severe impacts on low-lying coastal communities and villages. This threatens not only the households, but also other critical infrastructure, like the national hospital, the elementary schools, causeways and bridges, which could potentially cut off our connection from the central parts of Koror to our national port in Malakal or the airport in Airai or the hospital in Meyungs. Also, due to sea level rise and storm surge, we're seeing inundation in taro patches, which is a staple food source for Palau. We're also experiencing ocean changes, such as coral bleaching. We're seeing this now and have projections from 2020, saying that widespread coral bleaching is expected to occur annually by 2040. This threatens biodiversity loss, the loss of critical ecosystems in the reefs, which can have compounding impacts on the food systems and livelihoods of fishermen here in Palau. And the last impact that I'll touch on, but probably one of the most critical, is stronger storms and typhoons.
We've seen in recent years the damages from typhoons on people's homes, their businesses, cars, farms, also the loss of power and water. And typhoons are projected to become more intense. So, some of the challenges in addressing these climate change impacts, as a small island nation, we have very limited financial and technical resources to implement large-scale adaptation and mitigation projects. Palau also still relies on fossil fuels for energy, transportation and other things. And it's going to take a lot of funding, investment and a mindset change to transition to more renewable resources. I think our new policy, having a nationally recognized document that shows our goals and needs and the funding requirements to implement those outcomes, can actually help to attract other funding sources or potential partners who support our priorities.
Sarda
Wow. Well, there's quite a lot there but thanks sharing that, Mikayla, and making it clear what the scale and the urgency of the challenge is. So, Martine, maybe I'll ask you then, so you know, at the EY organization, we work with many clients to develop climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, but many of these clients still have this perception of more time ahead for them to act. In this case, how did the urgency of the challenge changed the potential approach to Palau?
Martine Crowe
Thanks, Bruno. Thank you so much for having me. And I'd actually like to just start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which I'm joining you today. So, for me, this is the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. And I think, especially within this discussion today, it's even more critical to take a moment to give gratitude and respect to the elders’ past, present and emerging for the way that they've taken care of and managed Australian lands for thousands of years and continue to do so today.
Just to address your question, to be honest, I don't actually think this perception of urgency really changed the approach for the team on Palau, because I think we're at a point in time now where all of us actually understand what the impacts of climate change will be in a very probable reality that we overshoot this 1.5 degrees of warming. And so, we approach all of our engagements with this mindset: ambitious action is critical at every level, no matter the client and no matter the country. And just because Palau’s at the frontline of these impacts and they’re the first ones to experience the effects of climate change, they’re certainly not the last. So, some of the actions that we developed and updated as part of the action plan and the policy were incredibly sobering. And as Micki was talking about, we actually built in actions, such as relocating key infrastructure, like hospitals and schools, to more secure areas that are sheltered from sea level rise or from storm surges.
And it seems almost surreal to think that this is a reality for the Palauan people, but there’s plenty of low-lying coastal areas and developed regions as well that will probably have to consider things like this, even if it’s just a few decades later. But what I will say impacted our approach was sort of like the other side of the coin, this concept of advocacy because as you touched on, it’s not the actions of Palauans that are actually driving climate change and most countries have a greater contribution to global greenhouse gases. And actually, in fact, many companies and multinational corporations also have a larger footprint than Palau does. So, we actually wanted to address that urgency in the policy. And we did this by building actions, such as developing a mechanism to facilitate dialogues between the international private sector and the Palauan government to try and help them support with more ambitious decarbonization targets on a global scale.
Sarda
Great, thank you. So, Mikayla, if I can come back to you, you know, and Martine, you know, acknowledged also the role of elders and acknowledging traditions and ancestry, what can be learned from Palau's traditional practices to preserve nature and its ecosystem in this context?
Etpison
So, Palauans have this concept of “bul,” which refers to a traditional practice of marine conservation. It functions as a temporary moratorium when fishing in designated areas. So, when people notice the populations of fish or certain types of marine life is declining, they put a bul on the area, which allows for fish populations to replenish. Bul ensures sustainable fishing
for future generations, and it reflects a deep respect and responsibility for the future of the environment. There are also certain times of the year, or of the month, when people know that fish are ready to spawn or when the land crabs are ready to lay their eggs, and at those times in their life cycle, you're not supposed to harvest those species. So, you give the animals a chance to reproduce so that there's always more coming back, rather than taking everything and disrupting that long-term sustainability. I think this kind of traditional knowledge can teach us and others a lot about sustainability. Bul serves as an inspiration from modern conservation efforts in Palau, including the establishment of marine-protected areas, such as the Palau National Marine Sanctuary.
Sarda
Oh, that's wonderful. And, you know, the respect for nature seems like it's at the heart of your approach, but what role does nature and natural systems actually play in the climate change adaptation and mitigation in your approach?
Etpison
Nature plays a very important role in addressing climate change. Going back to understanding how nature works, how it provides for us and taking the responsibility to care for it in everything that we do, I think the term “nature-based solutions” is a great way to describe what Palau has already been doing for generations. Protecting, reconnecting with and restoring natural ecosystems is key for both adaptation and mitigation. So, one example in Palau is the protection of mangroves. Mangroves are carbon sinks, meaning they absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and they reduce greenhouse gas levels. And they also provide a natural barrier to coastal communities from storm surge and inundation. Also, I mentioned the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, so creating this no-take zone in the conservation area has actually opened a lot of opportunities for Palau to receive funding and support from others. It's allowed for economic growth and made Palau known for being a sustainable ecotourism destination, attracting a market of visitors who really care about the environment. So, those show how the practice of conservation and protection can contribute to sustainable development and economic growth. And it doesn't have to be at the cost of damaging our natural ecosystems.
Crowe
I'd also just like to jump on the back of that, because we also heard how important this was to actually like highlight this in the policy and the action plan itself, and as Micki has already shared, the Palauan people have been facilitating nature-based solutions for a very long time, you know, using this example as mangroves, they're an incredible example of how positive impacts on nature actually, like a multifaceted solution, but they're also deeply tied to the Palauan culture and traditional practices. And so, more and more we're finding that natural resources and culture and economic impacts and climate change are actually all intrinsically linked. And so, when drafting the policy, we try to approach them as one.
So, if we use mangroves as a case study, one of the examples of these actions that we developed was developing guidelines that outline what these traditional practices to mangrove management and conservation was. And that was sort of done in an effort to preserve that traditional knowledge as well, which we felt was really important to the purpose of the policy as well.
Sarda
Great, thanks for sharing that, Martine. So, Mikayla, you know, Martine mentioned one of the aspects of the policy was actually a way to engage the international community on some of these topics and you just mentioned part of the engagement for things like ecotourism and other matters. So, what should be, in your view, the central priority for international climate change discourse? And how do you feel your voice as an island nation is represented in the global climate change dialogue? And how do you collaborate, maybe, with other Pacific Island nations on climate change and related topics?
Etpison
I think at the international level, mitigation is key. And all countries, especially those who are highly dependent on fossil fuels, really need to be on board with reducing their emissions. Pacific Islands contribute less than 1% of all global emissions, but are among the most vulnerable and experiencing the most severe impacts. So, mitigation at the global level will help to reduce the need for adaptation efforts, and even the need for loss and damage. Another priority area is accessibility to climate finance, especially for small island developing states. Finance is needed to be able to scale up our adaptation efforts in order to protect the communities and the environment that we live in. Palau is a champion in ocean conservation and climate advocacy.
Every year, we have a delegation that attends the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] meetings, and Palau works with other Pacific Islands to advocate for very ambitious outcomes at the COPs [Conference of the Parties]. It's so critical for islands to have a strong voice in these conferences because COPs are where international climate policies are made, and without the advocacy of those most affected by climate change, then effective solutions to address their needs cannot be made. Even so, there've been times that we've faced disappointment in the outcomes because it just isn't enough. And meanwhile, some islands are sinking or even trying to recover from a storm or struggling with access to basic needs, like water and food security. I will say though that within the Pacific region, there is very strong coordination and a lot of progress that happens through various regional projects, partnerships and knowledge sharing because we all really want to help each other address this huge challenge that we're all facing.
Sarda
Yeah, thanks for sharing that. And maybe question to the both of you. So, you know, reflecting on your experiences to date, both, you know, taking stock of the actions needed, but also developing these policies and putting them into action, how can the lessons learned, and the strategies developed for Palau be leveraged to assist other Pacific Island nations that are confronting similar climate change challenges, but maybe not quite as far along as you are?
Crowe
Yeah, I think I can speak to this one. Another key thing that we consider throughout the development of this policy and that we brought to a lot of the stakeholder engagement that we did with the Palauan stakeholders was actually making sure that the policy was actionable and feasible. So, we had workshops and multiple rounds of feedback to ensure that the five pillars that framed the policy, to really be fit for purpose and make sure that they were able to actually be cascaded down to the people that would actually be implementing the policy, such as ministers. And to make sure that they were actually fixing an issue and that they were feasible actions. And I think Micki's already touched on this, but I think a problem that Palau faces, and I'm sure that this is the same for many developing countries and small island developing states, but the issues that the funding that is required to actually see these action plans through is very challenging. And that policy is only really effective when all of the actions that have been developed as part of this supplementary action plan can be met. So, it's so unfair; it's that on top of all the effects of climate change that they're experiencing like loss of life, loss of economy, loss of culture, loss of nature. They have funding as another burden that they didn't ask for and they actually aren't the perpetrators of that.
Sarda
Yeah, thanks. The broader topic of climate finance and climate justice are very intertwined, absolutely. Well, Mikayla, back to you, looking kind of into the future a bit, what are Palau's key aspirations in both the near- and long-term, beyond just developing the climate change policy? And how do you envision these efforts to shape the nation's environmental resilience and sustainability?
Etpison
Essentially, I hope there will be a future where climate change is not even an issue, where the planet can function as it should and people can live in harmony with the natural environment, but based on the current trends in the way that the world works, I don't know how far away that future is. I do think that there are some measures Palau can take to build resiliency and to preserve the environment, culture, economy and the people. One area I can think of is that Palau's economy relies heavily on tourism, possibly developing ecotourism policies and creating other sustainable industries can help in creating jobs and diversifying the economy. Also, investing in local agriculture and fisheries that can make Palau less reliant on imported food and more resilient to climate shocks. I also think that Palau can continue its advocacy, education and awareness, especially with the youth, and start getting more youth into the climate discussions.
Sarda
Yeah, you know, and throughout your comments, you keep referring to the people, the culture, the history, why was it so important to include archetypes, stories of Palauans in the policy?
Etpison
I think it's important to include the archetypes to learn from them and to make those connections and really inspire action. So, when I was interviewing people for the archetypes, I listened to their stories and their experiences — how they have noticed changes in the environment and the ocean and behavior of the animals, even stories about the beaches that they played on as a child, now being under water, or the size of the coconuts that they used to eat, now being much smaller due to drought conditions, or the water just being too warm for the fish, so the fishermen have to travel further on their boats or fish deeper just to be able to catch their food. These things have such significant impacts on the livelihoods and the lifestyle of Palauans. We know that climate change affects us all, but hearing the stories of individuals experiencing these impacts, really brings this global issue down to a personal level and makes you care more about the issue, especially when it's somebody that you know or it's a family member or someone that you work with. These narratives, they aren't statistics, they're the future of Palauan families, culture and livelihoods. So, we tried to weave these stories into the policy and enhance it with these personal narratives, because we want people to listen and to care and to contribute to these efforts, so that Palau can remain the most beautiful place in the world and that my future kids, future grandchildren and other future generations can experience life here and call Palau their home.
Crowe
Micki, I might just add to that as well from our perspective as well. So, the team actually spent a lot of time at the beginning of the engagement to actually brainstorm who we wanted the intended audience to be. And because we knew that ultimately the policy would be used as a guide for decision-makers on where to prioritize their efforts, you know, during one of the stakeholder workshops that we held with the Palauan people, a member of the government actually requested that we ensure that policy would speak to Palauans first, to make it relatable and understandable, and that's actually where this idea of archetypes was born from as well. And so, we thought that not only would the archetypes ensure that Palauans would be able to see themselves represented in the policy, see how action is being taken to address their concerns, but we also knew that when this policy was being showcased at an international scale, like the COPs, for example, as Micki was saying, these archetypes would tell the story of why develop this policy, why should a company or a different country reduce its emissions. And it's to make it relatable to understand that, as Micki was saying, these are real people who in their lifetimes have seen the beaches that they used to walk on with their families disappear, or who have had to fish in the dark or who are mourning the loss of community and the impacts that actually has on their culture and their way of life. So, I think that that's a really special aspect of the policy that was developed with those intentions in mind. So, I’m really glad that we were able to pull that into the policy as well.
Sarda
Thank you so much, Mikayla and Martine for this kind of fascinating, but really important discussion on how Palau is tackling the rising threat of climate change. You know you covered really key, I think, topics ranging from inclusion of all people and their cultures and history's harmony with nature, but also with each other, with other nations, courage, for sure, in the face of challenges and collaboration, justice and equality.
So, I think as the world moves in, you know, addressing climate change. I think it's going to be imperative that we amplify the voices of Pacific Islanders and island nations like yours that have I think taken great steps to paint a picture of how this can or should be done, and how to integrate the needs and perspectives of these nations into the heart of global climate policy, climate action, climate funding and ensuring that no nation is left behind as we forge a path toward a more resilient and sustainable future.
So, thank you both, again, for being part of this important discussion and shining a light on the story of Palau. And as I said at the beginning of the episode, this is the Sustainability Matters Podcast. You can find all past episodes of the show on ey.com or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also now find the most recent episodes of our show on YouTube. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this episode of Sustainability Matters, we'd love for you to subscribe. Ratings, reviews and comments are also very welcome. Please also visit ey.com, where you'll find a wide range of related and interesting articles that will help put these bigger topics in the context of your business priorities. I look forward to welcoming you on the next episode of Sustainability Matters. My name is Bruno Sarda, you can find me on LinkedIn and feel free to connect with me there. Thanks so much for listening.
