Vanuatu
Vanuatu Country Profile (World Bank)
Status under International Climate Change Law
- UNFCCC: signature (June 9, 1992) and ratification (March 25, 1993)
- KP: ratification (July 17, 2001) and entry into force (February 16, 2005)
- Quantified emission limitation or reduction commitment: N/A
- Vienna Convention: accession (November 21, 1994)
- Montreal Protocol: accession (November 21, 1994)
- LRTAP: N/A
- Energy Charter: N/A
- Energy Efficiency Protocol: N/A
- Espoo Convention: N/A
- 2020 Commitment: 65% of power generation through renewables; 30% reduction in GHG emissions
- INDC summary – includes LULUCF and gases covered (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions 2015)
- INDC summary – includes adaptation and conditions for implementation (Climate Policy Observer 2016)
Federal Laws on Climate Change
Energy
- Geothermal Energy Act (1987) [English]
- Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act (1993) [English]
- Port Vila Electrical Supply Act (1941) [English]
- Electricity Supply Act (1971, Amended 2000) [English]
Forests and Land Use
- Forestry Act (2001) [English]
- Forestry Rights Registration and Timber Harvest Guarantee Act (2000) (allows for “carbon sequestration rights”) [English]
- Land Acquisition Act (1992, Amended 2000) [English]
- Land Reform Act (1980, Amended 1980, 1981, 1985, 1992, 2000) [English]
- Plant Protection Act (1997) [English]
- Customary Land Tribunal Act (2001) [English]
- Alienated Land Act (1982) [English]
Environmental Impact Assessment
- Environmental Management and Conservation Act (2002) [English] (2010 amendment extends definition of “significant environmental impact” to include “the degree to which the adaptation to, and mitigation of climate change is affected”)
Others
- National Disaster Act (2000) [English]
National Plans, Programs and Initiatives
- National Adaptation Programme for Action (NAPA) (2007) [English]
- National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Land-Based Resources (2012-2022) Second Draft (July 2011) [English]
- National Advisory Board on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction (formed in 2012) [English]
- National Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and Action Plan (forthcoming) [English]
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management National Action Plan 2006-2016 (2007)
- Vanuatu National Energy Road Map (2013-2020)
- Mangrove Ecosystems for Climate Change Adaptation and Livelihoods Project (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) (2011-2013)
Local, State, and Regional Legislation and Initiatives
- Convention on the Conservation and Management of Tuna Stocks and Other Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean: signature (September 5, 2004) and ratification (October 6, 2005)
- People’s Declaration for Climate Justice: signature (June 8, 2015)
- South Pacific Regional Environment Programme
- Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Programme: Coastal zone management (SPREP) (2009)
- Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project (PIGGAREP) (SPREP)
- SPC/GTZ Regional Programme on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region (ACCPIR)
- GCCA thematic support program for Vanuatu (Global Climate Change Alliance)
- Pacific Islands Forum Support Programme (Global Climate Change Alliance) (2011)
- Port Vila CCCI Overview (2010)
- Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership: signature (September 5, 2013)
Government Documents
- Vanuatu National Communication to the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (1999) [English]
- Vanuatu Risk Governance Assessment And Policy Consultation (2014) [English]
- Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) (2015) [English]
Additional Resources
- Climate Change Strategies: Vanuatu (Asia Regional Integration Center)
- Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change: Vanuatu (SPREP 2009)
- An Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food Security: A Case Study in Vanuatu(Food and Agriculture Organization 2008)
- Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action: The Pacific (The Adaptation Partnership/IISD) (2011)
- Port Vila, Vanuatu – DRAFT Climate Vulnerability Assessment (UN-Habitat) (2015)
- EIA Country Overview: Vanuatu (2014)
- IRENA report: Vanuatu (2013)
- PEIN Country Profile: Vanuatu (SPREP)
Updated as of: August 10, 2015