Mana Pacific Director, Mr Taupo Tani, was one of only a few private sector delegates attending the annual Pacific Islands Forum held in Tuvalu, 13-16 August 2019.
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organisation enhancing cooperation between countries and territories of the Pacific Ocean and the economic and social well-being of Pacific people. Mr Tani comments, “We in the private sector have a part to play in sustainable economic and social development for our region.”
Mr Tani and colleague Mr Anthony Manu(Bioplant Energy, New Zealand) met separately with government delegates from Nauru, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tokelau and Tuvalu discussing new waste-to-energy technology able to support waste minimisation goals critical for Pacific sustainability. Connections were also made with international donors as potential partners for advancing sustainable solutions for the Pacific.
“It is important to me to be there, on-the-ground, connecting with clients and the community where climate change is a reality. I stood on the ground where there are rising tides, side-by-side with those who live their lives there. It is not just theoretical,” Mr Tani reflects.
“We in the private sector have a part to play in sustainable economic and social development for our region.”
