Sugar Industry Faces Over $1 Billion Loss Due to Climate Change

Fiji’s sugar industry has suffered more than $1 billion in financial losses over the years due to the impacts of climate change, according to the Minister for Sugar Industry, Charan Jeath Singh.

Speaking at the COP29 meeting, which focused on green transitions in various sectors, Singh explained that the sugar industry, which supports over 10,000 farmers in Fiji, has been severely affected by climate-related challenges.

He said that the sugar mills, once the backbone of the economy, have been damaged by category 5 cyclones, while farmers are facing problems like increased heat stress, saltwater intrusion, and unpredictable rainfall.

Singh also shared Fiji’s plans to shift the sugar industry towards renewable energy by developing biofuels like ethanol from sugarcane.

This move could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 percent.

The Minister called on developed countries to speed up the green transition in both urban and rural areas to meet global climate goals, including limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

He also urged for urgent and fair climate finance, stressing that the green transition should not be limited to developed countries alone.