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* Together Guam and Taiwan can make a difference in world health4
http://www.hsvg.org/ Guahan Global Foundation
Guahan Global Foundation P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA
(December 12, 2025) 2025 ends with uncertainty on climate action More people are now aware that more natural disasters caused by global warming are seriously affecting human society’s well-being and sustainability. But, the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Brazil last month did not turn past promises into concrete results on the ground as expected.   The conference is commonly known as COP30, which stands for the 30th Conference of the Parties, serving as the formal meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) parties and a vital platform for advancing solutions to the climate crisis and reinforcing the collective commitment to a sustainable future. It was billed by many as the “implementation COP,” but eventually COP30 did not significantly move us closer to a safer future.   For example, all countries were expected to submit an updated climate plan, which is known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), showing how they would help keep global warming limited to below 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, and pursue efforts to keep it to 1.5 degrees, the goal outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Although several major economies, including Brazil, Japan, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the European Union submitted stronger climate plans, some of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters have not finalized their plans or have announced targets that fall far short of what science says is needed.   The annual Global Carbon Budget Report was published on November 13 as countries met for COP30 climate talks. An international team of scientists found that the emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels would be 1.1 percent higher in 2025 than a year ago. The overall figure is due to reach a record of 38.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide, hitting a new high in history. It warns that curbing global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius would be essentially “impossible,” according to the report.   However, even though more than 80 countries had been pushing for the COP30 final agreement to include explicit reference to fossil fuels, including a roadmap to transition away from energy sources such as coal, oil, and gas, objections from some other countries won out with the final agreement avoiding mention of a shift away from fossil fuels.   Similarly, while more than 90 countries supported the inclusion of a binding roadmap to halt and reverse deforestation, the final text of the COP30 agreement included only the recognition of a need to halt and reverse forest loss, without any mandatory commitments.   The COP30’s Brazil presidency committed to create a science-based roadmap on the transition away from fossil fuels and halting deforestation over the next year, but these would be voluntary and sit outside of the UN system.   In fact, it is international scientific consensus that, in order to prevent the worst climate damages, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero, which means emissions and removals are in balance, by 2050. A Shift away from fossil fuels is considered as one of the most important measures to significantly reduce global carbon dioxide emissions. Deforestation is hurting the planet’s ability to naturally remove carbon dioxide. The planet will keep heating for as long as global emissions remain more than zero. Climate damages, caused by global heating, will continue escalating for as long as emissions continue.   Our Pacific island community has reaffirmed for many times at the Pacific Islands Forum that the “2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent” is the region’s collective commitment to a resilient Pacific, and climate change continues to be a matter of priority. Ahead of COP30, many representatives from Pacific countries were optimistic about the progress that the conference would make since the international Court of Justice (ICJ) just issued its advisory opinion on climate obligations this July.   The advisory opinion said countries could be in violation of international law if they fail to take measures to protect the planet from climate change and nations harmed by the effects could be entitled to reparations. The case was actually initiated by a group of students from the University of South Pacific in Vanuatu and backed by more than 130 countries. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could disappear under rising sea waters, the UN General Assembly asked the ICJ for an advisory opinion in 2023. In July, 2025, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the historic advisory opinion and said “Young Pacific islanders initiated this call for humanity to the world. And the world must respond.”   Unfortunately, the COP30 results remind us that we can not solely rely on the ICJ document to hold certain countries to account and promote global climate action. As what is still happening in Ukraine, Russia has not stopped its aggression and invasion to Ukraine at all since February 2022, even though the Pre-Trial Chamber of the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin in March 2023.   Mr. Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s minister for climate change, has actually described the broader context as “a period of geopolitical upheaval” where militarization is rising, aid spending is falling, and international law is often disregarded, when he talked to the media before COP30.   Since conflicts have been reported in many different parts of the world, Pope Leo XIV has warned in his first overseas trip last month that World War Three is already fought and the future of humanity is at stake. He emphasized that “ambitions and choices that trample on justice and peace” were throwing the world into chaos. He wanted to urge peace for the world and encourage people of different backgrounds to live together in harmony, So, all Pacific islanders must work together to strongly call for de-escalating all tensions emerging in any parts of the world. We have to promote dialogues to resolve problems and avoid conflicts. Any attempts trying to unilaterally change the stable and peaceful status quo around the world should not be acceptable by our Pacific island community.   The only good news from COP30 seems to be a pledge to triple finance for adaptation to climate change, increasing from around $40 billion to $120 billion per year by 2035. It’s part of a larger goal to reach $1.3 trillion in total climate finance yearly by then, alongside operationalizing the Loss & Damage Fund for those most affected and establishing a Just Transition Mechanism, which would support the protection of workers and communities as countries shift to clean energy and a climate-resilient future. Our Pacific island community certainly welcomes the global financial mechanism helping vulnerable countries’ climate mitigation and adaptation. We need to keep following up the progress of the mechanism and ensure the fund will be rapidly raised and the financial aids will be well allocated and used to strengthen climate resilience across the Pacific as soon as possible. http://www.hsvg.org/hot_527443.html * 2025 ends with uncertainty on climate action 2025-12-12 2026-12-12
Guahan Global Foundation P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA http://www.hsvg.org/hot_527443.html
Guahan Global Foundation P.O. Box 206, Hagatna, GU 96932, USA http://www.hsvg.org/hot_527443.html
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Home ﹥ News > News > * Together Guam and Taiwan can make a difference in world health

(April 14, 2021)

Together Guam and Taiwan can make a difference in world health

Taiwanese are suffering from the Hualien train accident. Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero mentioned in her kind letter to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen that Taiwan has relentlessly supported Guam’s COVID-19 response. Beyond sharing best practices, Taiwan’s utmost generosity and kindness during the global pandemic were also emphasized in the letter.


 A hearing for Resolution No. 53-36, which would provide legislative endorsement of Taiwan's bid for observer status at the World Health Organization’s 2021 annual assembly, highlighted the assistance that Taiwan provided throughout the pandemic. This included the procurement of 200,000 masks among other medical supplies, and help chartering flights to provide Guam residents off-island care during the health crisis. It also draws attention to education provided by Taiwanese physicians prior to the pandemic.


The pandemic is obviously not over yet. After receiving lots of help from off-island, Guam is actually able to offer assistance back in the continuing fight against COVID-19 around the world. For example, Guam’s pretty nice vaccine rollout experience.


When the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine arrived on December 14 last year, Guam had 25 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Two months later, although only 9.5% of Guam’s population has been fully vaccinated, the hospitalizations dropped to 5 and the island was moving to PCOR3, which allowed most businesses and activities to operate at moderate restrictions.


After a considerable percentage of at-risk people got vaccinated, Guam decided to lower the vaccine age to 16 years old on March 22. At that time, the COVID-19 hospitalization has dropped again to only 1 patient at the hospital.


Thus, combining Taiwan’s successful response before COVID-19 vaccines became available and Guam’s experience of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, Guam and Taiwan could create a very comprehensive protocol helping many countries that are still being trapped in this public health crisis, for example, Philippines, Japan, Korea and many others in different regions.


In addition to the pandemic, COVID-19 also reveals the importance of prevention and control of diabetes, heart disease and lung problems because these underlying health conditions increase people’s risk for severe COVID-19 illness and death. Learning from Taiwan’s experience in community health, Guam can not only improve its prevalence of diabetes and heart disease but also show its neighbors and the world a healthy life-changing model that would be extremely important in the post-pandemic era.


The best platform to make all of these happen is the World Health Organization (WHO). Unfortunately, WHO has refused to grant Taiwan an observer status, which Taiwan used to own, at its annual assembly since 2017. Government of Guam can work together with the US Federal Government to support Taiwan to resume the observer status at the May 24 to June 1 World Health Assembly this year. It is absolutely a right thing to do.


In our region, Guam should urge WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office in the Philippines to immediately amend its improper approach that refused to contact or interact with Taiwan. As a result, Taiwan was unable to obtain information about the pandemic and related data issued by the office, and also unable to participate in meetings organized by the office. Many countries in the region therefore lost their opportunity to closely learn relevant public health practices from Taiwan. That is obviously a huge mistake the office really has to fix and Guam can urge them to do it right away.


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