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It is now widely acknowledged that the causes of climate change are mostly anthropogenic in nature and that its effects will have far reaching consequences across the globe. Governments have been exhorted by the world’s scientists to expedite and scale up implementation of mitigation measures and prepare to adapt in order to “avoid the unmanageable and manage the unavoidable” (SEG 2007). This will require concerted and coordinated action by all parties affected at the global, regional, sub-regional, and national and community levels. While international cooperation is essential, each country will need to prepare for and adapt to environmental and socio-economic changes brought about by changes in temperatures, sea level, weather patterns, etc, which are expected to impact people and environment in different ways. The extent to which a country is able to mobilise and manage resources to mitigate and/or adapt to these impacts will depend largely on the capacity of its institutions and people, commonly described in this report as “institutional capacity”.

Vanuatu’s contribution to man-made global emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) is minute by international standards. Most emissions come from the combustion of fuels for transport and electricity generation, with carbon dioxide the predominant GHG emitted. Given the small proportion of the population with ready access to transport and electric supplies, the importance of expanding these services for economic and social development, and the dependence of Vanuatu on imported technology and equipment, neither an absolute reduction in national GHG emissions nor a reduction in GHG emissions per head of population is an immediate goal. However strategies to promote electricity generation from solar, wind and tidal current energy sources in association with phased adoption of international best practices for power generation and engine design will minimise increases in GHG emissions. At present GHG Inventory is too crude to allow useful prediction of the level at which Vanuatu’s emissions will peak or when this will occur.