CARICOM's Critical Stand on Climate Change at SIDS Conference

GREATER GEORGETOWN, May 29, 2024 - The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has taken a bold and uncompromising stance on climate change, with Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett delivering a powerful critique at the Fourth International Conference On Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Antigua and Barbuda. 

Dr. Barnett's speech highlighted the region's unwavering support for the Bridgetown Initiative, put forward by Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley, which demands urgent actions to bridge the growing funding gap and reform the international financial architecture to better address the needs of developing nations.

In a passionate address to the plenary, Dr. Barnett underscored the necessity of the Bridgetown Initiative, calling for immediate actions to provide emergency liquidity to developing countries. 

She emphasized that without substantial reform, the international financial system would fail to meet the pressing need for financing resilience-building and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

"We gather here today to chart a new path for our development via the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, coming full circle from the first Programme of Action for SIDS in 1994 in Barbados," Dr. Barnett declared, reiterating CARICOM's dedication to the just ambitions recognized by the UN as a special case for sustainable development.

The Dire Reality of Climate Change in the Caribbean

Dr. Barnett did not shy away from presenting the harsh realities faced by CARICOM due to climate change. She recounted the devastation of the 2017 hurricane season, where Hurricanes Irma and Maria wreaked havoc across the region, causing unprecedented destruction. 

Dominica saw damages exceeding 200% of its GDP, while Barbuda's housing was almost entirely obliterated. "As we meet at this Conference, the region is entering another Atlantic hurricane season expected to be extremely active, with forecasts of 11 hurricanes, five of them major storms of Category 3 intensity or higher," she warned, painting a grim picture of the imminent threats.

The Secretary General highlighted the alarming predictions of the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CARICOF), which anticipates near-record heat from April to September 2024. Many member states are already grappling with prolonged droughts, forest, and bush fires, exacerbating the region's vulnerability. 

"We are simultaneously witnessing sea level rise, salination of aquifers, coastal erosion, and land degradation," Dr. Barnett noted, stressing that these environmental crises are leading to social instability, reduced quality of life, and migration pressures within CARICOM.

Global Inaction and Legal Repercussions

Dr. Barnett's speech also took aim at the global community's inadequate response to climate change. She expressed alarm at the retreat from the ambition needed to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. 

"As CARICOM, and all SIDS, continue to bear the brunt of global climate change – which we do not cause – we are dismayed by the apparent lack of commitment from some in the international community," she said.

In response to this apathy, CARICOM has joined forces with other small island states to seek legal recourse. Antigua and Barbuda, in partnership with Tuvalu and the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change, has led a request for an advisory opinion from The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). 

The tribunal asserted that state parties are legally bound to curb emissions to protect the marine environment. Additionally, CARICOM has supported Vanuatu's request for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on states' obligations concerning climate change.

Financial Hurdles and the Need for Swift Action

Access to affordable finance remains a critical hurdle for SIDS. Dr. Barnett pointed out the persistent challenges in securing funds from private capital markets and multilateral financial institutions. 

She issued a clarion call for immediate action, emphasizing that SIDS do not have the luxury of time. "We must solve the problem of access to resources to address our vulnerabilities within the next ten years," she urged, insisting that nations responsible for the emissions causing climate change must take effective actions to reduce their emissions.

Dr. Barnett's address at the SIDS Conference was a stark reminder of the urgent and existential threats faced by small island developing states. CARICOM's resolute position on climate change demands immediate and coordinated global action to safeguard their future. 

"In the next decade, we must build our resilience and protect our natural patrimony and way of life for future generations," she concluded, leaving no room for complacency in the fight against climate change.

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