BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – CARIBBEAN leaders are using the ongoing COP 29 meetings in Baku, Azerbaijan, to spotlight the region’s vulnerabilities to climate change and to advocate for urgent climate financing.
As the Caribbean remains at the forefront of climate change impacts, leaders have underscored the critical need to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius. They have taken bold approaches to emphasize the importance of immediate and decisive action.
Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, highlighted the devastating effects of climate change, referencing Hurricane Beryl's aftermath and recent flash flooding on the island.
“And so it takes a lot of courage to come to this event. In fact, it's my first, it may be my last. The reality is, we're not here to beg, leaders ” Mitchell stated.
He emphasized that Caribbean nations are not seeking sympathy but rather advocating for global collaboration to finance climate adaptation and resilience.
“We cannot wait any longer for empty pledges to become meaningful action…Wealthy polluting countries are seeking to shift responsibility onto elusive private capital instead of ensuring decisive government action to reduce and disincentivize emissions by introducing a global carbon tax to fund a clean energy revolution that is quintessential to saving our planet. To those who bear the greatest responsibility for climate change, I say this, the time for moral responsibility is now! The time for increased climate ambitions is now!” Mitchell stressed.
Bahamas Prime Minister, Phillip Davis, echoed the urgency, citing recent fires, heavy rainfall, and stronger hurricanes as evidence of the crisis.
“A continuation of current practises will lead to catastrophic rise in temperature of up to 3.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The current nationally determined commitments made for 2030 are not being met. Even if they were, we would still face a rise in temperature of 2.6 degrees Celsius or more” Davis warned.
He criticized the lack of progress in meeting nationally determined commitments for 2030 and called on G20 nations—responsible for 80% of global carbon emissions—to act decisively.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda emphasized the need for wealthy nations to fulfill their commitments to vulnerable states, particularly through climate financing.
The COP 29 conference brings together world leaders, environmental experts, and technocrats to develop policies to mitigate the effects of climate change. One expected outcome is the adoption of Article 6, which focuses on voluntary emissions reductions.
According to the World Bank, Article 6 will allow countries to transfer carbon credits earned from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, helping other nations meet their climate targets.
