Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne says his country is aware
that responding to the effects of climate change comes with a price, and that
developing countries lack the financial resources to adapt and mitigate against
climate change.
“Our challenges become even more daunting, with an unresponsive international
financial architecture, that fails to prioritize concessional funding to assist SIDS
(Small Island Developing States) to rebuild in the aftermath of these climate-
related incidents or shocks,” Browne told the three-day 114th Session of the
International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Council.
It is being held under the “Climate Impact on Human Mobility: A Global Call for
Solutions” and Browne in a video presentation, said consequently, SIDS have had
to borrow repeatedly to repair damaged infrastructure and restore economic losses.
“We do this repeatedly to keep our countries viable, and to avert the possibility of
our people becoming climate migrants or refugees. SIDS suffer the greatest
financial burden to climate change on a per capita basis, despite the fact that they
contribute the least CO2 emissions globally, a mere 0.5 percent,” he told the
Council.
“They are the greatest victims, not only because of unattended loss and damage to
lives and livelihoods but also because the very existence of these countries is
fatally endangered,” Browne said, questioning “why should citizens and residents
of large polluting countries live in luxury while our peoples live in climate misery?
The Prime Minister said he has a particular objective at the upcoming United
Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to be held in Dubai from November
30 to December 12, to focus on the Loss and Damage Fund.
Browne said he had championed the fund during Antigua and Barbuda’s
chairmanship of the Alliance of Small Islands States (AOSIS) last year, recalling
that at COP27, the world’s greatest polluters agreed that such a fund was important
and decided to establish a transitional committee to make recommendations for
consideration at COP28.
“As we approach COP28, we must insist that the loss and damage fund be made
operational without any further delays. The fund must provide adequate financing
to help SIDS withstand the seas as they rise, the winds as they increase in strength;
and resources to rebuild when all our efforts to build resilience against climatic
events fail.” (CMC).
