Secretary-General of CARICOM Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana--On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the Caribbean Community CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), in partnership with the UK government hosted the “CARICOM Moment of Ambition”, on Friday.
The event was convened to demonstrate continued small island developing states (SIDS) leadership and ambition and to underscore the need for immediate climate action internationally. Hosting this event prior to the December 12 Climate Ambition Summit hosted by the UN, the UK and France to celebrate the Paris anniversary, served to amplify the voice of CARICOM SIDS.
The event featured addresses by UK Minister for the Commonwealth, Lord Tariq Ahmad; CARICOM Secretary-General (SG) Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and CCCCC Executive Director Dr. Colin Young.
In his opening address to the event, Lord Ahmad said: “As small island states, Caribbean countries are on the front line of the climate crisis. Their leadership in tackling climate change, even in the face of COVID-19, is an inspiration. I hope at tomorrow’s [Saturday’s – Ed.] Climate Ambition Summit, other countries match the innovation, ambition and commitment demonstrated at today’s [Friday’s] CARICOM Moment of Ambition Summit.
“The UK will use our [Climate Change Conference] COP presidency to accelerate progress, increase global ambition and motivate urgent, targeted action to protect climate-vulnerable countries from the impacts of climate change.”
The CARICOM SG praised member states for their leadership in articulating ambitious revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). However, he noted that SIDS’ ambition will not get us close to the goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius and called for increased ambition by the international community.
In signalling his concern he noted, “What is also abundantly clear in the five years since Paris is that the Caribbean cannot afford the cost of the catastrophic consequences of climate change. We also cannot afford the cost of adaptation.”
Dr. Young in his remarks noted that CARICOM NDCs are in line with the Region’s negotiating position going into Paris. Analysis of the NDCs found that they are focused mainly on mitigation and generally reflect interventions in sectors with the greatest greenhouse gas emissions such as energy, agriculture and industrial processes and product use.
The event featured presentations by Pearnel Charles, Jr., Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change – Jamaica; Silvano Tjong-Ahin, Minister of Spatial Planning and Environment – Suriname; Simon Stiell, Minister for Climate Resilience – Grenada; and Adrian Forde, Minister of Environment and National Beautification – Barbados, on their countries’ NDCs.
Ramon Cervantes, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration – Belize shared reflections on the accomplishments of Belize during its two-year tenure as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
All ministerial interventions included pledges of support for the government of Antigua and Barbuda as incoming chair of AOSIS, taking over from the government of Belize, the outgoing chair.
The event was rounded out with presentations by the youth, a statement by AOSIS Fellow Brittany Meighan of Belize and a creative performance by Deneka Thomas, spoken word poet from Trinidad and Tobago.
