Pictured at yesterday’s conference are, from left, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, former Prime Minister Perry Christie, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis, and former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. Photo: Austin Fernander
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis repeated his calls yesterday for Caribbean leaders to unite and take action in the fight against climate change.
Mr Davis noted that too many countries in the region were struggling with debt caused by climate related disasters.
He said now was the time for countries to come up with solutions because our very lives depended on it.
The Prime Minister further spoke about the financial impacts of the environmental threat, noting that most of The Bahamas’ debt could be linked to natural disasters like hurricanes and highlighted the need for regional nations to have greater access to climate funding.
He was addressing regional leaders during the opening ceremony of the Caribbean regional heads of government meeting at Baha Mar yesterday. The high-level talks end today.
“Our countries are struggling with debts accumulated by climate disasters,” Prime Minister Davis stressed to Caribbean leaders.
“What does this mean for the development of our nations, when our risk profile is becoming so severe that insurers question their willingness to offer risk facilities to offset climate disasters? Put simply, we are in danger of becoming uninsurable.
He added: “Many if not all of us have already faced challenges in accessing climate-related funds.
“By acting in common cause, we can move with more authority and with greater impact to address legacy issues, which have held us back from making meaningful progress.”
Mr Davis also pointed to “historic” steps taken by countries like the United States and Australia to address carbon emissions, which he said demonstrates that nothing is impossible, and called for all heads of states to come to the table to brainstorm ideas.
“Let us work together to construct a joint solution in respect of climate risk insurance and other climate risk facilities and let us take practical steps to improve access to climate finance,” the prime minister added.
“We are well aware that, going into COP27, work is underway to advance the implementation of a Santiago Network on Loss and Damage, along with the establishment of a Loss and Damage Facility.”
He continued: “These are important tools to support our countries. However, we also need to ensure that risk or insurance facilities are also in the toolbox of solutions to help our people. Access to climate finance should not be unclear or cumbersome.
“And the application of per capita overseas development assistance eligibility should not be taken as the main consideration for offering climate finance, which means that many Caribbean states would be frozen out from the start.”
He further urged leaders to work together to advance the use of a multi-dimensional vulnerability index to reflect the needs of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and also lobby donors and partners to ensure that all SIDS are eligible for access to bilateral climate financing.
The Caribbean Regional Heads of Government is a two-day summit being hosted by The Bahamas in preparation of COP27, which will be held in Egypt later this year.
More than a dozen heads of state are in the country for the climate change conference and key issues being discussed at the event include access to climate funding, disaster mitigation and strengthening resilience and recovery among other topics.
During a press conference ahead of yesterday’s opening ceremony, Mr Davis said the outcomes of the high-level discussions will be documented in a paper that will be presented to officials at COP27.
He also expressed optimism that talks from the conference will prove fruitful, noting that countries are tired of hearing unfulfilled promises related to climate change like the 2009 pledge made by wealthy countries to mobilise $100 billion annually to aid developing states with climate finance.
“We are commitment fatigued and we are pledged fatigued so the pledge to make available $100b has yet to be realised and that was made (nearly) 15 years ago and so the question now is the time for action is now. The time for talking needs to cease,” he also said.
Comments
K4C 1 year, 8 months ago
I a country where CRIME is rampaged. y'all climate bedwetters, have best look after matters in your control, the earth is over 4.8 BILLIONS years old and so far it's survived very well on it's own
joeblow 1 year, 8 months ago
... agreed! We also need to deal with the national debt, the fact that we are basically a Creole speaking nation, we can't feed ourselves after 49 years of independence and most of our people are functionally illiterate after high school!
K4C 1 year, 8 months ago
And that's exactly why they are on the climate bandwagon,
sheeprunner12 1 year, 8 months ago
Who will pay our national debt, just because we say that hurricanes caused us to borrow money???
But WHO can account for how the hundreds of millions were spent????? That will be the first stumbling block.
Brave dem on a fool's gold chase.
themessenger 1 year, 8 months ago
The Three Stooges have become four and still just as comical.........
KapunkleUp 1 year, 8 months ago
Exact thought I had when I saw the photo!
TalRussell 1 year, 8 months ago
What 'if' might have to tap to use the brains of all four comrade prime ministers after Fox News primetime personality asked viewers ... Motivated by the FBI's raid on Mar-a-Lago in search of Top Secret classified info being stored ... What degree of credibility should our neighbouring out islands security officials place as to the possibility that former president Trump may actually be bold enough to set up a 'rogue government' over in The Colony of 1200 Out Islands ... *Long live on England's Queen and future King should England have come.to the colony's rescue ― Yes?
Twocent 1 year, 8 months ago
Why, after Britain asked, basically begged, the USA to help in WWII, did Britain begin a program of independence for Commonwealth nations? Why did Blankenship believe he had power here? Why are we always threatened with US withdrawals, economic and otherwise? Did you ever consider that the USA to make a deal with the Establishment/Crown that we didn’t know about? That drug trafficking, for some, was allowed by the USA for good reason? That the USA being in debt to China and China being friends with Russia either makes us another “Ukrainian” frontier to fight over or the property of two allies?
bcitizen 1 year, 8 months ago
Can we start by returning the 20 or 25 dollar environmental levy on car tires to the tax payers to only have them burn in the dump?
DDK 1 year, 8 months ago
All dressed up and wasting their time and our money! Four jokers😂.
KapunkleUp 1 year, 8 months ago
Cage fight - who would be last man standing?!
realfreethinker 1 year, 8 months ago
Minnis. He seems to be the youngest and ruthless
birdiestrachan 1 year, 8 months ago
Mr: Christie you are looking just great. You have done well, you cared about the average Bahamian who needed it most. to your credit NHI, University of the Bahamas. BAMASI Urban renewal. Never mind the ideal talkers there is a Just God who will reward you < when the heart is in the right place miracles happen. I am sure Mr: Davis will do well also.
One 1 year, 8 months ago
Looking for more money to borrow, beg and steal.
ted4bz 1 year, 8 months ago
Like covid19 and the vaccine, climate change is another control mechanized deception of the globalist deep state, this is their caviar.
The_Oracle 1 year, 8 months ago
If Chinas economy collapses and the Russian war gets further out of hand they would be best to be begging for corned beef and grits to stockpile. Collective idiocy.
tribanon 1 year, 8 months ago
THE LEAD BAHAMIAN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY ON FULL DISPLAY.
This most corrupt bunch have sold our nation to enrich themselves, their family members, and their cronies.
concerned799 1 year, 8 months ago
Getting rid of cruise ships that move 3,000 people around on the seas that belch pollution and burn enormous amounts of cheap oil I would suggest is the highest return form of action on climate Caribbean leaders can take. There is no "green" energy that can ever power the current fleet of cruise ships and the model only works on low margins with mass numbers, thwarting any green shift.
tribanon 1 year, 8 months ago
Bingo!
ColumbusPillow 1 year, 8 months ago
No hurricanes last year. No significant sea level rise. Would somebody please tell me what is the problem of climate change?
tribanon 1 year, 8 months ago
And to think all four of these clowns pander to the corrupt foreign owned cruise ship industry which is not only a well-known major polluter of our environment, but also aggressively competes with our domestic (local) economy for every possible tourist dollar they can take away from our small nation.
Vomit Christie, Cruel Davis, Hubiggety and Tyrant Minnis should all be ashamed of themselves for never having pivotted our nation to greatly emphasize wealthier air arrival tourists over cheap-skate sea arrival visitors. We should have long ago had adequate and well-maintained airport facilities on at least a dozen or so of our family islands. These four clowns have held the development of our small nation back in too many ways, causing great harm to the overall standard of living and quality of life for many Bahamians.
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