The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

AN OFFICIAL with responsibility for climate related matters in the Office of the Prime Minister echoed Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’s position on the climate crisis and said yesterday that those contributing to the problem need to “bite the bullet and do the right thing” financially to take responsibility for their actions.

“Our biggest concern is that of the activities of China, the United States and our European partners, it is them who contribute to this,” said Rochelle Newbold, the Prime Minister’s special advisor on climate change. “But see, they have the flexibility, or they have the fiscal space where they can absorb these sorts of things. We don’t have that. And that’s the issue.

“The climate finance is such a focus for us. Because if you’re not going to make the necessary changes now, then in that sense, we need you to pay for whatever is happening to us at this time, until you are able to make your adjustment.”

Her comments came at a meeting of the Rotary Club of West Nassau, which is celebrating 50 years of service.

She spoke a day after Mr Davis said he will continue to advocate for “justice and fairness” for small island nations during the current climate crisis at COP27 held in Egypt from November 6-18 this year.

He said on Wednesday that he will continue to stand on his statements made at COP26 last November, when he pointed to rising temperatures and natural disasters such as Hurricane Dorian to highlight the effects of the issue on small developing island nations like The Bahamas.

She agreed with Mr Davis and said that he has been making his presence known in the international arena, causing those big contributors to the current climate problem to pay The Bahamas much more attention.

“The only thing we can do, come November, COP27, we have to go to the table and we have to remind them and we have to call them out. The same way we have to bite the bullet and do the right thing, they also have to bite the bullet and do the right thing.”

In an effort to assist small developing island states, Mrs Newbold made the suggestion of concessional financing to mitigate expenses caused by climate related disasters.

“So when we talk about issues of concessional financing, what we’re saying is your usual interest rates might be 16 percent. When we have an issue that’s generated by a climate impact, we want a rate of 5 percent. Because this is something we know we might be back to you next year, during hurricane season.”