Even with Immediate Implementation, 1.5 to Stay Alive is Hard to Achieve
Annually at the United Nation’s Conference of Parties, the Caribbean is represented by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, which coordinates the region’s response to climate change, by working on effective solutions and projects. At its pavilion at the International Conference Center in Egypt, CARICOM is resolute in its position. Thirty-five million lives, dreams and aspirations are at risk in the Caribbean alone and the impacts of climate change are real. Executive Director of the C.C.C.C.C. (5Cs), Doctor Colin Young says that action needs to take place now. But even if the decisions taken in the previous conference which was held in Glasgow, Scotland last November are implemented now, Doctor Young says that it isn’t enough to get the region to where it needs to be.
Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director, CCCCC
Dr. Colin Young
“I want to be very clear on that and that is why you find that Caricom is still very much, along with AOSIS, pushing to make sure that the countries do more than just what they promised in Glasgow. We want them to do what they promised in Glasgow and more because the world has become an even more dangerous place from a climate impact point of view since one year ago. We are still on a path where we are going to exceed one point five to stay alive by as early as this decade, few years from now. So, while we are talking and slow walking and obfuscating, Belize was hit by a hurricane last week, Bahamas was hit by a hurricane yesterday – floods and droughts continue to impact our region – and so we need developed countries to undertake greater emission cuts now, here so that we are more likely to keep one point five alive. That’s what we want them to do; just don’t do what you say you’re going to do in Glasgow because that was not enough. We also want them to make sure that the money comes to us faster and quicker. They failed to reach the hundred billion and they won’t meet it this year either. That’s absolutely unacceptable because we are suffering from something that we did not cause. And then three, we made a little progress at this COP. For us, it was a red line that loss and damage was included on the agenda of the COP. From 1991, CARICOM has been pushing for this agenda item to be on the COP; we finally succeeded, and it feels as though it is just a big win. But the truth is that it just gives us now the room for us to talk about how we will proceed. And one of the outcomes we want from this is that there is eventually going to be a facility, a fund that is capitalized that then can provide grants in a quick efficient fast way to countries who are suffering immense losses and damages from climate change.”
