As COP29 draws to a close today, Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment, has made an impassioned call for greater climate justice and more equitable climate financing to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Speaking earlier this week at the conference in Baku, Azerbaijan Dr. Clarke highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on island nations, stressing the urgent need for international action to address the challenges they face.
In her address, Dr. Clarke noted the severe consequences of climate change for the Caribbean and Latin America, which have experienced nearly 40,000 climate-related deaths and economic losses amounting to $1.3 trillion over the past decade.
“The receding wave claims our land. The fisher’s net has no haul. The farmer’s hoe breaks no ground. The pouring rain knows no end,” she vividly described, underscoring the plight of local communities.
One of the core issues raised by Dr. Clarke was the inequity in climate finance, with SIDS receiving a meagre 0.2% of global climate adaptation funds in the previous year.
“Where is the solidarity? Where is the justice?” she challenged global leaders, urging them to recognise the urgent need for a fairer distribution of financial support for climate adaptation.
Dr. Clarke also stressed the necessity of reforms in climate finance, including the establishment of minimum allocation floors, the creation of a fully operational loss and damage fund, and the development of a collective, quantified goal for climate finance. These measures are essential to address the existing disparities between wealthy G7 nations and the developing countries of the G77.
“St. Kitts and Nevis is actively pursuing a Sustainable Island State Agenda,” Dr. Clarke explained, detailing initiatives such as decarbonising energy generation, building sustainable homes, and climate-proofing critical infrastructure.
She also highlighted the importance of learning from resilient nations, particularly other island states, and embracing collaborative partnerships, including with the Republic of China (Taiwan), in the fight against climate change.
As COP29 concludes, Dr. Clarke’s closing remarks resonated with a call for global unity and action: “Children should not be inheritors of a ruined planet, but co-creators and co-managers of the future they deserve.” Her passionate advocacy for climate justice and fairer financing reflects the collective aspirations of SIDS as they continue to face the devastating effects of climate change.
With the conference coming to a close today, the international community has been called upon to take bold, tangible steps towards ensuring that the most vulnerable nations are supported in their efforts to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The momentum built by leaders like Dr. Clarke over the 11th -22nd November gathering has set the stage for a more inclusive and equitable future in the global climate response.
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