The Tribune

MORE than a dozen heads of state will gather at Baha Mar today for high-level dialogue on climate change for the Caribbean.

The two-day summit, ending Wednesday, is hosted by The Bahamas on behalf of the Caribbean’s Small Island Developing States.

Invited participants include the Head of State, plus one, from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

They are seeking to build relationships and achieve collective goals.

“Under the Paris Agreement, the international community made new and more ambitious pledges that collectively aim to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees above pre industrial levels; increase parties’ ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster greater climate resilience and low-GHG emissions development; and make finance flows consistent with these objectives,” event organisers said in a statement.

“The scientific findings from the recent IPCC 6th Assessment Reports sent out a clear signal of urgency. The global temperature goal is critical for small island developing States (SIDS) given their high vulnerability to increased climate impacts. Collective action is urgently needed to make the large-scale transformation required to contain global warming and to achieve a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.

“COP26 in Glasgow affirmed the collective determination to respond to this by shifting the focus from negotiation to implementation. For SIDS, sustainable energy, adaptation and resilience, risk management, and means of implementation are at the core of the climate action agenda.”

It was also noted: “Faced with the multiple challenges of economic vulnerability, the ongoing pressure from the global COVID-19 pandemic, and rising global inflation of food, energy and housing costs, this Dialogue is intended to sow the seeds for enhanced climate action and support in the region. Over the two days, the Dialogue seeks to move beyond discussion and identify concrete ways forward to enable and strengthen the regional response to the existential threat of climate change.

“Participation by the COP27 President Designate, the COP26 and COP27 High-Level Champions and the UNFCCC secretariat in the event will help foster momentum on the road to COP27 and provide one avenue for communicating key messages, actions and activities that emerge from the discussions.”

The dialogue will also involve a number of other invited guests including UN agencies, international financial institutions, climate-related transparency initiatives, donor countries and implementing partners, and other non-state actors.

The objective of the dialogue is to promote understanding and awareness of key issues and concerns within the region in order to forge a path forward that nurtures continued cooperation, reflects national perspectives, addresses regional priorities and generates climate solutions on the ground.

To achieve this objective, the two-day event will foster a high-level, solutions-oriented conversation. Discussions will be organised across four thematic sessions covering mitigation, adaptation, support and cross-cutting issues. After an initial lightning round of introductory remarks and discussion from experts active in the region, all participants will be invited, through a roundtable, high-level dialogue, to explore ways to build on this experience and identify future opportunities.