Earth Today | Small islands insist developed countries honour climate obligations

THE ALLIANCE of Small Island States (AOSIS) has suggested that there are two options open to countries in the struggle to get ahead of climate change and its terrible impacts: embrace extinction or set aside petty geopolitics.

This comes in the wake of the latest global climate negotiations (COP29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, last month which has yielded what is widely held to be a lukewarm deal that has failed to provide developing countries with what they need to mount and sustain an effective response to climate impacts.

“As we continue to take stock of COP29, one thing is clear – if we do not want to expedite our own extinction, we MUST put aside petty geopolitics.

“The world’s most vulnerable cannot be held hostage by bigger countries. Inclusivity and respect for our voices at the table are paramount at COP30,” noted AOSIS in a recent statement.

AOSIS represents the interest of 39 small island and low-lying coastal nations in climate change and sustainable development negotiations.

“We MUST get serious about raising collective ambition, drastically cutting emissions, and advancing action on mitigation. On climate finance, the lack of ambition from developed countries has further eroded the faith of the developing world,” AOSIS added.

“At COP29, the world’s most vulnerable countries were made to engage in a harrowing fight to enhance climate finance, in the hope of keeping the global goal of keeping 1.5 degree Celcius alive. The celebration of this very basic goal adds insult to our injury,” the group added.

Ultimately, after two weeks of negotiations, the resulting agreement is one that falls woefully short of the hoped-for US$1.3 trillion a year. Developed countries have agreed instead to help to secure finance flows to developing countries to the tune of some $300b a year by 2035 to support climate response efforts.

At the same time, there was no reported progress on the last year’s Global Stocktake of emissions, or the transition away from fossil fuels.

“The size of the damage to our economies from climate change outweighs any sort of per capita calculation of how much money we’re getting. Hurricane Maria wiped out over 200 per cent of Dominica’s GDP in 2017. You cannot say that for many other developing countries,” AOSIS maintained.

“AOSIS laments the expansion of the contributor base for the NCQG. This opens the door for chaos as it relies on elements outside of our process. At the end of the day, banks’ focus is on their own credit rating, not the global good. We must now be vigilant to ensure the utmost transparency and that no ‘creative accounting’ takes place. Climate finance must only be counted towards actual climate action,” it added.

According to the AOSIS, the challenge currently faced by small island developing states (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs) is one that must be tackled. Caribbean and other SIDS are among those most vulnerable to climate impacts – from extreme hurricane events, the likes of which have devastated sections of the region over recent years, to sea level rise, coastal erosion and the unrelenting heat.

“The COP process is important to SIDS because it is the only forum globally where our voice matters. We must ensure smaller countries are empowered, not held hostage by the process,” AOSIS insisted.

“The US$300-billion goal is not sufficient. This is not enough to hold on to the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal. We now focus on the work to increase the ambition for more finance in years to come,” it added.

At the same time, AOSIS has made it clear that they will persist in their efforts, including through forged partnerships, to ensure that developing countries get what they need.

“We are grateful for the invaluable partnership with the LDCs group that has been strengthened this year. As we look towards COP30, it must be clear that SIDS and LDCs were never beggars hoping for a handout. We are an incredibly resilient force to be reckoned with, and we will fight to ensure promises are kept and justice is achieved,” the group said.

“We are determined to turn our disappointment into energy that will drive unparalleled ambition and action ahead of COP30. This will hinge on ensuring the enhancement of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs),” it added.

NDCs are individual country’s commitment to reducing emissions that fuel the warming of the planet and which, in turn, triggers the various climate impacts.

“We urge countries to put aside climate protectionism. If COP30 is not a turning point for global cooperation, the most powerful will be reviled by future generations for their failure to seize this critical opportunity to turn the tide,” AOSIS said.

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