Mottley: World stands on edge of moral precipice

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CMC):

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Wednesday said the world is standing at the edge of a “moral precipice” as she criticised the international community for not doing much in dealing with climate change and its impact on small island developing countries (SIDS) like those in the Caribbean.

Addressing the virtual High-Level Dialogue on Climate Action in the Americas, Mottley questioned world leaders as to whether they were prepared to take the action necessary to save lives, livelihood and the planet.

She said if the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, “have not prompted us to action, what will prompt us?”

Mottley also asked world leaders if at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), to be held October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow, “we will not set the world on a 1.5 °C pathway, I ask you when will we do so?

“The future is ours to determine whether we will make that defining difference to our generation. Let us pray that we do so,” she added.

The conference is being hosted by the government of Argentina, and brings together countries in the Americas to discuss shared commitment to enhancing climate ambition.

The virtual conference is being co-organised by the governments of Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Panama, and will include interventions from governments, the private and financial sectors, development banks, academia, and civil society organisations.

The dialogue will include panel discussions on topics including enhancing climate ambition on the road to Glasgow, accelerating climate action through regional cooperation, and strengthening adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Mottley told the conference that the world is at the edge of a moral precipice and as leaders of Latin America and the Caribbean, “It is our duty to our people, to our region and to our planet to take the decisions necessary, and to follow these decisions with action that will effect positive change in the lives and livelihoods of those people and those nations which are now suffering the worst consequences of climate change.

“It is our moral responsibility to ensure that even with the impact of this COVID-19 pandemic, we must design a green, resilient and inclusive recovery,” she said, noting that her administration remains committed to ensuring a protected environment, a stable society, and a sustainable and resilient economy for all Barbadians.

She said that by 2030, Barbados intends to become the first fossil-free fuel island in the world and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors “to as close to zero as possible”.

She told the conference that this would be achieved through accelerated investments to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity generation mix, as well as transiting the public- and private-sector transportation system into electric or alternative fuel vehicles.

She said the government would also be seeking to reduce fossil fuel consumption and improving energy efficiency across all sectors.

Mottley said through the specially designed roofs to reefs programme, a “model of best practice will be made for small island developing states and developing countries”.

She said Barbados would need to mobilise resources to build further resilience in homes, water supplies, road and sanitation infrastructure, as well as the restoration of the coral reef ecosystem.