The Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance is sounding an alarm for urgent climate action based on findings from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth assessment report.
In a statement ahead of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), the Alliance said over 70 per cent of Caribbean people live on coastlines, and the impacts from these findings pose an existential threat to life in the region.
“With 70% of the Caribbean population living and working in coastal areas, where most of the infrastructure is located, climate change poses an existential threat to our communities, economic sectors and natural ecosystems.
“Impacts are already being felt through coastal erosion due to sea level rise, coral bleaching and marine ecosystem damage with higher sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification, water shortages due to rainfall variability and saltwater intrusion, and more intense hurricanes and storms among others.
“If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, and global temperature exceeds 1.5˚C, these impacts will worsen and threaten the very existence of our way of life in the Caribbean and other SIDS [Small Island Developing States] that have contributed the least to global emissions.”
The Alliance pointed to the devastating effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, Dorian in 2019 and Ian in 2022, with data pointing to this becoming more prevalent.
“As we look to the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt in November, the Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance is calling for urgent and accelerated implementation to tackle the climate crisis and address the needs of Caribbean small islands developing states (SIDS) and other vulnerable countries.”
“Urgent action and strengthened commitments are needed from the world’s largest economies and emitters to set ambitious emissions targets for 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to limit global temperature to 1.5˚C and tackle the climate crisis. All countries, and especially the G20 that account for around 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, must show resolve and step up their actions starting now if we want to keep the 1.5˚C goal within reach.
“Current pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement and legally binding net zero targets are far from sufficient. These put us on a pathway to 2.4˚C warming by 2100 according to the 2021 report by Climate Analytics and World Resources Institute.”
The Alliance said it looks forward to a Global Stocktake process that is inclusive and delivers in the five priority areas for action at COP27 and beyond.
The Alliance is also calling for a rights-based and earth-centred approach in addressing all these priority areas, taking into account the rights of women, youth, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ persons, Indigenous Peoples, Afrodescendants, migrants and other marginalised groups, the rights of future generations, rights to a healthy and safe environment as an autonomous right, and the right to self-determination.
“Caribbean SIDS are investing in climate mitigation and adaptation, but need the financial and technical support to deliver emissions reductions rapidly and adapt and build their resilience to the unavoidable climate change impacts that are already underway.
“Wealthy developed countries must fulfil their promise of US$100 billion annually from 2020 through to 2025 to support developing countries in this transition and scale up action under the Paris Agreement.”
The Alliance also called for mechanisms to address loss and damage:
“A finance facility to provide additional and dedicated finance to address loss and damage, which is separate and apart from mitigation and adaptation finance, is urgently needed. The Santiago Network on Loss and Damage also needs to be operationalised as an effective mechanism to catalyse and deliver the required technical assistance to vulnerable countries. A decision establishing this entity and plans for resourcing it should be agreed at COP27.”
The Alliance urged G20 nations to take action.
“COP27 is a pivotal moment. With bold action, in line with the science of the latest IPCC reports, we can keep the 1.5˚C goal alive, avoid the most devastating climate change impacts and support Caribbean SIDS and other developing countries to shift to just and resilient development pathways.”
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2018 report indicated that CO2 emissions needed to be cut 45 per cent by 2030, compared to 2010 levels.
The latest science from the IPCC released earlier this year uses 2019 as a baseline, indicating that GHG emissions need to be cut 43 per cent by 2030.
The UN says this is critical to meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall. (Loop News)
