Climate change is an issue on which the Caribbean has every reason to have its voice heard and be taken very seriously.
Not only does its position on changing sea levels genuinely reflect the interests of every Caribbean state ‒ 50 per cent of its population and the majority of the region’s productive 
enterprise and infrastructure is within 1.2 miles of the sea ‒ but the low-lying nature of the region, its fragile eco-systems, its ability to demonstrate the changes already occurring in the form of sea surge, more extreme weather, drought, general climatic change, and damage to coasts and reefs, make it a prime candidate to influence international opinion to its own and the world’s advantage.
The issue is high on Caricom’s agenda and it is a good example of where even a diminished institution can come into its own, demonstrating in this case to Caribbean citizens and the world beyond, the region’s ability to speak with a single voice in the face of a common threat. This was particularly apparent at the recently concluded heads of government meeting held in Barbados, although you would have been forgiven for