–Caricom environment ministers
Caricom continues to express deep concern about the impact of climate change and its negative effects on the livelihoods of current and future generations and as such called on the Group of 20, responsible for 80 percent of global emissions, to honour commitments made to arrest global warming.
A release from Caricom Ministers of Environment and Sustainable Development said last week that they have been engaged in an extensive international environment agenda which will evolve with key decision-making on biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, and plastics.
The release stated that Caricom member states are “deeply committed” to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) as well as monitoring and reporting on its implementation. To this end, the ministers are committed to updating and aligning national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAP) to the GBF. Priority has also been placed on the completion of finance strategies to accurately cost activities, with the understanding that these are dependent on the successful completion of the NBSAPs.
Concern was expressed about the slow pace of the NBSAP update and alignment processes due to challenges encountered with procurement processes outside the control of the member states. “While member states appreciate the support provided, it is critical that administrative processes be expedited to ensure that more valuable time is not lost,” the release said.
However, the ministers believe there is room for Caricom institutions, sensitive to the capabilities of member states and able to provide clear direction, guidance, and timely feedback to plan and implement NBSAP-related projects and be accredited to implement projects and programmes. Therefore, they have requested that the Caribbean Development Bank consider being accredited to the Global Environment Facility.
According to the release, the ministers observed that for effective implementation of global biodiversity goals, there must be closer synergies with other multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertifica-tion (UNCCD) and the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata (BRSM) Conventions. They posited that the time for developing actions to advance synergistic implementation is now, especially considering limited human and financial capacity for implementation.
“We recognise the need to strengthen the region’s capacity in biodiversity by, among other things, enhancing training and local expertise; developing research infrastructure; and strengthening regional institutions dedicated to biodiversity,” the release said.
The ministers therefore welcome the nomination of the Caricom Secretariat to serve as a host sub-regional technical and scientific cooperation centre under the Convention of Biological Diversity to support the implementation of the GBF and continue its efforts to support member states to elevate the importance of biodiversity management. In this regard, they have called on regional and international partners to support the Caricom Secretariat.
Reference was made to the issues of invasive alien species, marine and coastal ecosystems, the 30×30 target, digital sequence information and its linkage to access and benefits, sharing and restoring degraded ecosystems, which are all shared concerns for the region. They noted that these issues are underpinned by the need for increased public awareness and strengthening data and information systems.
Further, there are also issues that speak directly to the region’s vulnerabilities, such as post-disaster recovery and the need to restore critical island ecosystems such as tropical and mangrove forests, as well as sustainable resource management in extractive industries such as mining and forestry, and how these help with the fight against the impacts of global climate change.
The release said that Caricom remains “hopeful, but realistic,” regarding implementation of the GBF. And despite inherent vulnerabilities and fiscal challenges, continues to be “ambitious and innovative,” adding, “We look forward to working with parties, civil society and international development partners, to make positive changes for planet and people.”
It noted that global inaction will result in an overshoot of 1.5 degrees Celsius in this decade and the resultant consequences will be “devastating” for island economies dependent on agriculture, fishing and tourism as evidenced following the passage of Hurricane Beryl through the region, along with the significant impacts of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and marine biodiversity.
The release reminded that following the outcomes of the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement goals, the COP 28 United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consensus was endorsed to put the world on track to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal and to protect the most vulnerable via an energy transition package, a global resilience framework, and the newly operationalised loss and damage fund.
“Caricom is committed to the full implementation of the UAE Consensus. We expect that the Baku Climate Change Conference (COP 29) will build on the consensus, deliver on the climate finance goal for its implementation, and safeguard the interests of small island developing states and least developed countries,” it stated,
The release emphasised the need for sustained efforts for the conservation, protection and restoration of forests, nature and ecosystems in general to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal, including through enhanced efforts directed towards (i) halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, (ii) other terrestrial and marine ecosystems acting as sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases, and (iii) biodiversity. Carbon markets and other financing mechanisms, it noted, are crucial to resourcing these efforts.
“We encourage all parties to the Paris Agreement to contribute to this global effort by implementing current nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and elaborating their next NDCs due in February 2025. We call particularly on the Group of 20, who are responsible for 80 per cent of global emissions, to bring forward 1.5 aligned NDCs as soon as possible. Our future is dependent on your action and ambition,” the release added.
