You face a deplorable injustice: A crisis you have done next to nothing to create is wrecking economies, ruining lives, and threatening your very existence. Together, you have fought tooth and nail for the global commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. This year, countries must deliver new national climate action plans, ahead of COP 30, that align with that goal, with the G20 – the big polluters – leading the way. This is a chance for the world to get a grip on emissions. And it is also a chance for the Caribbean to seize the benefits of clean power… To tap your vast renewables potential… And to turn your back on costly fossil fuel imports.
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres
In last week’s article, we discussed the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) compiled by Transparency International. We stated that countries that share a deep concern for good governance, transparency and accountability view the index as an important measure in their fight against corruption. An improvement in a country’s CPI score as well as its ranking is considered an indicator of a reduction in the level of corruption. The first step must therefore be the acknowledgement of the existence of corruption and the extent to which it is perceived to exist. The failure to do so will only serve to embolden those who are bent on indulging in corrupt behaviour that enriches the few at the expense of the vast majority of the citizens.