TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, CMC – Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley says the new UK Overseas Territories Minister, Stephen Doughty, is open to offering climate funding for the territory.
Following his meeting with the new minister, Wheatley held a joint press conference with Deputy Premier Lorna Smith earlier this week to discuss the territory’s funding needs.
“We discussed the threat of Climate Change and the need for UK support to assist the Virgin Islands with adaptation and mitigation, including through their contributions to the United Nations.”
He confirmed this issue will be on the agenda at the annual Joint Ministerial Council in November.
Smith noted that this was a primary reason for their visit and engagement with the new government following Britain’s Labour Party’s landslide victory on July 4.
In his keynote address, Wheatley highlighted the weather events the territory faced and its progress in recovery.
“At the event, I shared with them the negative effects of climate change on the Virgin Islands and updated them on our recovery after Tropical Storm Ernesto and the two other extreme weather events we experienced before that.”
The BVI has been at the forefront of calls for large, wealthy nations that contribute the most to climate change to fund small, developing nations most affected by the climate crisis.
The BVI and other proponents argue that these nations require more support, as climate change poses significant risks to their land and marine resources, which are vital for survival.
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