PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CMC—The Prime Minister of St Kitts Nevis, Dr. Terrence Drew, has reiterated his commitment to partnership, solidarity, and community in the global fight against the impact of the climate crisis on island nations.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Global Sustainability Island Summit here, Drew said that no island can insulate itself from “the burning heat, the economic and noneconomic loss, the disappearance of our cultural heritage, the deterioration of our beaches and the growing mounds of sargassum seaweed swarming our shores.”
Drew, the leader of the smallest nation in the Western Hemisphere, said his presence was a sign of his administration’s commitment to partner with the Governments of Canada, Prince Edward Island, and the island Governments globally.
Pointing to the Importance of Geostrategic Climate Partnerships, the Prime Minister said that as preparations are being made for the 4th Global Conference of Small Island Developing States in Antigua and Barbuda, this conference has provided momentum regarding greenhouse gases and marine pollution.
“Prince Edward Island and the Caribbean are shareholders of the Atlantic Ocean, and we view Canada’s geostrategic partnership as critical. Whatever enters the sea in Prince Edward Island may well wash up on the shores of my beloved federation. Therefore, I thank Canada again for its leadership in addressing plastic pollution and the Global Biodiversity Conservation Framework Fund.”
Our contributions to climate change are negligible, and our call for action demands that historical responsibility be the greatest factor in action. We believe in free and open trade to drive green growth, for the International Financial Architecture has long closed its door to small island states.
The Prime Minister also stated that financial assistance is needed to support the Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
“Most of us categorized as Small Island Developing States are trapped in “the island paradox.” We are not rich enough, nor are we poor enough to fund our green transition. We have been left in development purgatory to swim against the tide of injustice for far too long. This is why we, as an island community, have been active at the UN in seeking an advisory opinion on the climate crisis. The international financial architecture is a neocolonial and urgently needs restructuring and reform.
The survival of the islands is directly linked to an international financial system that allows for fair, just, and more reliable access to urgent climate finance and climate crisis response grant funding. This is why we reiterate here among our partners who find themselves in the councils of the G7, the G20 = the OECD, and in the corridors of power to work with us to demand and drive change in global finance.”
He added that the shackles on SIDS need to be removed “so that we might not only survive but indeed thrive. The Bridgetown Initiative, coupled with the adoption and implementation of the Muti-Dimensional Vulnerability Index, has the potential for fiscal and monetary space.”
He noted that with the approaching hurricane season, the island nations are faced with the anxiety of “whether we will be able to fund education and health care systems or resilient infrastructure if we receive a serious blow from a hurricane which can decimate our entire economy in the space of a night.”
Drew states bold action is needed to disrupt consumption and industrial norms.
“Perhaps the most unfortunate challenge we face as islands is that we are stuck in linear cycles of production and consumption, which leaves us with very little recourse or opportunity to correct our course.The Caribbean’s contribution to global warming remains negligible, yet we are stuck on the fossil fuel consumption cycle, which leaves us vulnerable.”
He also stressed that island nations must work collectively to realize the change needed. “However, while we commit to global action for our survival, individual, contextualized planning and vision are still required.”
Pointing to St. Kitts Nevis as a Sustainable Island State – he said, “Saving the planet is our ultimate goal because it is for the benefit of every generation of Kittitians and Nevisians. The noneconomic losses of climate change are genuine to islanders. I grew up walking on sandy beaches, which have all but disappeared. Many generations of Kittitians and Nevisians will never feel the soft sand beneath their feet if this continues.”
“We have recognized that we cannot stand against the existential threats which now characterize our world. Only through collaborative efforts can we demonstrate the true grit required to center people in the climate crisis for meaningful, amplified, and lifesaving change,” he said.
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