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Prime Minister 
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. (UN file photo)
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. (UN file photo)
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Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has echoed at the global climate change talks talking place in Morocco the call of other developing country parties to quadruple, at least, adaptation finance mobilised through public interventions.

Gonsalves told the High-Level Segment of the 22nd Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) that on access to finance for climate mitigation and adaption, the mobilisation of funds is a precondition to access.

“US$100 billion per year by 2020 is just a floor, which we are yet to reach. One hundred billion dollars is woefully inadequate,” Gonsalves said.

He added: “We need to start planning our 2025 goal and ratchet up support for SIDS and other particularly vulnerable countries. Also, I call again for simplified access to the climate funds, as promised.”

Gonsalves told the conference that as the world welcomes the entry into force of the climate accord reached in Paris last year, the reality in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small island developing state, is that between 2010 and this year, loss and damage from natural disasters amounts to some 40 per cent of our country’s GDP.

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“One disaster, a tropical trough, on Christmas Eve 2013, accounted for loss and damage estimated at 17 per cent of GDP,” Gonsalves told negotiators.

“Indeed, in recent years, we have been suffering from highly abnormal torrential rains and consequential landslides. Last week there was another such extreme weather event causing immense damage and loss of life. The poor are the most adversely affected,” he said.

Gonsalves said that his government has this year allocated one-third of its total capital budget towards the strengthening of the country’s resilience to natural disasters.

“This is separate from additional monies spent on loss and damage as a result of climate change. The allocation of substantial resources to climate resilience adds hugely to our country’s debilitating public debt,” he said.

The prime minister told the conference that the per capita efforts of island states towards the global goal of emissions reduction need to be recognised and matched by developed countries.

“After all, it is developed country parties that have agreed to take the lead in climate change mitigation. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, by the end of 2019, 80 per cent of our electricity generation will be by renewable energy. Meanwhile energy efficiency measures continue apace, but far more financial support is required.

“I would like to emphasise that these issues must be addressed not just at the political level, but also at the technical level. Political will is a necessary ingredient but these words must be manifested in deeds and in the technical decisions under the various bodies including the CMA (Parties to the Paris Agreement), CMP (Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol), COP (Conference of the Parties) and subsidiary bodies.

“The political document coming out of Marrakech should be focused on action, support and implementation of the Paris Agreement,” Gonsalves said.

He said that for all states globally, especially small island developing states, negotiators have “no option but to remain focused to address concretely, and urgently, man-made climate change despite occasional dissonance and set-backs arising from certain quarters.

“By 2050, Mother Earth is expected to contain in excess of 10 billion people, up from about 8 billion today. We are each other’s neighbors in this globalized world. Thus all peoples and governments have an obligation to act responsibly to protect the global commons and our common humanity. There is really no other option for survival and sustainable development. This is a matter of existential consequence to humanity,” he said.

The conference is taking place from Nov. 7 to 18.

PM Gonsalves leads delegation to climate talks in Morocco

 

 

 

 

6 replies on “Gonsalves makes case for quadrupling climate adaptation finance”

  1. Under Gonsalves government we have abandoned all proper procedures of disposing of dangerous waste, acids and chemicals, batteries, refrigerant gas, old oil and lubricants, and vehicle engine oil. Everything simply goes into the garbage dump to make a poisonous brew for our great grandchildren to choke on. There is a small waterway which drains through the tip and will eventually carry all the toxins, poisons and heavy metals to our fish stocks. Then at Rabacca they are burning hundreds of vehicle tires [tyres] every week poisoning the atmosphere and damaging the very being of Vincentian people. The people of Georgetown are unaware that they are being poisoned.

    Beaches are being mined by government owned agencies creating a situation for future flooding of residential areas by inundation by high seas. What they are doing is assisting climate warming not fighting it. They only want the money that is the only thing important to them.

    It is no good pretending to play the game, you have to be honest and of decent character if you want to play this particular game. In SVG we have to start right here and now stopping the pollution of air, land and sea. It’s a criminal act and the government is fully aware of what is going on, it’s been going on since 2008 when they took the roof off the building at the tip where they dealt with dangerous chemicals, strip light tube disposal, removing sulfuric [sulphuric] acid from vehicle batteries and dangerous refrigerant gas from old refrigerators, collecting old oils. They had specifically trained personnel prior to that date who dealt with such items. But the government abandoned that like they abandoned the irrigation system along with those workers and drove another nail into the coffin of the farmers.

    Ivan O’Neal instead of filling the newspapers with crap about Mustique you need to get back on your high horse and deal with this matter. You are the founder and leader of the Green Party, so get on with what is expected of you.

  2. I implore that no money is given to SVG until all the current wrongs are rectified, this government is a gross contributor to climate change.

    1. I second the motion.

      (See, Peter, when you are right about something, I will not hesitate to praise you, as I always have, and vice versa).

      1. I want neither from you David. Just concentrate on what you are doing or saying and leave what I do or say alone I do not want yours or anyone elses praise.

        Seconding or agreeing with something is not praising it so quit the crap.

        I have made a list of government wrongs but Kenton is a long time posting it.

  3. Yes, blame every weather event we get on climate change so you can extorte more money from the developed countries to pay your profligate government’s debts whose anti-development policies have assured, “The poor are the most adversely affected.”

  4. It will be interesting to see how much Moroccan goods and clothing turn up for sale at the ‘woman’s’ shop at Blue Lagoon.

    Is being part of such missions a cover-up for a shopping spree to buy new stock?

    I have been watching this closely., I can tell you the procedure but Kenton would never dare to publish it, and I don’t blame him.

Comments closed.