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ROSEAU, Dominica, Nov 18 2015 – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said Wednesday that the United Nations Climate Change Conference, (COP 21) represents the last opportunity for the global community to reach a lasting and binding agreement on climate change and its effects on the developing countries.
Skerrit, who was addressing the opening of the 62nd OECS summit here, said that the sub-regional leaders will also have to pay attention to the climate change conference to take place in Paris later this month.
“We believe that this is the last opportunity for us to conclude a lasting, binding and legal agreement on climate change,” he said, noting “for too long, I believe we have kicked the can down the road at the end of every summit we have had on climate change”.
He said it was heartening to hear the comments of United States President Barack Obama and the President of China in respect to their commitments ahead of the Paris conference.
“Of course we would have heard very clearly the articulation of the President of France and also the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. So we are hoping we can find consensus on this because we in the developing countries who are the most affected by the effects of climate change, we cannot wait another year, another summit to discuss the issue.”
Skerrit said he is comforted by the fact that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) “is going to Paris with a united voice, a united front to make a very strong case for our countries.
“Because in many instances in the OECS, our debt has increased as a result of the effects of climate change. We have had to divert resources from health and education and from social services to the building of sea defence and river defence walls.”
“So I think it is important for the international community to reciognise the importance of this,” Skerrit said.
“We are not coming to discuss it to divide the developed world from the developing world. This is a bread and butter issue for all of us and we must recognise that if we do not take strong action on the issue of climate change we run the risks of our countries disappearing.
“So we are going to Paris at the end of this month to make a strong case on behalf of our member states,” Skerrit added.
