Dominica pledges to champion call for collective global action against climate change
In less than a month, world leaders will convene for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, in Egypt to build on previous actions in addressing the climate crisis and eventually pave the way for future ambition.
The outcome of COP27 is critical for the small island developing states (SIDS) like the islands in the Caribbean region, as they are the first to be hit by the effects of climate change.
Such urgency was reiterated by the Commonwealth of Dominica’s President Charles Savarin at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly held in New York last September. Savarin has called on the international community to deliver its promises to SIDS, especially when it comes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The challenge is to go beyond promises, commitments and pledges to effective delivery and implementation. The various global crises do not respect national borders. Our inter-connected world means no one is insulated or immune from developments that take place anywhere on this planet,” Savarin said in his speech.
“We must lay a path for development that is sustainable and people-focused. Small states like ours have stood at this very podium and at many other such podiums across the world seeking to convince the developed world to change destructive practices that threaten our planet and our very lives and livelihoods,” said Savarin, adding that Dominica will champion the collective action against climate change.
Savarin also shared the initiatives Dominica has carried out to withstand the impact of changing climate and remain operational during natural emergencies and pandemics.
Part of the government’s strategy is the Housing Revolution Programme, which has bestowed climate-resilient houses for more than 2,000 Dominican families.
MMC Development Ltd. was put in charge of most housing projects, thirteen of which have been completed, and eight more projects are still being constructed. Aside from the residential buildings, the developing arm of UAE-based company Montreal Management Consultants is also mandated to oversee other important infrastructure projects on health care, transportation, and education.
MMC Development Ltd. CEO and President Anthony Haiden said in a previous interview that sustainability is their utmost priority for all the projects they embarked on.
“Despite the economic, political, and logistical challenges, MMC Development has delivered sustainable projects, and we are always committed to complying with the government’s mandate to develop green structures,” Haiden said.
Savarin also emphasized the importance of financial aid from developed countries to small islands.
The Prime Minister of the Bahamas made a similar call during the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meeting in Nassau last September to talk about climate resiliency. Bahamian PM Philip Davis urged his fellow Caribbean leaders to make the developed states accountable for their promises of aid. He also suggested they create new criteria for determining which countries can receive such assistance.
Savarin added that Dominica is beefing up its agricultural sector to reduce its reliance on food imports.