DOMINICA-CLIMATE-Prime Minster Skerrit not bowled over by COP 28

ROSEAU, Dominica, Dec 19, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit Tuesday said he is not so much excited at the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 28)  even as he said: “The reality is that there were some advances made”.

Before the November 30 to December 12 event in Dubai, Prime Minister Skerrit, who is also the chairman of the 15-member regional integration grouping, CARICOM, had told reporters “We need this COP to be one of the actions that deliver on the promises of developed countries to provide the much-needed financing to tackle the worsening climate situation”.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Skerrit said that while there had been advances “those advances are all still in the form of promises.

“This is more than 30 years we have been negotiating an understanding of what needs to be done to address the issue of climate change, the cause of it, and also the impact of it on those who are suffering the brunt of it, that is to say, countries like ourselves in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Africa.

“Every COP there is a promise made of some new pot of money…but the reality is those monies are not being seen or … realized and we have access to,” he said, noting that one of the major movements at COP 28 was the pledging to the loss and damage fund.

“Not a significant amount was pledged in relation to what is required and really this is to seek to operationalise the Paris Accord of 2015. So it is left to us to see the when and the how (and) when we will start accessing those funds and how we will start accessing these funds,” Skerrit told reporters.

Cabinet Ministers listening to Prime Minister Skerrit at the press conference

At the end of the two two-week-long conference, which brought together 154 Heads of State and Government, the UN said the parties reached “a historic agreement on the operationalization of the loss and damage fund and funding arrangements,  the first time a substantive decision was adopted on the first day of the conference. Commitments to the fund started coming in moments after the decision was gaveled, totaling more than US$700 million to date”.

It said that there was more progress on the loss and damage agenda with an agreement also reached that the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the UN Office for Project Services will host the secretariat of the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage. This platform will catalyze technical assistance to developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
”Parties agreed on targets for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and its framework, which identify where the world needs to get to in order to be resilient to the impacts of a changing climate and to assess countries’ efforts. The GGA framework reflects a global consensus on adaptation targets and the need for finance, technology and capacity-building support to achieve them.”
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) also received a boost to its second replenishment with six countries pledging new funding at COP28 with total pledges now standing at a record US$ 12.8 billion from 31 countries, with further contributions expected.
Eight donor governments announced new commitments to the Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund totaling more than USD 174 million to date, while new pledges, totaling nearly US$188 million so far, were made to the Adaptation Fund at COP28, the UN reported.

But Skerrit told reporters there is a debate still going on as to where those funds would be deposited, who should manage those funds and what are the conditions to be attached.

“The reality is the developed world must understand that they have caused damage to us and in any country, if you cause damage to somebody you have to compensate the person. My concern is the action the developed countries are taking because climate change is impacting them directly now, they are getting hurricanes, storms, and frequent fires, and they are taking action and making funds available.

“But those funds are to mitigate against climate change in their countries,” Skerrit said, recalling when the discussions started about funding to mitigate against the impact of climate change “it was always in the form of grants.

“Now, people talking about loans, people talking about private sector funding. There is no private sector which is going to build a sea defense wall for you if you do not pay them, there is no private sector which is going to build a river defense wall if you do not pay them….,” Skerrit said, questioning the interest rate to pay the private sector for their investments.

“So whatever monies that are being made available should not impact on our debt to GDP (gross domestic product) ratio and therefore it is important for the developed world to assist “in finding the when and the how.

“So yes, there is some movement (at COP 28), but I treat things in a  pragmatic manner and the reality is the developed world is not as sincere as they purport to be in their speeches.

“We have seen how much money has gone to Ukraine…and so if you have the same level of zeal and commitment and eagerness to help us, you could do it,” Skerrit said, telling reporters “My view is to go to the ICJ (International Court of Justice) to get an advisement on who is responsible and indicate a framework on compensation”.

Skerrit said he has already informed the developed country for there to be any “practical movement on compensation” there need to be certain criteria, including the fact that “it must be rules-based similar to what obtains at the WTO (World Trade Organization)

He said under that system,” if you fail to provide there will be some fine. Unless it is a legally binding agreement, now it is goodwill… “

Skerrit praised the leadership of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in the last two COPs “ who really worked behind the scenes to get us to agree…

“So there has been some movement but the question when and how and that’s the issue we have to look at,” Skerrit said, declining an invitation to rate COP 28 on a basis of one to 10.

“All I am saying is that there has been some movement but not to the extent that we would have liked,” he told reporters.

CMC/pr/ir/2023