Cop 27: Caribbean islands cautious on deal

The Caribbean small island's states welcomed the final deal — including a fund for vulnerable countries — reached at the Cop 27 UN climate summit earlier this month, but whether it will offer them enough protection from the impact of climate change remains to be seen.

The outcome of Cop 27 was dominated by an historic agreement "to establish a fund for responding to loss and damage", as well as "new funding arrangements" for vulnerable countries hard hit by climate disasters. Loss and damage refers to the unavoidable, destructive impacts of climate change from extreme weather-related events such as storms, flooding and rising sea levels.

A transitional committee, which will include representatives from Latin America and Caribbean, will work on establishing the fund over the next year, although details — such as potential contributors — remain vague.

While the 39 members of the Alliance Of Small Island States (AOSIS), which includes 16 Caribbean states, welcomed the creation of a loss and damage fund at the summit, small island states are still challenged by the need to "advance ambition on critical mitigation and adaptation plans," the group's chair and Antigua and Barbuda finance minister Molwyn Joseph told Argus. "This is only one part of the need to bring home the climate action commitments our vulnerable people desperately need,"Joseph added.

The Cop 27 final text fell short on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with no mention of additional curbs on fossil fuels, the largest contributors to global warming.

The creation of the fund is a "major win for the developing world but it is not a panacea," said Jamaica's environment minister Matthew Samuda.

Many countries have been demanding a loss and damage fund since 1992 to rebuild infrastructure and economies, Samuda added. "The agreement is not in its totality sufficient to deal with the problem," he added.

Caribbean Climate Change Centre director Colin Young lamented the "many disappointments for these countries in Egypt, particularly related to keeping 1.5°C alive."

The Caribbean was hoping for firmer commitments to phase out fossil fuels, "but instead we got a text that refers to ‘low emission and renewable energy' which potentially can create a loophole for further development of gas," Young said.

By Canute James