Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has emphasized action over mere pledges at international conferences as his administration seeks to implement measures to combat climate hazards through adaptation and mitigation.
He called on developed countries to allocate resources for small island nations affected by climate-related disasters while at the same time advocating for bipartisan cooperation and climate clauses in international agreements to support vulnerable islands.
During a press briefing, he highlighted the gravity of the upcoming intense hurricane season, urging citizens to prepare and mitigate. PM Pierre insists that developed countries must back their commitments with resources. The recent disasters in St. Vincent and Grenada underscore the urgent need for support in both adaptation and mitigation efforts. These islands have suffered significant economic losses due to climate-related destruction.
The prime minister said that all necessary action needs to be undertaken to deal with the adaptation and mitigation measures, and the country and its citizens must get together to prepare and mitigate against impending natural disasters.
“It’s a time that the country must get together, it is a time that the country must understand the situation is rather grave,” PM Pierre declared.
“I think the time for talking is over. We go to all these conferences and we get all those pledges from more developed countries about helping and all those things …I feel the scientific knowledge is clear that we are in a situation where there is need for climate action,” the prime minster stated.
PM Pierre contends that the More Developed Countries (MDCs) “must put their resources and money where their mouth is.”
He said that the disaster that occurred in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), and Grenada after Hurricane Beryl can only be solved by money.
Added Prime Minister: saying that there is need now, for us to have a Marshal Plan, where when these things happen it (requires) instant support. Both, for adaptation and mitigation there is need for it.
The prime minister adds that, the larger countries have inadvertently compromised “all the economic gains that we try (to implement), we get ourselves battered. Now, our bananas, our sugarcane from before our financial services and our CIP.”
He queries, as to “What can we do as small islands…with that destruction in Saint Vincent and in Grenada, these countries have been pushed back, they’ve lost probably 100% of their GDP.”
He said that it was time to “cut off this pettiness (partisan politics), the prime minister called on the opposition to “join us in that fight…and let us work together to deal (with the situation), and to come with ‘One Voice’ to these developed countries and these institutions.”
The P.M. said that when the government negotiated for the ‘Saudi Loan’ they put in a climate clause. “There is need to be (effected) in all these agreements with these International Financial Centres (IFCs) …there’s got to be a measure of our vulnerability,” he stressed.
“There’s got to be a Vulnerability Clause …a Disaster Clause in these arrangements, so that these islands can get some support,” he asserted.