Prime Minister, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell on Tuesday welcomed delegates attending with Green Climate Fund with a call for decisive action towards transformational adaptation and mitigation measures.
Noting the increasingly visible, devastating impacts of climate change, Dr. Mitchell said such impacts are likely to continue.
Dr. Mitchell encouraged delegates to use this week’s dialogue to examine a collective approach to the common risks of climate change and creating a pathway to critical adaptation and mitigation action.
Referencing the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, Dr. Mitchell said it presented convincing, indisputable scientific evidence of the impact of human induced activities on global warming. The IPCC report also addressed the potential impact on human survival and Dr. Mitchell noted that it cannot be business as usual.
“Future generations will applaud us for the actions we ought to take now to preserve the planet. The threat of climate change is real, it is here and we have a short window to avert catastrophic disasters of unimaginable proportions,” the Prime Minister stated.
A staunch supporter of climate change adaptation measures, Dr. Mitchell highlighted the need for a regional re-commitment to champion the full replenishment of the GCF. “The need for support from the donor countries in this process cannot be over-emphasized,” he said, adding, “Grenada and its Caribbean sisters and brothers will stand shoulder to shoulder with the GCF, in advocating the need for donor support.”
Dr. Mitchell also expressed support for the thrust to ensure that adequate, predictable and grant-based climate change financing is directly accessible to the most vulnerable island states.
“I champion the call to look beyond the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of our countries, as the yardstick to determine eligibility for concessionary climate financing. The special circumstances and unique vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States do not evaporate with graduation through per capita income classification schemes,” he said.
“The workshop will provide an opportunity to strengthen this engagement and provide the framework for ensuring that investments to reduce vulnerability to climate change risks and impacts and to reduce emissions are tailored to our unique circumstances and needs. Grenada will continue to be a champion for the sustainable development for the region in the international arena.”
The Green Climate Fund Second Structured Dialogue with the Caribbean is intended to catalyze greater regional cooperation to address the challenges of climate change in the region. The workshop will end on Friday.
