Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves

Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves

By Sir Ronald Sanders

It has long been evident that the world’s richest nations, especially those responsible for the lion’s share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, care little about the existential threats faced by small states. For the Caribbean, the time for pleading has passed. Collective action must define the region’s response to the climate crisis.

Caribbean leaders in all sectors – government, business, and worker representatives – should pay close attention to a rare display of frankness on this urgent matter by Angela Merkel, the respected former Chancellor of Germany. In her memoir, Freedom, she presents a sobering assessment of global failure on climate action.

She admits that the measures taken to combat climate change by GHG-emitting countries are “not good enough to save the world.” Worse, she confesses that the problem has been known for years and yet has failed to inspire the necessary action in Germany or other wealthy nations. Her haunting question lingers: “Are we humans truly willing and able to act on the warnings of credible experts to take necessary, timely decisions for our survival?”

She concludes that, to date, there is no evidence of this, either in Germany or the world at large, and laments that “This knowledge weighs heavily on all of us, myself included.”

To strengthen her point, it should be noted that the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently reported that “Global sea levels are rising as a result of human-caused global warming, with recent rates being unprecedented over the past 2,500-plus years.”

For the Caribbean, this sobering reality demands a shift in strategy. Waiting for wealthy nations to act out of conscience or moral obligation is futile. The region’s governments, private sectors, trade unions, and civil society organisations must seize the initiative to secure their future. The major emitters are constrained by the large and politically influential fossil fuel producers, or they continue their emissions to maintain competition with rival nations.

The Cost of Delay

Small states can no longer wait to take their own action, or they will become spectators at their own funeral. Hurricanes are becoming more frequent and severe, wiping out GDP annually and plunging countries deeper into unsustainable debt as they rebuild. Insurance premiums have skyrocketed, becoming unaffordable for many, while small and medium-sized businesses—once the lifeblood of local economies—are often not rebuilt.

Beyond extreme weather events, rising sea levels, projected to increase by up to 1.4 metres by 2100, threaten to submerge low-lying islands and obliterate critical infrastructure. Coastal erosion, exacerbated by these changes, undermines the tourism industry—the economic backbone of many Caribbean states.

Small States Bear No Blame

Adding to the frustration is the stark contrast between the Caribbean’s minimal contribution to the problem and its disproportionate suffering. The region accounts for less than 1% of global GHG emissions, yet it bears some of the world’s heaviest climate burdens.

Insufficiency of Funds

Small states’ representatives have routinely praised inadequate results. They should stop letting the big emitters cover up their gross neglect of their damaging actions.

While the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) under the UNFCCC is a significant step forward, the reality of its financial inadequacy is sobering. Initial pledges amount to approximately $700 million, a figure that falls drastically short of the trillions required to effectively address climate-induced loss and damage globally. Without a substantial increase in funding commitments, the LDF is little more than a symbolic gesture rather than a practical solution. We must say so – loudly.

Grants vs Loans and Debt Implications

Worse yet, the LDF appears to consist more of loans than grants. Small states end up borrowing money from rich emitters to pay for the damage these very emitters cause. Where is the justice in this?

If loans dominate, borrowing from the LDF will exacerbate the already crippling debt burdens of many Caribbean countries. Governments are already grappling with debt servicing, which gobbles up almost 40% of their revenues, leaving less than 60% to run all aspects of the country’s requirements. This is simply unsustainable.

Accessibility of Funds

Accessing funds from international climate mechanisms has long been hindered by bureaucratic complexities. The LDF is no exception.

Delays in disbursement and overly burdensome requirements have prevented timely access to critical funds, leaving vulnerable nations exposed in the aftermath of disasters. For the LDF to be truly effective, it must adopt streamlined, transparent, and equitable application processes, ensuring that support reaches those in need without undue delays. Caribbean countries should be relentless in pursuit of this objective.

Regional Resilience: A Necessity, Not an Option

Faced with these challenges, the Caribbean must take bold, unified action to build resilience at home and robustly advocate for justice globally, such as:

Building Resilience: Strengthening and enforcing national building codes is non-negotiable. Private-sector compliance should be incentivised through tax breaks or subsidies for climate-resilient construction, while non-compliance must be met with stiff penalties. Public infrastructure must be designed and upgraded to withstand extreme weather, prioritising long-term durability over short-term cost savings.

Regional Collaboration: Caribbean nations must accelerate efforts to coordinate disaster preparedness, renewable energy projects, and climate adaptation strategies.

Advancing Climate Justice: Legal mechanisms are a pathway to accountability. The ITLOS advisory opinion obtained by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS) is a milestone. The strong submissions made to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an advisory opinion on climate obligations are another critical step. However, these efforts must move beyond opinions to enforceable actions.

The Caribbean should champion an alliance of like-minded states in the Pacific, Africa, Asia, and Central America to test the liability of GHG-emitting countries and companies in international courts. This is not about vengeance—it is about ensuring the survival of Caribbean people and their homelands. It is essentially about human rights.

Time to Act

Angela Merkel’s words remind us that even the most concerned leaders in wealthy nations are constrained by political survival. Small states, therefore, must chart their own course collectively.

In 2025, climate change and global warming must sit at the top of every small state’s domestic and international agenda. The Caribbean’s leaders must focus on pragmatic, actionable solutions while continuing to demand justice from those most responsible for the crisis.

Failure to act decisively risks leaving future generations to face an unthinkable catastrophe—and to wonder, “What in hell were they thinking?”

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com)

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