Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, delivered a powerful intervention during Thematic Session 3 – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Financing at the Leaders’ Roundtable hosted by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as part of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
Addressing world leaders, Prime Minister Browne warned that the planet “isn’t waiting for us,” citing that global CO₂ levels rose by 3.3 parts per million in 2024 — the largest increase ever recorded. He noted that while 64 new NDCs now cover roughly 30 per cent of global emissions, the current level of progress remains far from sufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C, a threshold that he described as “the line between a functioning economy and permanent damage” for small island states.
“For Antigua and Barbuda, 1.5°C isn’t a headline or a hashtag; it’s the line between a functioning economy and permanent damage,” the Prime Minister stated. “Returning to that pathway is essential to our people’s wellbeing, to our prosperity, and to our survival.”
The Prime Minister reaffirmed that Antigua and Barbuda’s upcoming Nationally Determined Contribution will maintain focus on achieving the 1.5°C goal by targeting all key sectors — energy, transport, waste management, agriculture, and coastal protection. He emphasized that for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), mitigation, adaptation, and resilience are inseparable, forming an integrated strategy for survival rather than a theoretical framework.
Referencing the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, Prime Minister Browne underscored that such extreme weather events are not mere warnings but clear evidence that current global action remains inadequate.
Turning to the issue of climate finance, the Prime Minister highlighted that although 75 per cent of updated NDCs now include financial needs totaling close to US$2 trillion, the actual support flowing to vulnerable countries remains grossly insufficient. He cautioned that:
“Ambition without finance is just aspiration. GDP per capita hides our reality; it says we’re fine on paper, while a single storm can erase a decade of development.”
Prime Minister Browne called for a revolution not only in energy systems but also in how that revolution is financed, stressing that climate finance continues to favor mitigation projects over adaptation, even though adaptation needs alone exceed US$560 billion globally.
For small island nations like Antigua and Barbuda, adaptation represents “the difference between survival and collapse,” involving the urgent transformation of critical infrastructure — homes, schools, health facilities, and utilities — to withstand increasingly frequent Category 5-plus storms.
The Prime Minister reminded global leaders that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) advisory opinions have affirmed every State’s duty to prevent environmental harm and every people’s right to a healthy environment.
“Financing the NDCs of the most vulnerable is not charity; it is fairness and climate justice,” Prime Minister Browne concluded. “The large polluters have an obligation to act responsibly — to help vulnerable countries adapt and mitigate against the effects of climate change. This is how we turn ambition into action and survival into shared success.”
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