Heads of Government and organisations from the Caribbean gathered in Martinique Saturday to discuss the impact of climate change on the nations of the region.
The Caribbean Climate Change Summit, chaired by French President Francois Hollande, gave the region an opportunity to further advanced its policy position on climate change ahead of the 21st Conference of Parties, also known as COP 21, scheduled for Paris, November 30 to December 11 this year. COP21 will seek a new international agreement on the climate with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C. France and the European Union will play key roles in securing a consensus by the United Nations in these critical climate negotiations.
The position of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was presented by the Chairman, Prime Minister of The Bahamas Hon. Perry Christie.
“The evidence of the impact of climate change within our region is very evident. Grenada saw a 300 percent loss of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) as a result of one storm,” Prime Minister Christie told IPS
“We see across CARICOM, an average of two to five percent loss of growth due to hurricanes and tropical process which occur annually. The stark reality of that means, we are here to talk about survival,”
