乐鱼体育

Island states contribute only .03 percent to global emissions, but 鈥渘ineteen major Caribbean cities are in the bullseye of the climate threat鈥� and Pacific island states such as and face an existential threat from sea level rise, said Selwin Hart, Barbados鈥� ambassador to the Organization of American States and the United States. At the same time, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific and the Caribbean are leading efforts to combat climate change, said experts at the 乐鱼 体育 on July 10.

Sitting on the frontlines of climate change, SIDS are in a battle for their survival. But historically, climate efforts by outside NGOs and foreign aid agencies working in SIDS have been largely secular efforts, failing to engage islands鈥� rich faith traditions. This failure, said Patrick D. Nunn, a researcher in the South Pacific, is an in the region鈥檚 highly religious island communities. 

After Paris: Building a Framework for Transparency

In the aftermath of the Trump Administration鈥檚 announcement that the United States will withdraw from the Paris Agreement, world leadership on climate has become more diffuse. 鈥淚n spite of this isolation, the world is still moving ahead,鈥� said Yamide Dagnet, senior associate at the World Resources Institute.

According to Dagnet, three of the most crucial variables that will determine the Paris Agreement鈥檚 success are how it will be implemented, whether it preserves environmental integrity, and whether enough ambition can be raised to meet its commitments.

鈥淎t the moment, negotiators are trying to define how we are going to implement the Paris Agreement, to define the way we build trust by having a transparency framework that defines and explains what all countries and actors are doing to fulfill their requirements,鈥� said Dagnet.

鈥淚n spite of this isolation, the world is still moving ahead鈥�

The bulk of the Paris Climate Agreement is not legally binding and will depend on its voluntary implementation by each member state, noted Christina Chan, climate resilience director at the World Resources Institute.  鈥淚t鈥檚 the transparency regime, and what Yamide is calling the rules of the game, that鈥檚 legally binding. And it was this transparency regime that was the mechanism to ratchet up this ambition.鈥�

Islands of Faith: Climate Diplomacy and Non-State Actors

In the Caribbean, Ambassador Hart said, 鈥渁nnual losses from climate change are around 2.5-3 percent of GDP; yet one climatic event can destroy an entire economy.鈥� The concerns facing island states have driven and : It was Malta and Maldives in the 1980s that led the way toward establishing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 鈥淭he 1.5 goal,鈥� said Ambassador Hart, 鈥渨as a SIDS proposal, if you recall, in Potsdam, in preparation for the Berlin Conference.鈥�  And the , a group of 100 nations who seek to raise expectations for climate action among participating states, was founded by Tony deBrum of the Marshall Islands.

Beyond formal climate diplomacy, the growing current of informal collective action is a sign of hope for SIDS. Non-state actors鈥� role in climate negotiations was emboldened after the establishment of the in 2016, an outgrowth of the Platform. 鈥淭he roles of non-state actors have been enhanced,鈥� said Dagnet. 鈥淲e heard them playing a more active role in the debate. That momentum needs to be maintained and鈥ainstreamed even more.鈥�

鈥淲e could think more about religious organizations in their capacity as one vital part in the broad spectrum of civil society actors鈥�

鈥淲e could think more about religious organizations in their capacity as one vital part in the broad spectrum of civil society actors,鈥� said Richard Albro, research associate professor at American University. The Catholic Church鈥檚 recent and the Pacific Conference of Churches鈥� are key manifestations of religious community鈥檚 impact on climate efforts.

Within SIDS, faith communities are a focal point of social organization, especially for youth. In the Caribbean, faith-based groups 鈥渉ave a large footprint on the educational systems in the region.鈥�  鈥淚 remember being a teenager in Trinidad. We were very active in our youth group through the church.鈥� said Roger-Mark De Souza, director of population, environmental security, and resilience at the 乐鱼 体育.

Faith communities have been crucial in the region鈥檚 efforts to combat the effects of climate change, said McLeod, citing the 2015 by the Pacific Conference of Churches as one example. The declaration is a call to action by faith leaders based on the direct implications of climate change facing island states, namely sea-level rise and migration.  

Faith communities in SIDS take concrete action to assist with extreme weather events. 鈥淕rowing up in Barbados churches were not only the center of social life in the region, but they also served as hurricane shelters as well,鈥� said Ambassador Hart. 鈥淭hey also are often the first responders following disaster,鈥� said McLeod.

Despite these roles, 鈥淚 have been amazed at the lack of appreciation for the extent of conservation-led faith-based action,鈥� said McLeod.

It can be difficult to engage with faith-based communities, said Chan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to break in. It takes money, resources. You need sustained engagement because once you鈥檙e inside these conversations it鈥檚 inside baseball.鈥�

Despite any challenges, faith-based community engagement in small-island developing states provides a way forward to experiment with new and innovative possibilities for climate action, mitigation, and advocacy.

鈥淣ot only does it help to ensure that our efforts are targeted at those who need it most, but it also reminds us to hold onto hope. For many living on small low-lying islands in the Pacific, faith and hope are all that they have left,鈥� said McLeod.

Event Resources:

• Yamide Dagnet Presentation

Written by Antony Martel and edited by Meaghan Parker