Belize City, Belize, Tues. Nov. 2, 2021 — Hundreds of world leaders, including Prime Minister John Briceno, are currently attending the Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, which is being seen as one of the last opportunities for the world to prevent the most catastrophic climate change scenarios by increasing their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance initiatives aimed at climate change resilience and prevention.
On Monday, Prime Minister Briceno delivered a formal address to the attendees at the conference, during which he described the impact that climate change is having on Belize’s Barrier Reef, and, by extension, on the Belizean people. The PM went on to comment on the promising nature of the newly approved Blue Bonds and how it will lead to increased maritime conservation in Belize. He went on to note, however, that all of these efforts will be worth nothing if G20 countries do not fulfill their commitments to provide the financing that will be needed for developing countries to carry out climate-change prevention efforts. And he stated, in quite blunt terms, that they are not doing enough.
“I’m here as a Belizean and as a global citizen to call for solidarity. Belize, as a member of AOSIS, Belize is here to demand urgent action to combat climate change…. For Belize the Belize Barrier Reef is more than a global beauty. It also underpins our culture and our tourism industry, which contributes approximately 40% to our Gross Domestic Product. Without the reefs, Belize’s economy could crumble. Our people’s lives will be forever changed. Excellencies, the threat to our barrier reef is a direct result of human-induced climate change. That is an undeniable fact. Belize is doing what it can to slow the impacts. Belize’s annual average losses from extreme weather events are now approaching 4% of GDP. Forced to accumulate an unsustainable debt load for disaster recoveries has become an unbearable cost,” he explained.
He then stated that Belize is doing “more than its fair share”, and that the wealthiest countries of the world must do their part. “We all know… that, acting together we can, and we must. We have a collective duty to do what’s right. COP26 is a tipping point for climate change and Belize is doing more than its fair share…. We will increase our marine protected biodiversity zones by thirty percent by 2026, four years ahead of our target, and we will place all remaining public lands in the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System under protection. Belize is proud of our record on conservation, but all will be lost if the countries of the G20 obfuscate and abdicate their responsibilities to act,” he said.
The PM, on behalf of all Belizeans, went on to demand justice and immediate action from those industrialized nations who have been the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions that have caused the climate crisis. He was not coy about attributing blame to these countries. In fact, he asserted that those countries that are in the G20 are undoing the conservation work of SIDS and other developing nations like Belize:
“To date, NDC’s of the major emitters are not in line with the Paris Agreement. This places the world at risk of global warming close to three degrees. These same countries account for ¾ of global emissions and 80% of global GDP. They channel trillions of dollars towards fossil fuels while developed countries shrink their commitment to deliver a bare minimum of one hundred billon US dollars per annum. This is rank negligence. We need to get serious. Developed countries must not only deliver but increase their commitments on climate finance. One hundred billion US dollars per year can only now serve as the baseline. Funding for adaptation must be dramatically increased at a minimum developed country’s need to more than double public finance adaptation. We need to move from carbon trading toward carbon emission reduction mechanisms with rules that apply to everyone. The people of Belize and the people of the developing word have heard enough talk, been disappointed by empty promises and are skeptical of pious pledges. Every dollar my country invests in climate action, G20 countries undo multiple times over with the trillions they invest in oil, coal, and gas. Every step forward we make on development is easily reversed by the failure of G20 counties to act in line with the Paris promise of 1.5,” Hon. Briceno pointed out.
On day two, the opening remarks were concluded, and the media had the opportunity to pose questions to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, regarding the comments made by his counterparts up to that point. One reporter in particular referenced PM Briceno’s remarks and implied that Briceno might not share PM Johnson’s “cautious optimism” regarding climate change and asked if Johnson understood the “anger of the Prime Minister of Belize”.
Prime Minister Johnson replied, “I think you’re absolutely right, Anushka, to highlight the feelings of people in Belize – in vulnerable states around the world that are in the frontline in the fight against climate change. And it’s been very humbling to sit here and to listen over the past weeks, months, to colleagues – Mia Mottley and Bobby [inaudible] at the UN General Assembly say the same thing. Why should they suffer this immediate impact – this loss and damage because of emissions that we in our country began to produce two hundred and fifty years ago.”
He then went on to remark, “Now we can say, well, for the vast majority of that period, we had no idea that the CO2 emissions we were producing were doing that damage. It’s only been over the last few decades that we started to understand the whole greenhouse effect. But we owe a special duty to those countries and that’s why the Prime Minister of Belize is right to the need for cash. That’s why the hundred billion is so important. And it’s good that Japan has stepped up and other countries are going to have to do more. You’re absolutely right.”