PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, Wed. Oct. 27, 2021 — Racquel Moses, a Trinidad national and Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator (CCSA), has been appointed as the only United Nations global ambassador for the Caribbean at the UN Conference of the Parties this year (COP26).
The UN Conference of the Parties is a yearly climate change summit hosted by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This year’s event marks the 26th anniversary of the event and will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from November 1-12.
In light of the increasing urgency surrounding efforts to mitigate climate change, the UN High-Level Climate Champions appointed a small subsection of global leaders to support the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience. These leaders were appointed on the basis of their commitment to, and work towards, transformative change and addressing the climate crisis through bolstering resilience and facilitating the attainment of net-zero carbon emissions. They considered a range of candidates, and Racquel Moses was considered amongst one of the most suited to assume the role.
CCSA had been created through a joint effort between the prime ministers of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and the founder of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson. They collectively envisioned the Caribbean as the world’s first climate safe zone. As a result of Moses’ appointment as the chosen representative of the Caribbean, Moses and the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator will assume a significant role at COP 26. Moses’ core mission at the COP will include securing commitment to financing opportunities from the international community for climate adaptation and mitigation initiatives in the Caribbean; introducing the CCSA collaborative tool that assesses climate resilience; serving as a beacon of leadership and innovation in climate change for the region — further driving others to follow; highlighting investment ideas for developing CCSA projects and developing the means for constant communication to ensure there is monitoring of efforts to achieve key objectives and momentum is maintained leading up to COP-27.
Moses remarked, upon her acceptance of the appointment, “It is an honor to have been selected as an Ambassador for the UNFCCC Race to Zero and Race to Resilience programme. I was already set to travel to Glasgow to take part in COP26 and represent the interests of the Caribbean and other developing nations, and this has bolstered my determination to bring forth the challenges we are facing. Financing the transition towards a clean future has proven to be difficult despite the assurances laid out in the Paris Agreement and prior mechanisms. This has led [Small Island Developing States] and developing nations in the Caribbean and worldwide to be left behind.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many islands and small developing states are unable to send delegates to Glasgow. This was coupled with the fact that many of these countries have not yet received the promised USD 100 billion dollars in funding for climate resilience initiatives. Moses’ appointment as a global ambassador is crucial, as it allows the region and other small islands to be represented at the COP26. Moses commented, “With certain island nations unable to send delegations due to COVID as well as the accessibility issues surrounding the conference’s location, it is more important than ever to have island communities represented in Glasgow. Islands need a seat at the table when discussing sustainable development and economic development. I intend to make our collective voices heard.”
Apart from Moses, other notable ambassadors at COP26 will include Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th Mayor of New York City who now serves as the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions; Dr. Susan Chomba, the leader on the World Resources Institute’s work on forests, food systems and people; and Prof. Saleem Huq, adaptation to climate change expert and lead author of the third through the fifth assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).