Nerdy nitrogen

 Small island developing states are on the front lines of climate change. Their contribution to global warming is minimal, notwithstanding Although tourism flights to these areas is significant. 

Small islands are where tomorrow is happening today.

So speakers for these states need to be heard. For this reason this week I’ve paid special attention to this international conference.

Sit face some of the most severe impacts of climate change.

Yesterday, the Fourth international conference on small island developing states hold its meeting on fostering climate and environmental solutions for resilience.

The session looked at how Sid’s  can adapt to such impacts and build resilient through climate and environmental solutions to reduce further losses and damage.

After the introduction and moderator, spoke to each delegate in turn. Between them, they painted a very clear picture Of being failed, Of being unjustly and disproportionately impacted by the actions of the rest of the world. The finance needs to be shaped in a way that makes most sense and most use too small island states and the need for ri analysis to underpin investment made by seeds.

the first speaker was mr selwin hart. Selwin witnessed the first Sid’s in 1994, as a child speaking yesterday . He did not mince his words. He 

“If we are brutally honest The world is failing to deliver climate justice” 

Injustice and failure

Selwyn spoke of failures in leadership Of the T2000 countries that are the root cause of the climate crisis that impacts small Ireland developing states.

Spoke

They spoke of The very small relative amount of funding towards technologies such as an early warning system for developing states. He spoke of hell the funding compared to Exxonmobil profits. $3 billion vs $36 billion.

So

The world has Technologies and finances to address Climate change for SIDS, but it does require political will. It requires leadership from the G20 responsible for 80% of global emissions. This is because Small island developing states are impacted by the global warming by the activities of the larger richer countries, While themselves contributing only one percent. A cell when put it, they are the root calls.

Lions and horses

He spoke of injustice. Valerie Hickey is. Global Director, Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy, World Bank She spoke about lions and horses, but not in the way you might think.

International finance must “spend our money better”

Ms hickey was asked about biodiversity. Valerie opened with hell instead of small island developing states said ought to be known as large island ocean lions . Valerie made the important point that Sid’s are the Natural capital of jobs and GDP. She spoke about how A Ford foldability was key, As the small island developing states - or lions Have high debt repayments.

The small islands are innovating nature base solutions. Valerie passionately expressed that nature based solutions must deliver for people. And infrastructure They cannot be a Trojan horse for conservation. The return on investment from nature base solutions has attendance to be in the long-term future. Payback is not immediate. But the investment required is. echoing the words of mr brown, anntiguas s Prime Minister’s words, Mr. Brown. She too spoke of the needful. But Valerie made the important point subsidies Subsidies need to be repurposed, they need to be paid to the same recipients the same people but to do different things than they are currently applied to . So that nature base solutions can provide adaptation and protection and future Prosperity. 

Valerie eloquent Plea was to make money accessible to small islands, More of it and easier for them to get to and to be able to suspend their death repayments so that money can be used instead for a dressing natural disasters Immediately as they happen in the first 48 hours.

Risk and disaster

Kamal kishore is 

Mr kishore was asked about loss and damage. First he let on from the disasters that had been pertain to by Valerie . Mr kishore spoke of mortality From disaster. . Sid’s mortality rate is double that of the rest of the world. The economic losses as a Proportion of GDP Globally, it is far under 1%. A single, event can cause a sids nation to lose 30%, even 2/3  of their GDP. The impact of disasters is disproportionately high.

“Our ambition must match the scale of  the problem”

3 things need to happen.

All new seeds development must be taken into account risk assessment evaluation

Advanced technivcal work analysing the risk of losses. This must consider the future and the past is no longer a reliable guide for the future.

Hazard scenarios must be captured in the risk evaluation and that underpins whatever investment Sid’s make. 

The investment must meet the need to provide resilient prosperity for sids well into the future future.

Early warning for all is a must and investment is needed for it. (Given the losses that are possible from a natural disaster for these countries, ) the investment in early warning for all will pay for itself in a single event.

Nature based Solutions must be judiciously support applied. Camile Kishore Repeatedly echoed the theme of sits for ‘resilient prosperity’. Nature base solutions must be applied for resilience. Infrastructure of the future must integrate the grey and the green.

The invited speakers used their last words in a united front to highlight the need to 

Mobilise 

Low cost accessible finance 

Take vulnerability into account.

Data isn’t available to facilitate mobilisation

Aaa data. Accurate, available and affordable. To drive decision making and attract more capital.

Investment in early warning systems not as an expression of generosity, but of responsibility.