The issue of climate change remains one that must garner more attention from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like The Bahamas, according to Director of The Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission Philip Weech.
During a one-day workshop for stakeholders for the Third International Conference on SIDS at Superclubs Breezes yesterday, Mr. Weech noted that The Bahamas has taken independent steps toward addressing climate change but he added that the help of the international community is still very much needed.
“We know that was has happened so far has not achieved its results,” he said. “We know that the work that has been done so far in The Bahamas has been done at our own expense. If you look at what we have done in expanding marine protected areas that has happened as a result of the commitment made by The Bahamas Government – no came forward and provided us any support for that. But there is a lot more that needs to be done and it needs to be done fairly quickly.”
The workshop was funded by the United Nations and is intended to among other things – seek a renewed political commitment by all countries to effectively address the special needs and vulnerability of SIDS and to provide recommendations for practical and pragmatic actions.
Climate change has been the source of debate in global political and scientific discussions with many naysayers questioning its veracity; however, Mr. Weech warns that The Bahamas should not ignore the obvious.
“The fact that we have seen for this year the highest level of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere means that we have a long way to go if we are to reverse those trends,” Mr. Weech said. “This workshop is intended to help us to develop what should be The Bahamas’ position going forward.”
Mr. Weech explained that the workshop outcomes will be communicated to the government and will also be used in the negotiations which will follow on the successor agreement to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were agreed by the UN system to be implemented by 2015.
A cross sector of stakeholders representing governmental and non-governmental agencies and the private sector participated in yesterday’s workshop.
