THIS year’s United Nations Conference on Climate Change, better known as COP26, got underway in Glasgow, Scotland, last week and though there has been a fair share of both hype and disappointment, I can honestly say that I am proud of the representation from some Caribbean leaders.

I would say that Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley (the crown jewel of the Caribbean, for the record) set the tone for the kind of expectations we should have of our leaders representing us at the conference. As the only Caribbean leader speaking at COP26’s opening ceremony, she spared no effort in mincing words.

She emphasised that small island developing states (such as Caribbean islands) and low-lying countries (such as Guyana and Suriname) are vulnerable to rising sea levels and face a “death sentence” if adequate efforts are not made to slow global warming.

For context, the increase in global temperatures, known as global warming, threatens countries with worsening climate events such as floods, heatwaves, droughts, and others. Mottley noted that because small states are increasingly vulnerable to the worst effects of climate change, increased global temperatures will impact these smaller developing countries first. Because they have the most to lose the fastest, the Prime Minister championed serious calls for greater climate financing to strengthen resilience.

I am biased because she is a woman and a Caribbean leader, but I submit that Prime Minister Mottley has effectively positioned the concerns squarely on the international agenda. She has made it clear that Caribbean nations and other small-island developing states will not be trivialised.

Before the day ended, I read reports that Gaston Browne, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, joined his counterpart in Tuvalu, Prime Minister Kausea Natano, to set up a special commission on climate change and international law to explore legal options for small island nations to make wealthy, greenhouse, gas-emitting countries “pay for loss and damage.”

For the record, Prime Minister Browne currently chairs the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). And according to the BBC, Browne pointedly said “he who pollutes must pay.” This is a pursuit I can get behind and one I hope will find unanimous favour in the rest of CARICOM and AOSIS.

By the second day of the conference, I was ready for more. Then, many championed the conservation of forests. It was our President Dr. Irfaan Ali, supported by Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, who called for a payment system for the preservation of these forests. For President Ali, this is part and parcel of Guyana’s long-standing pursuits under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Why is this important? Guyana and Suriname have some of the largest intact forests in the world relative to the size of the country. And they could cut down their trees and use the land to build industries, for example, that would earn them money.

Instead of cutting down the trees, these two continental neighbours have protected the forests because felling the forests would release the gases stored and worsen climate change, and many plants and animal species could be lost. So, why shouldn’t they be paid to keep the trees standing?

Of course, world leaders from the “developed world” have made grandiose statements about the need to preserve the trees, but forest payments? Not so much. It makes one think that the leaders of those countries might only be interested in climate-mitigation action when it’s convenient to them — not unlike what has happened with the global management of COVID-19; but I guess that’s a column for another day!

However, this sort of “double standard” as President Santonki puts it, makes me think about the sentiments of arguably the most famous climate youth activist, Greta Thunberg. She insinuates that COP26 is a big talk shop, filled with much “blah, blah, blah.”

Like many, I find Thunberg and her actions interesting- to say the least. But, to some extent, I do believe that COP26 features a lot of “blah, blah, blah”, especially from leaders whose countries have significantly contributed to the climate crisis we currently face, but seek to establish themselves as the moral authority on new development.

Fortunately, my Caribbean leaders have given me much hope. I don’t believe that COP26 is nothing more than a talk shop. I’m glad that we have had the opportunity to ventilate our woes at the highest level, even though I know that these woes are not unknown. And, I’m glad that our leaders recognise that it is their responsibility to advocate for massive action to be taken to protect our lives.

I borrow from Jamaica when I say: “We likkle but we tallawah.”

If you would like to connect with me to discuss COVID-19, this column, or any of my previous works, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com