Caribbean Leader Blasts 'Empty' Climate Promises at Small Islands Summit

• The president of this decade's summit for Small Island Developing States on Monday blasted "empty" and "grossly inadequate" climate pledges, saying wealthy nations have failed to meet obligations to limit damages from carbon emissions.
• Small island states across the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Caribbean, with negligible emissions, are particularly vulnerable to economic crises and rising temperatures due to their exposure to natural disasters, high debt, and reliance on imports and tourism.
• "It is not sufficient for nations to simply make empty and grossly inadequate commitments under the Paris Agreement," conference president and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said, citing a 2015 treaty to limit emissions and prevent temperatures rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
• Browne called for more climate financing, a global carbon tax on oil companies, an end to fossil fuel subsidies and a faster transition to renewable energy sources. He urged rich nations to honour a pledge to send $100 billion a year to poorer countries to help reduce emissions and mitigate extreme weather.
• A Reuters investigation found that billions in funds sent so far have been funnelled back to rich nations. Loss and damage, announced at last year's COP28 (28th annual United Nations (UN) climate meeting) summit after long-standing calls by island states was intended to help poor countries recover from climate disasters, but funding from wealthy nations has been paltry.

(Source: Reuters)