The 67th Meeting of the OECS Authority which featured the Sitting of the OECS Parliament brought together government leaders and politicians to address issues facing member states. Among those  issues is climate change. Climate Change is a major talking point for member states as the oceans continue to warm and sea levels continue to rise.

    While the OECS Assembly urges countries to fulfill their existing pledges and raise the level of financing made available to developing states, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Hon. Allen Chastanet does not believe first world countries will sufficiently reduce their emissions to acceptable levels. ”The Reality that global warming shall continue and the reality that as a result of global warming that we are going to have more unpredictable and more dis

astrous hurricane seasons and weather patterns is a reality,” The Prime Minister says.  “Therefore accepting that reality and being responsible governments, that we must now allocate the necessary resources in order to be able to build the requisite infrastructure to provide the resilience to the people of our region and to protect our own assets,” Chastenet asserts.

    St Vincent and the Grenadines’ representative Camillo Gonsalves agrees with Prime Minister Allen C

hastanet. Gonsalves adds the sentiment that additional resources for adaptation are mandatory. “We have to understand that we have to mobilise creatively resources on our own,” Gonsalves says.  “Because all the money if we wait for it, we will be waiting for something that might not arrive. We have to prepare for a world beyond 1.5 degrees and not simply wish for 1.5 degrees.”

    The OECS Assembly urged developed countries to address climate change with greater urgency and to rapidly and significantly enhance their mitigation ambition.