During the first term of the 2024/2025 Academic Year, Cari-Bois partnered with the Scotiabank Foundation to empower ten (10) students with climate journalism skills as part of the second edition of Cari-Bois’ Youth Journalism Project. For their third assignment, students wrote a story on the importance of the United Nations Climate Conference to Small Island Developing States. This story was written by Sidney Raj of Brazil Secondary School.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) is an annual conference where world leaders, state and non-state policymakers, scientists, and activists meet to discuss climate action.
Since its first edition, these conferences have focused mainly on climate change mitigation including prevention of emission of greenhouse gases, adaptation to climate change effect, and financing for climate change.
Over the years, COPs have been marked by major milestones like the Kyoto Protocol (1997) which was a comprehensive legal instrument that provided a roadmap to limit the emission of greenhouse gases.
The Paris Agreement (adopted at COP21 in 2015) was a commitment of nations to work to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.
Other recent milestones at COPs include the creation of the Green Climate Fund to ensure that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) can access climate finance more easily.
How Climate Change Affects Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
SIDS are defined as countries that are geographically small with developing economies that are vulnerable to climate change.
SIDS can be found all around the world and costs of island regions in the Indian, and the Pacific Oceans as well as the Caribbean Sea as well.
With large swaths of their populations living along their coasts, SIDS are vulnerable to sea level rise, coastal erosion and storm surges especially as climate change fuels the development of tropical cyclones that are more intense, more frequent.
With tropical cyclones becoming more frequent and intense, this can result in massive loss of homes, infrastructures and livelihood.
Marine ecosystems like coral reefs provide support to marine life, livelihoods and the economies of many SIDS.
Given climate change contributes to rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification, this can result in coral bleaching and the loss of the marine coastal ecosystems which can have noticeable effects on the environment, livelihoods and economies.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at COPs
There are several reasons why it is important for SIDS to participate in the UN Climate Change Conferences.
The conferences give these countries a platform to speak about the effects of climate change.
SIDS can also meet with other countries to get support and funding for their climate resilience efforts.
As such, SIDS have consistently advocated for several key positions to address their unique vulnerabilities and challenges.
What positions do SIDS advocate for at COPs?
Over the years, SIDS have called for “developing” nations to make more efforts to decrease emission of greenhouse gases.
An important goal for SIDS has been limiting global warming to only 1.5 degrees Celsius as research has shown keeping temperature change below this level can reduce the risk of intense sea level rise and other extreme changes in localized weather patterns because of changing climatic conditions.
SIDS have also called for “developed” countries to take accountability for their role in the global climate crises and provide funds for SIDS to develop their climate resilience.
Over the years, SIDS have also called for support in accessing technologies to better help them to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Some of these technologies include renewable energy technologies, early alert systems and equipment to assist with sustainable farming techniques.
SIDS call for world to listen
With climate action being a matter of “life or death” for SIDS, they are calling on the world to listen and support them to navigate the climate crisis.
Ensuring representation at these climate conferences can ensure SIDS can call for climate justice be it the reduction of emissions, financial support, loss and damage mechanisms or sustainable technology.
SIDS have made great strides but there is much more work in these spaces.
A very special thank you to the Scotiabank Foundation for supporting the development of young people through initiatives like the Cari-Bois Youth Journalism Project.
