As small island states continue to grapple with the escalating effects of climate change, Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy Adrian Forde has made a compelling plea for the Loss and Damage Fund to be fully operational and adequately financed.

Addressing international delegates at the fifth board meeting of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), held Tuesday at the Hilton Barbados Resort, Forde underscored the urgent need for meaningful action to support the world’s most vulnerable nations. He reminded attendees that the initiative, inspired by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, is a lifeline for countries like Barbados, which are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.

“The fund is not a luxury—it is a necessity,” Forde declared. “We are here not to talk about abstract futures or theoretical models, but to confront the reality that climate change is an emergency for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).”

The Loss and Damage Fund was created to address the irreversible consequences of climate change in vulnerable regions, particularly SIDS, which contribute the least to global emissions yet suffer disproportionately from their effects.

Forde pointed to the recent passage of Hurricane Beryl as a stark reminder of the stakes involved. Though the storm only grazed the island, it left a trail of destruction in its wake, crippling the local fishing industry.

“Over 90 per cent of our fishing boats were destroyed, more than $200 million in damages, and countless lives upended,” he said. “This is why the fund is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.”

Highlighting the growing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, the minister said that adaptation alone is no longer a sufficient response. “Loss and damage is not something we can adapt our way out of,” he stressed. “This fund must be a core instrument for our long-term survival.”

He also emphasized the importance of the fund being guided by a straightforward, inclusive framework that allows equitable access to financing for affected communities.

by Deanzer Roberts

Barbados and China are turning the page to a new chapter of economic partnership and multilateral engagement. Speaking at the Zero-Carbon Island Cooperation Meeting yesterday morning, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the People’s Republic of China, Huang Xinhua, underscored China’s commitment to deepening its ties with Barbados through trade, investment, and green cooperation—while offering a sharp critique of global protectionist policies.

“China offers a vast stage for business development, vast market prospects, stable policy outlook, and a secure environment,” Huang told a packed audience at the Accra Beach Hotel. Representatives from the UN, Barbados Light and Power, the University of the West Indies, the Coast Guard, and the visiting delegation from Yantai City were all in attendance.

Huang emphasized that China is actively encouraging its enterprises to explore opportunities in Barbados, particularly in sectors aligned with green energy and the blue economy. The growing bilateral engagement is anchored in shared development goals and a longstanding friendship between the two nations.

“This island is a good friend and partner of China in the Caribbean region,” Huang said, recalling Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s June 2023 visit to China, where both governments pledged stronger cooperation on global development and sustainability. He added, “China will continue to empower development through green energy and promote cooperation through the blue economy.”

The presence of a business delegation from Yantai City highlighted China’s interest in turning diplomatic commitments into tangible projects. According to Huang, their visit aims to implement the consensus reached by Chinese and Barbadian leaders and lay the groundwork for future cooperation, especially in low-carbon and sustainable development sectors.

As diplomatic and commercial bridges continue to be built between the two nations, Huang expressed confidence that with mutual support, “more fruits will be yielded in our bilateral cooperation, and greater benefits will be delivered to our two peoples.”

The two-day SEForAll Global Forum opened yesterday with a call to action for delegates to deliver meaningful results for the people who depend on them.

This call to action came from Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, during the opening of the forum at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. She said the road, from the creation of SEForAll, to COP in Paris to COP in Rio this year, has been paved with promises that need to be met, and deliverables that must be accomplished.

“And the time to change must begin with us right here, right now, in this moment, and not a moment later. So, this is a call to action for all of us,” Senator Cummins stated.

The Minister noted that oftentimes countries sit at the table but feel they were not heard. She expressed the view that the concerns of small island developing states (SIDS), Africa, the developing world and the global south must be given the urgency required, and stressed that they must be seen and heard.

She pointed out that issues relating to climate and financing would be discussed over the next two days, and said they were legitimate conversations that must be had.

Senator Cummins continued: “How do we, over the next two days, map a pathway to an energy transition that accelerates access to affordable financing to SIDS and all the developing economies? How do we look at the issues of bankability, availability of financing and balancing the important needs of our people, who, across the globe, have said to us they feel excluded, but they need to be included.

“They feel disenfranchised, but they need to be enfranchised. They feel as though they don’t have empowerment but need to be empowered. How do we walk away from here on Thursday evening with a supporting framework that creates bridges from the African continent, [and] the Pacific region, to hear us in the Caribbean in meaningful ways that support research and development, innovation, sustainability, investment, inclusion, affordable financing and new mechanisms that make people the centre of an energy transition?” 

Senator Cummins reminded her audience that small island developing states were on the frontline of several crises –  climate, debt, development, sustainability, vulnerability and invisibility.            

The SEForAll Global Forum ends today. (PR/GIS)