CARICOM Secretary-General urges Region to ‘Speak Our Truth’ ahead of COP 30

CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett has called on the Region to assert its position on the global climate stage as negotiations for the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) approach in Brazil next month.

Addressing Ministers responsible for the environment at the second preparatory CARICOM meeting in Saint Lucia on Wednesday, 9 October, Dr. Barnett stressed the need for strategic political coordination, regional solidarity, and moral clarity in the upcoming talks.

“Underlining the need to ‘speak our truth,’ Dr. Barnett said the Region must always remind the world that CARICOM stands at the frontline of the climate crisis, contributing less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet bearing the disproportionate share of the impact of climate change.”

COP 30 will be the first conference to take stock of the Global Goal on Adaptation. It will also assess progress on the Loss and Damage Fund and establish the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance. Dr. Barnett highlighted that CARICOM’s positions must be informed by technical analysis and regional realities, leveraging diplomatic networks, scientific institutions, and civil society partners to amplify the Region’s voice.

“Yes, we want to be able to effectively implement mitigation and adaptation strategies and need affordable finance, access to technologies, and meaningful support from our cooperation partners to be able to do this. But we must never forget to speak our truth, we do not cause climate change. We bear the burden of climate change. And that burden will continue to grow as long as global emissions continue to grow,” she stated.

Dr. Barnett outlined the Region’s priorities for COP 30, including a scaled-up Loss and Damage Fund with direct access for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a robust climate finance goal that reflects the true cost of action, reforms to multilateral climate finance architecture, and recognition of SIDS’ unique vulnerabilities. She also called for innovative financing mechanisms such as debt-for-climate swaps, blue bonds, parametric insurance, and blended finance to support resilience and sustainable development.

The Secretary-General emphasized the importance of showcasing CARICOM’s climate leadership and ecosystem protection, noting the Region’s biodiversity as a vital climate asset. “From the coral reefs of the Bahamas and Belize to the rainforests of Suriname and Guyana, our Region is home to extraordinary biodiversity. These ecosystems are climate assets,” she said.

Dr. Barnett concluded by reminding CARICOM negotiators that COP 30 is another step in a long journey of climate advocacy and that the Region must continue to unite and speak its truth in global climate negotiations.