by Sheena Forde-Craigg | Feb 21, 2020 | Top Stories

Barbados Praised For Its Climate Resilience Efforts

         Pictured at left  —-    Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland planting a Baobab Tree at the National Botanical Gardens today while Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, and staff of the Ministry look on. (B.Hinds/BGIS)

          

     Barbados has received high praise from Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland for its efforts in combating climate change.

During a tree planting ceremony in the National Botanical Gardens this morning, Baroness Scotland noted that Barbados started the movement in the Caribbean to combat climate change and to implement the necessary adaptation and mitigation measures.

Baroness Scotland, in echoing statements made by Prime Mia Amor Mottley, stated that climate change is a universal vulnerability, and “we are the first generation to suffer the consequences of climate change and we are the last generation to be able to do something about it”.

Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, stated that small island developing states, whose national determined contributions are the lowest worldwide are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

“Therefore, we have to do all that we can to put up that kind of resilience that is imperative in order for our people to survive,” he said, adding that the ‘We Plantin’ More Than A Million Trees’ project as well as the flood alleviation project in Holetown were efforts being undertaken in Barbados to combat climate change.

Baroness Scotland planted a Baobab Tree, which is referred to as ‘tree of life’, while Minister Prescod planted a West Indian Mahogany tree.

sheena.forde-craigg@barbados.gov.bb

Commonwealth Secretary General Discusses Climate Change

Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland and Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, unveil a plaque in commemoration of the planting of a Baobab Tree by the Baroness for the ‘We Plantin’ More Than A Million Trees’ project. (B.Hinds/BGIS)

Barbados has received additional information on ways to build climate change resilience.

Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, during a courtesy call with Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, in the National Botanical Gardens, shared a number of documents which she believes would aid Barbados’ adaptation measures against climate change.

The documents include the Climate Change Programme Impact, which highlights the Commonwealth climate finance access hub; the Commonwealth Blue Charter; and the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda.

Baroness Scotland also shared information on toolkits for effective implementation of the sustainable development goals and faith in the commonwealth – promoting global citizenship and religious literacy.

Minister Prescod and a team from the Ministry informed the Baroness about the Ministry’s ongoing projects to combat climate change and efforts to reduce our national determined contributions, that is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Those projects include the Adaptation Measures to Counteract the Effect of Climate Change flood alleviation project in Holetown; the ‘Roof to Reef’ project, reducing the importation of harmful refrigerants; We Plantin’ More Than A Million Trees’ project; and the 2030 energy goal of becoming 100 per cent carbon neutral.

They also discussed COP 25, which was held last year in Madrid, Spain, and COP 26, which will be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, from November 9 to 20, 2020.

sheena.forde-craigg@barbados.gov.bb