Excerpt from the Jamaica Observer column published Monday, April 26, 2021
By Jean Lowrie-Chin
Prime Minister Andrew Holness was one of the 40 world leaders invited to a summit on climate action hosted by US President Joe Biden on Earth Day, last Thursday.
“The need for meaningful climate action has never been greater,” said Holness. “Jamaica is heartened that the United States has rejoined the Paris Agreement — an important expression of global solidarity for climate action.”
He shared the plight of small island developing states (SIDS) like Jamaica in the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic, describing it as “a perfect storm… with the collapse of tourism, falling revenues, rising debt, limited access to vaccines, and with disasters continuously threatening lives and our sustainability.”
Still, he said Jamaica is committed to a 60 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, “determined to build forward stronger, better, and greener”.
Holness called for “an accessible and equitable climate finance mechanism” to assist SIDS to advance their climate action goals.
Biden’s declaration was like a breath of fresh air: “The signs are unmistakable, the science is undeniable… the cost of inaction, it just keeps mounting. The United States isn’t waiting. We are resolving to take action, not only our federal Government, but our cities and our states all across our country, small businesses, large corporations, American workers in every field.”
He stated his commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the US by 50 per cent to 52 per cent below its 2005 emissions levels by 2030.
The last time we visited the US we saw the casual use of plastic bags and plastic straws that had been banned in Jamaica. I wondered how the efforts of three million people could help our climate when the US population of over 300 million had no such regulations. Now, with President Biden in the White House, we can hope for better.
Jamaica Highlights 