UK (Commonwealth Union)_ Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, delivered a resounding call for decisive climate action, rooted in the sharpest honesty, emphasizing the pressing global challenges arising from climate change. Speaking at the High-Level Segment of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, she declared that humanity is engaged in a profound struggle with the planet, with far-reaching consequences for people, prosperity, peace, and prospects.
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Highlighting the perilous state of the earth’s climate stability, Secretary-General Scotland underscored the unprecedented extremities of heat, drought, storms, floods, and fires, emphasizing that the responsibility for this breakdown rests with humanity. Urging immediate action, she emphasized the need to curtail emissions, expedite the transition to clean energy, and restore the natural world. Additionally, she called on donors to honor their climate finance commitments to vulnerable nations, particularly the Commonwealth’s small states, which stand on the frontlines of climate change.
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The Secretary-General stated, “We are locked in a war with the planet we all share, with devastating consequences for our people, prosperity, peace, and prospects. The breakdown of that stability, with extremes of heat, drought, storms, floods, and fires the like of which we have never seen, and challenges for humanity the like of which we have never known, is our responsibility. Today, their calls reverberate with an urgency that cannot be ignored”. Secretary-General Scotland addressed the profound climate injustices faced by developing countries and small island states. Despite being minimal contributors to carbon emissions, they bear the brunt of extreme weather events, facing challenges in adaptation and mitigation while grappling with the aftermath of climate disasters and high recovery borrowing costs.
The Commonwealth, committed to climate action since 1989 with the Langkawi Declaration, has been at the forefront of advocating for policies responsive to the development needs of climate-vulnerable member countries. Through dedicated programs, the Commonwealth facilitates capacity development in areas such as climate finance, disaster risk management, and satellite mapping, aligning with its commitment to protecting the environment and addressing the global challenge of greenhouse gas emissions.
