Climate Diplomacy Mission: UNFCCC COP 27 Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya

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At COP 26 The Glasgow Declaration was signed which recongnised the urgent need for Climate Action in Tourism. Tarran Simms, Sustainability Tourism Expert and member of the YME Bahamas team and Bahamian Delegation shared the lessons learned from community based tourism programmes he has led and designed in Andros and other Islands of The Bahamas during his time with the Ministry of Tourism. Heritage and community based sustainable tourism are niche sectors of particular intrust to YME Bahamas as it is a mechanisms to expand learning opportunities and economic opportunities for our local communities. 

Our team made a visit to the United Nations in Addis Ababa where the power of education, capacity building and peace  as foundational pillars to equitable sustainable tourism was discussed at length with various partners. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of Woman and Youth in leadership positions to drive the sustainable change. The team then traveled on the the UNESCO world Heritage Site and oldest Swahili Community in Africa, Lamu Kenya where they met with local business owners and tourism operators. 

The YME Residence and co-working space in Sharm-El – Sheikh Egypt provided refuge and an inspiring atmosphere for the co-creation of climate solutions. Young people from Uganda, Nigeria, Namibia, and the Caribbean islands of Anguilla and The Bahamas worked together over the 3 weeks of climate meetings to maximise their collective presence at COP 27 and to design action plans towards the upcoming COP 28 meetings.

Caribbean Climate RCOY – Nassau, The Bahamas

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After attending COP 26 The Government of The Bahamas pledged their commitment to invest in the development of youth capacity for climate solutions. In alignment with their pledge The Government partnered with YME Bahamas in hosting  the first YOUNGO Caribbean Regional Conference of Youth for Climate Change. This meeting convened at the University of The Bahamas engaged youth from The Bahamas, throughout the Caribbean with a strong virtual representation from the Africa-Caribbean Climate Action Network. 

Young people from different communities gathered to learn, create, write and connect. Outcomes from the RCOY include 1) Policy recomendations and Vision for future climate Action within  the Caribbean and  Africa 2) The establishment of a youth NDC task force to review and provide guidance on the Bahamas’ commitments 3) Foundational development of solutions for SDG 6 Quality Water and Sanitation in partnership with Bahamas  UNESCO-IHP Committee

Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance Cop 27 Preparatory Meeting – Kigali, Rwanda

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Building on the momentum from COP 26 YME knew that anchoring our Caribbean climate solutions into the conversations taking place in the African continent was extremely important. To facilitate this we attend the CHOGM Climate Justice side event hosted by the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance. This was a strategy session in preparation for COP 27

The rolling hills of Rwanda, their clean city streets and the undertone of peace  was a beautiful reminder of how it is possible to transform our world and achieve our collective global goal of peace and security.

Sixty percent of Africa’s population is comprised of young people. This means that young people must be at the forefront of creating the solutions that will transform the world. Climate Diplomacy is a critically important skill to develop, especially for young people from Small Island Developing States because if we are not present in the rooms where decisions are being made, our needs are overlooked. 

Caribbean youth need increased opportunities to connect with African young people and listen to their challenges and learn about the solutions they are proposing. Caribbean youth and African youth are faced with the challenge of accessing capital that will substantially support their climate solutions. Ensuring equitable access to climate financing and that young people develop the skills or systems to manage large budgets is critical to cultivating environments that foster climate solutions.

UNFCCC – COP 26, Glasgow, Scotland

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One of the priorities for YME during COP 26 was to strengthen our connection with Indigenous Knowledge holders. YME participated in the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform where we advocated for the importance of ensuring equitable opportunities for local communities especially those from islands throughout The Caribbean to participate in the UNFCCC processes. 

Working with UNESCO -IHP YME spent much of our time in the Water Pavilion learning about the complex intersections of water scarcity and the climate crisis. The Bahamas being a water scarce country and recovering from the salination caused by the 25 ft Ocean Surge from  Hurricane Dorian highlighted the vulnerability of our island archipelago to climate induced disasters.

The Government of The Bahamas, Bahamas National Trust, and The Nature Conservancy hosted a virtual side event that connected The Bahamian public with the conversations being led by the delegates at the Glasgow meetings. 

After learning that the African Diaspora is part of the 6th Region of the African Union, strengthening the relationship between African youth and Caribbean youth became a priority for YME. Climate Change is a global crisis and ensuring that young leaders from the Caribbean and Africa are united in their collective action is a critical to addressing the complex intersections of the climate crisis. 

Members of The Bahamian Delegation met with Caribbean youth and a team from the University of Edinburgh where a strategy session was facilitated to identify how education and the convening of young people from throughout the region could help to strengthen our collective climate solutions. 

Upon being elected into office the Honourable Philip Brave Davis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas began to champion with conviction the need for  climate justice for small island developing states.

Climate Emergency Declaration

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CICI Bahamas Climate Emergency Declaration

The Cat Island Conservation Institute held a  press conference at the Ministry of The Environment, Nassau Bahamas on the 20th of September 2019, where they presented The Minister of the Environment and Housing Romauld Ferreira with the CICI Climate Crisis Declaration. In accepting this declaration the minister stated: 
“We acknowledge that we are in a national climate crisis and the country is facing a national climate emergency,” he said.“We are committed to doing all that needs to be done to alleviate and remediate the effects of climate change and build resiliency for future events.” He added, “…We are making this declaration and we’re saying, ‘Hey we’re going to lead this charge.’

 

N. Charles Hamilton, MPH, CICI Policy Team Lead, addressed the press answering the following questions: 

What is this climate crisis declaration? 
The goal of a Climate Crisis Declaration is for governments to adopt, at the highest level, their acknowledgment and commitment for action to address climate change and the broader ecological crisis. The idea for these kinds of declarations first started in the city of Darebin, Australia—whose city government passed the first declaration of a climate emergency in December 2016. As of July 17, 2019, 19 countries, 1007 governments (primarily the local level) have passed a climate emergency declaration. The Bahamas, by making this declaration, will show itself to be a leader, as the first small island developing state and the seventh country at a national level to adopt this stance. 

How was this declaration produced? 
What makes this declaration even more powerful is the process by which this declaration was made. CICI Thought Leaders – Bahamian Youth – played the leading role in drafting this declaration. Our first think tank was held last Saturday, September 14th at Venture Coworking – bringing together Bahamians from Abaco, Andros, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Harbour Island, Long Island, New Providence, in addition to members of the Bahamian diaspora and international partners. 

CiCI Bahamas thought leaders span various strata of society from fisherman, engineers, scientists, teachers, realtors, economists, public health, activists, and community members, and represent youth and the young at heart, who will be inheritors of a Bahamas and a planet that has to cope with the effects of climate change.  At our think tank, these passionate people developed the first draft of this declaration, and then our CICI Policy Team refined the final draft which was shared with the media, The Bahamian public and our world. 

Bold and immediate steps will be required from 2019 and beyond to ensure that The Bahamas and our people will be able to experience climate justice and CICI Bahamas will be there along the way to ensure that our community needs and national policies align for the future of our country. 

Authors: CICI Bahamas Think Tank and Policy Team: N. Charles Hamilton, Nikita Shiel-Rolle, Angel Hjarding, Orchid Burnside, Dorlan Curtis Jr., Michael Bowleg, Kearney Coupland, Ashley Miller, Chauntez Wilson

Be it resolved that this House recognises that: 

  • The Bahamas is facing an impending and existential threat due to climate change;
  • climate change is a real and urgent crisis; it is driven by human activity that directly and disproportionately impacts the citizens, residents, visitors, environment, biodiversity, infrastructure, culture, and economy of The Bahamas;
  • climate change significantly impacts Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and low lying coastal communities, like The Bahamas, and other countries across the Caribbean and the world, rendering them particularly vulnerable;
  • Bahamians, residents, and visitors have and continue to experience the cataclysmic effects and impacts of climate change, such as: sea-level rise, hurricanes, heat waves, coastal erosion, ocean acidification, loss of coral & marine ecosystems and resources, reduction of biodiversity, food and water insecurity, and re-emerging & new illnesses, all of which significantly impair physical health, mental health, well-being and socio-economic development across our communities;
  • climate change has powered the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, specifically catastrophic hurricanes – such as Joaquin (2015), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017) and Dorian (2019), some of the strongest tropical cyclones to develop in the Atlantic basin, which have brought devastating floods, severe rainfall, extreme wind, structural damage, financial loss, displacement of people and families, personal injuries, increased disabilities, and loss of life to our communities;
  • Category 5 hurricanes like Dorian, are projected to be an unwelcome future norm and will require a significant change in how we approach issues related to development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster response and risk reduction, environmental protection and climate resilience; 
  • moving forward, data-driven and sustainable action is critical to the survival of the citizens and residents of The Bahamas and the future of our islands;  

Therefore, let the House declare that The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is in a national climate emergency which requires a commitment to mobilising resources and prioritising policy as it relates to the mitigation and adaptation of climate change in our country.

Furthermore, we declare that immediate and bold action by The Bahamas, other SIDS, and the international community is required to address this climate crisis. National, regional, and global strategic partnerships are essential to strengthen policy as it relates to climate resilience and emergency response systems. 

We recognise and welcome the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and call for action from all parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to undertake mitigation actions based on the principle of common, but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, to avoid any further increase of global temperatures. 

We reaffirm our commitment to national and international environmental policies, agreements and standards we have subscribed to such as, but not limited to:

  • The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including the Paris Agreement
  • The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs)
  • The SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity 
  • The Ramsar Convention
  • The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
  • The Regional Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Strategy and Programming Framework 2014-2024
  • The Bahamas National Policy for the Adaptation to Climate Change

We commit to establishing and achieving national adaptation targets to create sustainable infrastructure and prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change, including the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Finally, we commit to becoming a leader of climate change advocacy and to engage all critical stakeholders, in particular, the youth – for whom this action is most essential – in the restructuring and cultivation of a thriving planet that supports a global community of thriving people.