World has ‘moral responsibility’ to help small island states survive climate crisis – UN agency chief
Vulnerable economies must be supported with finance and practical aid to find long term solutions, says Jorge Moreira da Silva of Unops
The world has a “moral responsibility” to support the fight for survival being faced by small island states, according to a leading UN agency chief.
Ahead of the fourth annual conference of small island developing states (Sids) being held in Antigua and Barbuda this week, Jorge Moreira da Silva, the executive director of the (Unops), called for recognition of the problems faced by what he called “some of the most vulnerable economies in the world” who contributed less than 1% to global carbon emissions.
“Because of their unique circumstances and vulnerabilities, Sids face higher levels of debt distress than other developing countries,” said da Silva. “Over 40% of Sids are now on the edge of, or are already grappling with, unsustainable levels of debt. And with every major disaster, private external debt in Sids tends to rise. Between 2016 and 2020, Sids have paid in debt service 18 times more than what they received as climate finance.
The world had the moral responsibility to never let the climate crisis happen in the first place, so we've seen how far moral responsibility has gotten us.
Sure. Gonna put that next to all of the other moral failings.
Which do you think will become the first famous climate refugees? Residents of small island nations losing land and safety, or heat affected landmasses that become uninhabitable due to extreme temperatures and/or wet bulb conditions?
Mexico City in a few months.
Tough choice GB but I'll go with option B. What do I win?
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Probably a lifetime of hardship when shit starts hitting the fan for reals. Here's to hoping you and I are in a good zone when this all collapses.
Yeah I hope the best for you too. I was trying to lighten the mood but it is going to get dark before it gets any better.
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...and it comes right after our fiduciary responsibility to shareholders.
"Moral responsibility" isn't going to affect the various amoral, systemic causes of the climate crisis.
I think the oil corporations and others that destroy the environment have a greater responsibility
Yes, and our western economies and democracies are best situated to make them pay. Those bastards are the rotted flower that bloomed from our corpus
Capitalists are profiting off their misfortune, business as usual.
That would be great if economies would chip in. Idk, USA, EU has some plans iirc, Saudi, Chinese , India etc.
And the Billionaires worldwide as well , they pack a wallet the size of some countries.