SPECIAL REPORT: LOOKING AHEAD TO COP26: CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE COMMONWEALTH
LOOKING AHEAD TO COP26: A FOCUS ON SMALL ISLANDS I live on an island of nine by five miles in the English Channel. Jersey has a strong economy and a vast amount of wealth travelling through the island, a position not shared by some small island states and communities. It is a beautiful island, with coastal environments unique to us and stunning areas of beauty packed into this tiny space. However, as with many small island states, we face significant threats from climate change. We are currently in the political and social process of deciding how we will address the challenges we face and where we fit into the wider world in terms of what we do and the timescales within which we work. My involvement in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Climate Change Working Group, convened by the CPA UK Branch, has enabled me to have an even greater focus on the threats we face and has amplified the plight of small island communities worldwide as we see changes to our climate. Speaking to a fellow group member from Kiribati brought these issues sharply into focus. Kiribati is a group of 33 Pacific atolls that lie just 1.8 metres (or 6 feet) above sea level at the highest point. It is recognised as one of the top six countries that will be most impacted by climate change. To these islanders, and all who live in small island communities, climate change is very real and an issue that needs to be addressed now. Indeed, it needed to be addressed many years ago. The reality is that we face an existential threat to our communities. One that has taken many years to develop but leaves us with a short window of opportunity if we are to act and have the significant positive impacts that are needed. We all hope we are not too late, but the very phrase ‘existential threat’ is almost impossible to process for many, particularly, it appears, those who amass great wealth. The smallness of these islands brings another challenge. Individually, our direct contribution to climate-changing emissions can be seen as insignificant compared to larger countries worldwide. As the world attempts to address our impact, many small communities may face calls to wait until the large emitters act before we take on the economic challenge of changing our infrastructure.
Indeed, small island states may face significant infrastructure and economic challenges before the issues of climate change are considered. And, of course, COVID-19 has provided another serious economic challenge to us all. There are huge inequalities across jurisdictions that unless addressed, will lead to growing divisions within and between countries. It is always the poorest in our societies that suffer most, and climate change will certainly amplify this effect. It is these issues that have driven the Commonwealth Parliamentary Climate Change Working Group, and served as a vehicle to bring voices from across the world together to share commonalities in the experience of addressing climate change. So, is it realistic for those who create the least impact to spend perhaps a larger proportion of their wealth on addressing the threat of climate change? And is it even possible? A quick search will produce the top 5 CO2 emitters and contributors to climate change: 1. China. 2. United States of America. 3. India. 4. The Russian Federation. 5. Japan. It also appears that Bhutan is the only carbon negative country in the world. So, should we simply be looking to the highest polluting countries to address their emissions? The simple answer is yes but we must also play our part and drive the change we expect of others. We can consider that when we combine the impact of all small island states we will see a significant impact on climate emissions. Perhaps considering small islands together should be in our mindset. Collectively there is an impact from our emissions, but there is also a huge impact from the political voices of those on the front line of climate change such as our colleagues in Kiribati. It was small island states that drove the initial calls for climate action. This must not be forgotten. Collectively we have a voice that holds an important key to unlocking change.
Deputy Rob Ward was elected as a Deputy of St Helier District 2 in May 2018 to the
Jersey States Assembly. Previously he was a teacher for 25 years and was President of Jersey branch of the NUT (now NEU) teachers union. In Parliament, he chairs the Children, Education and Home Affairs scrutiny panel and has brought forward propositions on declaring a climate change emergency and supporting sustainable actions. He is a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Climate Change Working Group, convened by the CPA UK Branch, and he recently completed the CPA course in Parliamentary Governance with McGill University.
250 | The Parliamentarian | 2021: Issue Three | 100 years of publishing
