Regional governments urged to adopt climate change policies

From an article on Caribbean Net News:

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: St Lucia Prime Minister, Stephenson King is urging Caribbean governments to develop, strengthen and apply national and regional adaptation policies that will address Climate Change concerns within the Region.

He also called on the governments to pursue vigorously mitigation, adaptation and resource mobilisation strategies to combat Climate Change.

The Prime Minister pointed out that his country had already set the example in developing adaptation strategies and policies to reduce its vulnerabilities to the impact of Climate Change. He also urged other Caribbean governments to incorporate Climate Change considerations into their budgetary exercises and to ensure that their country’s projects and programmes were “climate friendly.”

King who has lead responsibility for Sustainable Development, including Disaster Management and Water in the quasi Cabinet of CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government was delivering the keynote address at the official opening ceremony of the Second Caribbean Community Climate Change Conference held in Castries Saint Lucia at the Garden Bay Hotel on 23-24 March.

Noting that Climate Change affected every aspect of human existence and development, the Prime Minister warned the conference: “do not sit and wait for the rising seas to engulf us but, work actively to explore ways that we can respond to Climate Change while pursuing a broader development agenda.”

He pointed to several other critical actions that the Region must adopt in order to meet its sustainable development objectives: exploring renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar, geothermal and hydro-electric power as a mitigation strategy to counter both the effects of climate change and the global economic crisis; adopting a ‘no regrets” approach to adaptation which include improving water management and health systems; prudent management of rain forests; increased public awareness and empowering relevant regional institutions such as the CCCCC and our tertiary education institutions to support the Climate Change agenda.