This month, sadly, more than 100 people have died from oppressive heat in India. At the recent Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting, we considered how the climate crisis is increasing the spread of vector-borne diseases, including malaria and other dangerous diseases.
Commonwealth leaders have been calling for global climate action since 1989 before international negotiations even began. In line with their calls, climate scientists have long warned the world of the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C to avoid irreversible damage.
Worryingly, in February 2024, we breached this critical threshold. Global temperatures surpassed 1.5°C over the past 12 months, making it the hottest year on record. This increase has intensified extreme weather events, sea-level rise and other climate risks which disproportionately affect Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Despite covering only 3% of the world’s land area, SIDS are vital for humanity and the planet we share. They safeguard 11.5% of the oceans’ Exclusive Economic Zones, which include 20% of all terrestrial bird, plant, and reptile species. Yet SIDS experience five times more climate-attributable deaths due to extreme weather events, and when shocks hit, SIDS are hit hard.
A single cyclone can derail a small State’s growth for years, if not decades. In 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated my own country of birth, Dominica, destroying 225% of its Gross Domestic Product. The damage of such shocks is worsened by inadequate financial support.
Despite contributing only 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, SIDS struggle to unlock climate finance. In 2019, they had access to only $1.5 billion out of the $100 billion pledged to developing countries. With no alternative, these countries are often forced to obtain financing on unfavourable terms, resulting in high debt burdens, creating a vicious cycle where debt becomes unsustainable and access to finance becomes more limited.
The Commonwealth is home to two-thirds of the world’s SIDS, and this exceptional convergence of hardships is at the heart of my motivation to support SIDS at every level. SIDS have also been saying enough is enough, and are leading the charge to reset our climate finance ambitions. At the 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (CoP28), the Commonwealth SIDS was at the forefront of hard-won progress on Loss and Damage.
Samoa, the Commonwealth’s incoming chair-in-office, joined other small islands and vulnerable countries at the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), calling for “collective quantified finance goals and funding” to help them deal with intensifying natural disasters.
The Commonwealth is working to ensure that the SIDS’ voices are heard at the highest level of the international system while providing practical support in critical areas. Our Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub has unlocked $330 million for small States, with another $500 million worth of project proposals in the pipeline. For years, we have seen these countries take the steps needed to transition toward low-carbon, climate-resilient development. But to scale up this action, reliable climate finance is key.
We will continue to advocate for increased funding for adaptation, mitigation, and resilience-building. Our commitment to the climate crisis is not new; it is part of the Commonwealth’s DNA.
The next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will take place in Samoa this October — the first summit in a Pacific Small Island State — with a focus on building resilience essential for our 56 nations. If we are to achieve this, the world must keep its promises. Every commitment to climate action and finance made by world leaders is vital. Every failure to meet those commitments is an insult to the vulnerable. Every example of inaction is an act of violence against those who need us to succeed, now and for generations to come.
The call to action on climate finance will continue to resound from Commonwealth SIDS at the UN General Assembly in September to the negotiations at CoP29 in November. It must be heeded.
Patricia Scotland is the secretary general of the Commonwealth. The views expressed are personal
