Commonwealth chief calls for ‘highest possible ambition’ at climate summit

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has called for all countries to deliver an ambitious and transformative outcome at the imminent UN Climate Change Conference COP26, while appealing for increased support for the smallest and most vulnerable nations.

The Secretary-General will lead a delegation to the summit, to advocate for the interests of the 54 member countries, including 32 small states, and raise awareness about key Commonwealth actions to address the climate crisis.

Days ahead of the summit, the Secretary-General said:

“I urge leaders to come to the table with the highest possible ambition and a reinvigorated determination to do all we can to keep a 1.5 degree cap on global warming. The science is clear – failing on this mission will cost us a viable, sustainable future for our children and grandchildren. We must not squander this opportunity to build back on a more sustainable path.

“I call on governments to align their COVID-19 recovery planning to the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The developed world needs to keep its promise to deliver US$100 billion every year through to 2025 to support developing countries as they try to cope with the damaging impacts of this climate crisis. Additional financial support is also needed to address loss and damage, particularly for the most vulnerable.”

The Commonwealth Secretariat will be hosting a pavilion at the COP26 venue for the first time, with a wide range of in-person and hybrid events planned over two weeks from 1 – 12 November. An online hub containing event information, live online broadcasts and other resources is now available.

The Secretariat will also be launching a number of key initiatives at COP26, in the area of climate finance, sustainable land management, energy transition, natural resource management and ocean action.

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11 Comments

  1. Gone are the days
    November 1, 2021

    People, you have to think critically. This meeting should not be g20, should be G21 if they humble, do the right thing and add 1.2 BILLION of the world’s population, Africa, which they conveniently and deliberately LEFT OUT. France dominates and impoverished several countries and states and named them “francophone”, takes/extorts 85% of their reserves and all resources. Britain does practically the same, left them poor and broke and named them “commonwealth”. Today they must attend a COP26 meeting and be told to pull their boot strings up, after their boots, their land and all resources have been stolen by force under cover of cannons and WMDs. They are so arrogant as to even appoint Blacks to head these organizations they the Europeans and America dominate. Think! This must come to an end.

    • UKDominican
      November 1, 2021

      I am sorry you feel this way but we all are responsible for fixing this. Climate, like Covid, is not bound by frontiers. For your information, the P.M of Barbados, Mia Motley, gave a good account of herself on television here today and we note that also Gaston Browne of Antigua is here and listed as a speaker but no sign of our own PM Skerrit, leader of Nature Island and the first sustainable nation in the world. I’m disappointed really.
      F

      • Gone Are The Days
        November 3, 2021

        Think big picture my UK friend, they think big picture and try to throw you off. Your reaction is exactly how they want us to think while the big countries simply make speeches and go home hoping we’re not paying attention as they continue to take raw materials and resources out of your country/continent at pennies on the dollar, not paying into the tax system of all these African countries they created. I can understand you or the ordinary guy being a bit ticked of at me. But the time has come for us to demand that instead of speeches on global warming for instance, move some of their manufacturing of at least solar panels, wind mills, any tangibles of the industrial aspects that help ease global warming beside speeches. Let’s educate each other on this, it’s time.

  2. WM
    October 31, 2021

    Very good initiative by the Commonwealth Secretariat in light of the challenges brought on SiDS by Climate Change. Climate Change is real so people stop being critical. It’s not the messenger it’s the message…

    • Me
      November 1, 2021

      In this case the credibility of the message is stained by the reputation of the messenger, unfortunately.

  3. Jonathan Y St Jean
    October 31, 2021

    With Covid-19 dekalaying the world we heard from the head of PAHO, the leaders at the UN, from leaders of the major countries of the world. Not a “peep” from the Secretary General of the Commonwealth and most members of that body are the ones who were hardest hit. Now some empty rhetoric from the “suck salt” secretary general.

  4. Jonathan Y St Jean
    October 29, 2021

    The Covid-19 pandemic affected the entire world and where was the voice of the Baronmess advocating for the needy Commonwealth? I would have thought that it’s a subject matter that the secretary general of the Commonwealth should have been very vocal on advocating for the member states most of which are still reeling from the virus. Instead she has made the august body irrelevant on the world stage. Her biggest achievement is helping obtain honorary doctorates for Skerritt. What the hell does that have to do with world issues. Now that the COP26 is about to get started the corrupt and incompetent secretary general finally is trying to get her voice up. Gretta Thornburg is more vocal and relevant than the Baronmess on the matter of global warming. Patricia should be prepared to tell the real world powers to go suck salt, the way she told some Dominicans, if they don’t pledge to do what she wants to save the planet. Waste of time Secretary General and Baronmess.

  5. %
    October 29, 2021

    If i could, i would make you soucay spade loads of sel..!!

    • Under the radar
      October 29, 2021

      Coming soon, ask boris.

  6. Ibo France
    October 29, 2021

    Lady, go and suck salt.

  7. Sucking Salt
    October 29, 2021

    Madam what we need is a susay cell. You were hoping is UWP supporters that would be sucking salt but seems like covid has the entire world sucking salt

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