MARRAKECH, Morocco (CMC) — Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda has called on all government and special groupings in the United Nations to commence discussions with the incoming US administration on Climate Change.

“If the United States waivers in its current leadership on climate change, or if it withdraws from its commitments, a chain reaction will be triggered, that will leave the Agreement in tatters, and the world in peril,” said Browne in addressing at a meeting of the 22nd Session of the Conference of Parties (COP22) here on Wednesday.

A release from the Government said Browne was making reference to the uncertainty of US President-elect, Donald Trump’s position on Climate Change, which was once of the issues highlighted in the lead-up to the November 8 elections in the United States.

“We (the Caribbean) know that global warming, sea-level rise, extreme drought and stronger cyclones, are daggers at the heart of our existence,” Browne said.

“For us, ‘1.5 to stay alive’ is not a frivolous slogan; it is a constant reminder that, if temperatures continue to rise, our countries will suffer insurmountable losses,” he warned. “In fact, many small island states will disappear beneath the sea.  That is the stark reality facing small island states.”

“While my government offers congratulations to the US President-elect, Donald Trump, and pledges our resolve to work co-operatively with his administration, we are, however, aware that he remains unconvinced of Climate Change,” Browne continued. 

“Those of us from small states live with a different reality. We hope it is also a warning to the world’s most developed nations that the tides of the world’s climate will also be battering their most secure bastions.

“In this connection, I call on all governments to begin early conversations with appointees to Mr Trump’s administration,” he said. “If the United States waivers in its current leadership on climate change, or if it withdraws from its commitments, a chain reaction will be triggered, that will leave the Agreement in tatters, and the world in peril. It is a real danger that must be addressed with urgency.”

Browne called on special groupings within the United Nations, such as AOSIS, to mount urgently a collaborative effort to lay out the dangers that confront the globe to the incoming new US administration.

Browne also said that in order to fulfill the commitments of the universal Climate Change Agreement, the resources of the Global Environmental Fund and the Green Climate Fund must be replenished.

He said that adaptation financing must be significantly increased to balance global priorities in line with the Agreement.

The prime minister said average global temperatures have already increased one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, stating: “We must collectively act now to protect our planet.

“If the global community does not act decisively to curb emissions, it is likely that every ecosystem across the planet will fundamentally change in our lifetimes,” he cautioned. “Therefore, the problem has all the urgency of now.

“The bell may be tolling loudly for small islands that are innocent victims of the profligacy of others, but it is also tolling for all nations, Browne said. “Let us recommit ourselves to immediate collective action, in saving our planet.”