ROSE HALL, St James — Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis Dr Terrance Drew has signalled that the regional blocs’ efforts to seek climate justice will continue no matter the outcome of a July 23 opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Dr Drew, who is in line to assume the chairmanship of Caricom when Jamaica’s Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness completes his term at the end of this year, said while Caribbean countries are victims of climate change they will not wilt under pressure.

“If for any reason the outcome [at the ICJ] that we hope to get is not had, that will not daunt us in any way. We will continue to be on the front line of this advocacy and to seek justice,” Dr Drew told Tuesday evening’s media briefing to end the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom.

“We have not created the issue. We are the victims of the issue. However, we are not going to act like victims. We are going to be our advocates and join with those who want to see justice with this,” he added.

The ICJ is examining what legal obligations countries have to fight climate change and whether large states — which contribute most to greenhouse-gas emissions — should be liable for damage caused to small island nations. While not legally binding, the court’s advisory opinion could be cited in future climate change-driven litigation around the world.

On Tuesday, Dr Drew stressed that the Caribbean suffers “significantly” from climate change.

“This is the hurricane season, and right now it is like Russian roulette. We don’t know who will be hit. And who will be hit can be hit devastatingly, which would take years of recovery; or the extent of the damage can be such a high percentage of the overall GDP that those countries are set back. We see the effects with respect to the sargassum, affecting the beaches throughout the Caribbean, and having an impact on our tourism. We see the insidious impact of climate change with respect to the increased temperature and so forth, and how that is affecting our infrastructure, our daily lives, and even health,” he detailed.

“Climate and health is a significant matter…as well, climate and food security. Climate [change] is affecting every single aspect of our life, whether we know it or not, and therefore…it is reasonable to expect that the court will stand on the side of justice. So we are hoping for a favourable outcome,” he added.

Commenting on the issue during the media briefing, Holness said he would be surprised if the ICJ did not express the view that there should be measures put in place to buttress smaller countries from the impact of climate change.

“It’s hard to make a pronouncement on what a court is likely to say. But, without prejudice to that, I would be surprised if the pronouncement were not that there is an impact on, in particular, lesser developed countries from climate change and, in particular, small island developing states (SIDS); and that there should be special provisions in financing made to ensure that there is climate justice in this regard. That would be my expectation, not my pronouncement on what the court may say,” Holness told the media.

He noted that during discussions over the three-day conference, a clearer picture emerged of how countries in the region are reacting to the ravages of climate change.

“It is clear that some countries are recrafting, recalibrating, even changing their positions on the issue of climate change and the financing that they would have normally allocated, and it is a concern,” said Holness.

Like Dr Drew, Holness said efforts to lobby for help in the push for climate justice will continue.

“This region, particularly Caricom and small island developing states, will continue to lobby very hard for climate justice, and we will continue to press the international community to fulfil their obligations as it relates to ensuring that there are adequate resources for adaptation and mitigation effects,” added Holness.