Big Oil blamed for environmental harm at SIDS summit

T JOHN’S – Fossil fuel companies must accept responsibility for environmental devastation caused by their pursuit of profit, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda told the opening of the United Nations global conference on small island states here on Monday.

Gaston Browne, who is presiding over the UN Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), said oil firms that historically extracted oil globally, significantly contributing to the climate crisis, should be held accountable and help fund the transition to renewable energy.

The conference is the fourth summit on the fate of islands and coastal nations considered to be on the frontline of climate change and environmental degradation since the inaugural conference in Barbados in April 1994. The international community is expected to review SIDS’ sustainable development progress and propose a new decade of partnerships and solutions to supercharge their path to resilient growth.

“Isn’t it high time to end fossil fuel subsidies, and for these companies to be held accountable to reduce emissions, and to accelerate the transition to renewable energy resources to protect lives and livelihood?” said Browne. “Shouldn’t a global carbon tax be levied on these oil companies that are consistently enjoying supernormal profits, to provide much-needed climate financing?”

He added: “We stand at a juncture where our actions or failure to act will dictate the fate of SIDS, as well as the legacy we leave for future generations.”

Browne said large polluters’ carbon dioxide emissions gave them “a responsibility and obligation of compensation to aid in our quest to build resilience”, as small islands’ size, limited funds and human capital put them at a disadvantage.

The climate crisis had “severely undermined our efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals”, he said, calling for “urgent multilateral solutions”.

The Antiguan prime minister urged developed countries to meet the $100 billion commitment to finance climate resilience for small island states, saying inaction invited disaster affecting “every nation, every community, and every individual across the planet”.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres agreed with Prime Minister Browne that the fossil fuel industry had a significant part to play in investing in SIDS. He said: “The idea that entire island states would become collateral damage for profiteering by the fossil fuel industry or competition between major economies is simply obscene.”

He further called on SIDS to continue in their fight towards climate action.

“SIDS have demonstrated strong and principled leadership on climate action, and on the capacity to respond to the challenges that we faced in the last three decades. Today, we need your fierce voices more than ever.” (SB)