BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — Maria O’Brien, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the kingdom of Belgium and head of mission of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the European Union, was recently a high-level speaker on “Climate Diplomacy: The role of international cooperation” ahead of COP26 at the Transatlantic Conference hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU).
The opening day of the conference started with a keynote address on sustainability and climate that was delivered by Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson.
The address was followed by a panel discussion with O’Brien; Marc Vanheukelen, hors class adviser and ambassador at large for climate diplomacy, European External Action Service; and David Livingston, senior advisor on climate, John Kerry’s climate envoy, US State Department.
O’Brien, the first resident envoy appointed to Belgium from our commonwealth, shared climate change initiatives from The Bahamas at the conference, which brought together 300 policymakers and senior business executives throughout the European Union and the United States.
O’Brien discussed the impact of climate change on The Bahamas, the importance of global alliances and the need to take bold steps to mitigate the environmental and economic impact on its residents; and noted that the SAMOA Pathway, which provides small island developing states with assistance to reduce the social and economic impact of the climate crisis, is supported by 115 countries inclusive of the US and EU member states.
Some of the Bahamas governmental initiatives highlighted by O’Brien included the Sustainable Development Goals Inter-Agency Technical Committee, an intergovernmental panel on climate changes including government ministries and agencies, private sector, civil society and academia that was formed to assist with sustainable development planning in economic, social and environmental policies; implementing legislation to ban single-use plastics; and recognizing the impact of the climate crisis on women and youth.
Aside from discussions on topical issues such as climate change, the three-day conference included discussions on key issues to enhance the understanding of EU and US positions on business matters and to build transatlantic connections related to trade, investment and competitiveness.
Susan Danger, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU, said it was quite sobering to hear O’Brien detail the very real consequences of climate change. Danger noted that “these human elements should be considered daily as we work towards decarbonization”.
O’Brien stated: “It is vital for The Bahamas to be an active participant in important global conversations that can assist with sustainable economic and social development. The issue of climate change is at the heart of this matter for our country and we should be proud to share our initiatives to that end with the world.”
