NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Ambassador Fiona Clouder visited The Bahamas for an official visit ahead of COP26, the UN Climate Change conference to be held from November 1-12, 2021, hosted by the UK government in Glasgow.
Her programme included meetings with the prime minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, Environment Minister Vaughn Miller, Agriculture Minister Clay Sweeting, Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis and other government representatives, as well as NGOs and the community.
With British High Commissioner Sarah Dickson, Clouder also visited Grand Bahama to see first-hand the lasting impacts of Hurricane Dorian.
Clouder was appointed as the regional ambassador to Latin America and the Caribbean in March of 2020.
The ambassador said how important The Bahamas’ role was at the COP26 conference. She noted that “climate change is happening, as people have already seen here in The Bahamas; it is happening”.
“The need for action is urgent. The time for action is now,” Clouder said.
“The COP26 conference is an opportunity for The Bahamas to be heard. Its vulnerability and the importance of adaptation, the importance of the environment and the opportunity for green initiatives to create jobs and growth.
“This is a cross-government issue affecting every policy area, every business and every community.”
Clouder has spent the past year traveling across the region. This has been an exercise in awareness building and in listening to the specific needs of Latin American and Caribbean countries, many of whom, like The Bahamas, are climate-vulnerable.
The UK government recognizes that face-to-face diplomacy during COP26 provides countries like The Bahamas the opportunity to help secure global net zero commitments; encourage regional and global partnerships on protecting and restoring ecosystems; mobilize international financial institutions to help fund climate action; and to promote collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society.
Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis will lead the Bahamian delegation to the World Leaders’ Summit, which will launch the COP26 negotiations. Minister of State Basil McIntosh, Parliamentary Secretary Leon Lundy and other senior officials will support him.
