Editor,
There are different schools of thought on the topical issue of climate change. One school is adamant that climate change is a hoax, a money-making venture aimed at achieving certain economic outcomes. Another school takes a view grounded in their faith on the premise that the climate, temperatures or weather conditions cannot be controlled by humans; they argue that these are just signs of end times. Deniers of climate change argue that temperatures have remained basically constant, winters are getting colder and we have had major hurricanes dating back to Hurricane Galveston in 1900.
Then there is the school of thought that believes that temperatures are rising and humans are contributing to climate change. It seems fair to state that this viewpoint has gained the most traction and dominated the global discourse on this matter.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The purpose of COP is to assess progress made in dealing with climate change, facilitate work towards the establishment of legally binding obligations for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by developed nations, and, more recently, discuss progress on the Paris Agreement. From COP1, held in Berlin in 1995, to COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, there have been historic moments, but progress has been slow.
However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to challenge the thinking that the annual COP gathering has become a global public relations event that provides a platform for flamboyant speeches, fossil fuel lobbyists, business deals and idealistic enthusiasts.
Prime Minister Davis is not the first Bahamian PM to lend his voice to the climate change debate and he will not be the last one. Previous PMs have added their voices to the discourse on climate change.
It was under the Ingraham administration that the First National Communication on Climate Change was issued on April 3, 2001. The Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham continued his advocacy on the topical issue and in his speech to the UN Convention on Climate Change. The Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie also spoke on what he described in COP21 as “an existential threat to the survival of a number of small island developing states” while the Most Hon. Hubert A. Minnis made a similar plea to the UN General Assembly in 2019 and followed this up with a ban on single-use plastic to preserve our environment.
On the global stage, the Prime Minister of Barbados – Hon. Mia Mottley is regarded as a champion for climate change and other major issues impacting Small Island Developing States (SIDS). In 2023, this relentless advocacy earned her recognition as one of the top 100 influential persons by Time Magazine.
On the other hand, it has been pontificated that Davis is a world leader on climate change and is in high demand globally. If this is true, the Bahamian PM should not have been absent at the high-stakes discussion in the final hours of COP28. This would have shown leadership and his influential voice would have been pivotal in the crafting of the final draft of the Declaration. If The Bahamas was taking leadership on climate change, why was our country not featured or represented during this crucial part of the negotiations at COP28? What did Davis achieve at COP28 other than attending meetings and giving grandiose speeches?
The Bahamas has been a prime candidate for modeling what a small nation with vision can become. Alas, we are predominantly a nation dependent on fossil fuels. Our private vehicles, public transport system and infrastructure rely mainly on fossil fuels. Electric vehicles still attract high taxes and there are minimal incentives for homeowners to use clean energy. Property owners are still burdened with paying taxes on their hurricane insurance premiums and the reference here is not to VAT. Our streets and communities are not designed to promote cycling and walking or increased use of public transportation thereby reducing the need for private vehicles. Our islands have not been transformed by renewable energy and the world class hurricane shelters are nowhere to be found.
It is time for the PM’s climate change crusade to be brought back home to The Bahamas. After all, charity begins at home and his top priority should be the people of this nation. If the government is truly serious about climate change, its actions should be seen in targeted policies, zoning, building codes, shelters, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, green travelling habits, improved drainage systems, proper seawalls and the maintenance of a robust disaster relief fund. Frequent updates on the progress made in the implementation of recommendations in multiple reports issued after previous storms would also speak volumes.
There has been much said about the accumulation of frequent flyer miles by the PM and government officials on fossil fuel-powered aircrafts. While Davis must continue to lend his voice to this discussion like his predecessors alongside influential world leaders, we have more serious issues that need urgent attention. Several Bahamians believe that the PM has been distracted and has spent more time in the air or overseas, removing him from the plight of the masses. The PLP’s term in office is coming to an end, and it is sad that the PM, by his own admission, is still seeking to address the cost of living crisis.
Against this backdrop, there is really no need to exaggerate or magnify PM Davis’ impact on climate change at the expense of more pressing national issues. PM Davis is not Captain Climate and he has not single handedly shifted the debate on climate change. On the home front, we ended 2023 with 110 murders and 2024 seems to be trending in the same direction. If Bahamians were asked whether they wanted the PM to focus on the various crises at home or climate change, the answer would be the former. Bahamians constantly lament the ills of corruption, cronyism, nepotism, immigration, healthcare, public transportation, and education, just to mention a few. Our people have no issue with addressing climate change but they believe that Davis has his priorities twisted.
It is time to move beyond advancing a foreign policy initiative with fancy words, catchphrases, public relations and no action. The focus must be on what we have done about the things we can control instead of the big ideas over which we have no say or control. In that vein, what tangible progress has been made since the current administration took office in 2021 to increase our resilience to intense hurricanes and external shocks?
Written by: Arinthia S. Komolafe
