PM and 10 others depart for Egypt today
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Clint Watson yesterday advised the public to stay tuned to the prime minister’s remarks at the UN’s climate change conference COP 27 as there will be a major announcement on the future of climate change and construction in the country.
Watson responded to concerns over the size of the COP 27 delegation to El Sheikh, Egypt, and confirmed there will be a group of ten traveling with Prime Minister Philip Davis today.
“I want to make sure we understand and clarify that for you, that 70 people representing the Bahamas are going to COP 27, not 70 people from the government going to COP 27,” he said.
Watson said Prime Minister Davis is scheduled to speak to the Conference of Parties on Tuesday, November 8, adding that various groups will be attending workshops and seminars related to their specified areas of expertise over the three-week period of the conference.
“Prime Minister Davis will focus on the continued push in the Bahamas to fight climate change and update the public on strides made since traveling to COP last year,” said Watson.
“We’ve also stressed how, instead of talk, we’ve been taking action on a number of fronts. Mr. Davis will also make a major announcement as well on the future of climate change and construction in the Bahamas; something we want you to stay tuned for.
“We will provide dates and times that of course treatment live so the entire country can be able to watch and tune in as the Prime Minister addresses the world from COP 27,” Watson said.
The press secretary stressed the importance of putting the issue into context, he said many people from the private sector are going because they understand the vision and importance of the trip.
Watson continued: “The reason why you’re probably going to see every year more and more Bahamians go to COP 27 is because people are understanding the relevance of it and the importance of it and how vulnerable we are as a nation to it and as a private sector, understand and see how it impacts what they do.
“More and more of them are going. More and more companies are sending representatives to make sure that they’re at the table. They’re at the place where negotiations are taking place to ensure that their future safeguarded are protected and their voices are heard.
“So we encourage people from the private sector to get on board in this fight against climate change,” Watson said.
Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources, and Family Island Affairs, Clay Sweeting will be the only minister traveling with the delegation according to Watson who confirmed that Sweeting would be playing a heavy role in agriculture and food security.
The next senior government official who was said to be traveling with the group is Attorney General, Ryan Pinder who will lead negotiations on behalf of the country.
“I know there have been some concerns or talks or misunderstandings surrounding the delegation when it was announced that it was 70 people.
“[…] The matter of fact that the private sector makes up a larger portion of the delegation going to COP with some 37 persons from the private sector who will be going from various youth organizations, various NGOs, environmental groups, and individual persons as well.”
Environmentalist and Waterkeepers Bahamas President, Joseph Darville said he found it ironic that the government is still neglecting local issues at home that are impacting the environment like major developments that destroy mangroves and coral reefs, and natural buffers against storms and hurricanes.
He added that while he’s not against development, he thinks the government should be more responsible in making sure that there are still checks and balances in place to protect the environment.
“They are taking a delegation to Egypt, some 70 people, they’re going to go over there and plead for money to deal with the results of climate change when you’re not dealing with the matters at hand, like the destruction that’s still going on, on some of the islands, of hundreds of acres of mangroves and now we are trying to plant 30 thousand mangroves.
“[…] they do not contact and deal with people who have it at their soul and at their guts and their belly how to protect our environment but yet they spend all this money to galavant over there and you know they’re gonna get some money and what the heck they’re gonna do with it?”
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