Now that the Conference of Parties (COP) climate change summit has ended, the Government must report to the nation on its progress with respect to its international commitments.
This from UNC MP, Dr Rishad Seecheran.
The two-week conference stressed the need for greater urgency toward meeting climate solutions, through the phasing out of fossil fuels and introduction of alternative sources of energy.
Seecheran said the Government must follow up its public pledges with focused time-bound action and accountability to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. He says the country awaits a report from Minister Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, this country’s representative at COP 28.
In a release, Seecheran said: At COP28, diplomats from nearly 200 countries agreed to transition away from fuels like oil, gas, and coal, a first at U.N. climate talks. Past deals urged countries to cut emissions but avoided mentioning fossil fuels. The agreement comes during the hottest year in recorded history.
Trinidad and Tobago had previously committed to reducing cumulative greenhouse gas emissions and tripling its renewable energy capacity by 15 per cent by 2030. There have been nominal measures with respect to industry, power generation, and public transportation. The Government also announced plans for a solar power programme, the introduction of electric vehicles, and various policy initiatives and pledges to international protocols.
As a small island industrial state, Trinidad and Tobago has a crucial responsibility to adhere to its commitments, especially in the face of threats of disastrous floods, coastal erosion, water shortages, reduced food production, health complications, and other negative impacts. The COP convention stressed the increasing urgency of the climate crisis and the obligation to transition from the fossil fuel era in the quickest possible period.
Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, Minister of Planning and Development, has publicly committed Trinidad and Tobago to the carbon reduction strategy and to playing our role toward “zero emissions.” Ms. Beckles-Robinson must now account to the nation on all announced greenhouse gas mitigation measures, including alternative sources of energy, such as solar, wind, and thermal. The Minister must also provide a progress report on recycling, the use of “green” energy, forestry management, and other conversation-based solutions.
The Government must follow up its public pledges with focused time-bound action and accountability to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The country awaits a report from Minister Beckles-Robinson.