Grenada
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STATEMENT
BY
DR. THE RIGHT HONOURABLE KEITH MITCHELL
PRIME MINISTER OF GRENADA
AT
INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE 4
“PROTECTING OUR PLANET AND COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE”
TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL CHAMBERS
27 SEPTEMBER 2015
NEW YORK
CHAIRED BY:
THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE, H.E. FRANCOIS HOLLAND
THE PRESIDENT FOR PERU, H.E. OLLANTA HUMALA
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
_________________________________________________________________
PERMANENT MISSION OF GRENADA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
800 SECOND AVENUE, SUITE 400-K · NEW YORK, NY 10017
TEL: (212) 599-0301 · FAX: (212) 599-1540
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President Holland and
President Humala
Distinguished Heads of Delegations, Ministers,
Excellences, ladies and Gentlemen
Thank you Mr. President for convening this Interactive Dialogue; I am delighted to be part of this particular panel, given its focus on climate change.
For Grenada, the Caribbean and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the world, climate change is not a distant reality but a manifest predicament. We experienced the grim truth, of climate change in Grenada ten years ago when Hurricane Ivan destroyed 90% of our homes and more than 70% of our agriculture. It caused damage worth 200% of our GDP. Compare this with Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters to hit our neighboring country the United States; this hurricane caused $135 billion worth of damage but this was still less than 2% of the GDP of the United States. So, when a single event causes damage worth 200% of our GDP that gives you a sense of the scale of damage which occurred in Grenada.
It is fitting that today I take this opportunity to highlight the damage brought about by tropical storm Erika to our sister nation the Commonwealth of Dominica. We urge the global community to continue their support for Dominica.
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Amidst our challenges to mitigate and build resilience, I wish to highlight and welcome the engagement of many countries that are being supportive of the Caribbean and point to the recent expression of support from the People’s Republic of China following my recent meeting with Premier Le Kequiang.
Grenada agrees that protecting the Planet starts with protecting the environment - to protect our people; and as the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “We have no planet B; we must protect this one.” The increasing intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms we are experiencing, and the other manifestations of climate change occurring around the world, must be managed by reducing atmospheric garbage, and carbon emissions. We must be able to disassociate economic growth from carbon intensity. We call on all member states and stakeholders, to embrace sustainable Development Goal 13 and its targets, in the spirit of the 2030 agenda, for transforming our world.
Grenada has re-defined its pathway to success by formulating and implementing active economic, social and environmental policies, closely aligned to policymaking as the instrument by which success can be achieved in a sustainable manner. To do so, however, includes redefining development, by putting a price on carbon, and we must incentivize practices and technologies that reduce carbon releases.
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Tourism, is our largest industry and we have branded Grenada as a sustainable tourism destination with the PURE GRENADA brand and campaign which refers to our spices, pristine tropical rain forests, and our coral reefs.
Grenada has adopted Climate Smart Agriculture by embracing partnerships with our more developed partners, and today, most of Grenada’s export crops are from trees that require no tillage. Grenada is the world’s second largest producer of nutmeg and has one of the highest quality cocoa.
Food Security must be “climate smart”. As a source of protein, Seafood is amongst the lowest in carbon intensity compared with beef, pork and lamb. So, in terms of fisheries, Grenada is pleased to be part of the Global Blue Growth Network that recognizes the need to better protect the marine environment while also aiming to produce an additional 60 million tons of fish through sustainable aquaculture by the year 2030. Grenada has already committed to conserving 20% of its near shore marine environment. We are actively pursuing opportunities for ocean aquaculture. Moreover, in 2016, we will be hosting an international conference for investment in Blue Growth, in collaboration with the Dutch, and other governments, the World Bank, FAO and other development partners.
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Grenada embraces Sustainable Goal #7 and its targets and anticipates enhanced international cooperation for the facilitation of access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, to promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology through a reliable Technology Transfer Mechanism.
Mr. President, looking ahead to the 21st Session of the Conference of Parties in Paris in December, Grenada looks forward to outcomes that legally address mitigation adaptation, financing technology development and transfer, with support for capacity development for SIDS like Grenada.
President Holland, I commend your leadership as we head towards COP-21 in Paris. Our agreement in Paris must have the legal force for transforming our world: through the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Grenada affirms that our people and our planet deserve peace and prosperity which can only be achieved through strong and trusted partnerships. Our pledge is to work for an ambitious and universal legally binding outcome, recognizing that if we are to achieve sustainable development, we must conserve and support sustainable use of our oceans, seas, and fresh water resource, understanding that the protection of our biodiversity, ecosystems, and wild lives is essential.
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Mr. President, let us go forward to COP-21 in Paris, embracing the Sustainable Development Goals, and let us work collectively for our planet and our people and for peace and prosperity.
I thank you.
1 | P a g e
STATEMENT
BY
DR. THE RIGHT HONOURABLE KEITH MITCHELL
PRIME MINISTER OF GRENADA
AT
INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE 4
“PROTECTING OUR PLANET AND COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE”
TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL CHAMBERS
27 SEPTEMBER 2015
NEW YORK
CHAIRED BY:
THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE, H.E. FRANCOIS HOLLAND
THE PRESIDENT FOR PERU, H.E. OLLANTA HUMALA
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
_________________________________________________________________
PERMANENT MISSION OF GRENADA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
800 SECOND AVENUE, SUITE 400-K · NEW YORK, NY 10017
TEL: (212) 599-0301 · FAX: (212) 599-1540
2
2 | P a g e
President Holland and
President Humala
Distinguished Heads of Delegations, Ministers,
Excellences, ladies and Gentlemen
Thank you Mr. President for convening this Interactive Dialogue; I am delighted to be part of this particular panel, given its focus on climate change.
For Grenada, the Caribbean and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the world, climate change is not a distant reality but a manifest predicament. We experienced the grim truth, of climate change in Grenada ten years ago when Hurricane Ivan destroyed 90% of our homes and more than 70% of our agriculture. It caused damage worth 200% of our GDP. Compare this with Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters to hit our neighboring country the United States; this hurricane caused $135 billion worth of damage but this was still less than 2% of the GDP of the United States. So, when a single event causes damage worth 200% of our GDP that gives you a sense of the scale of damage which occurred in Grenada.
It is fitting that today I take this opportunity to highlight the damage brought about by tropical storm Erika to our sister nation the Commonwealth of Dominica. We urge the global community to continue their support for Dominica.
3
3 | P a g e
Amidst our challenges to mitigate and build resilience, I wish to highlight and welcome the engagement of many countries that are being supportive of the Caribbean and point to the recent expression of support from the People’s Republic of China following my recent meeting with Premier Le Kequiang.
Grenada agrees that protecting the Planet starts with protecting the environment - to protect our people; and as the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “We have no planet B; we must protect this one.” The increasing intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms we are experiencing, and the other manifestations of climate change occurring around the world, must be managed by reducing atmospheric garbage, and carbon emissions. We must be able to disassociate economic growth from carbon intensity. We call on all member states and stakeholders, to embrace sustainable Development Goal 13 and its targets, in the spirit of the 2030 agenda, for transforming our world.
Grenada has re-defined its pathway to success by formulating and implementing active economic, social and environmental policies, closely aligned to policymaking as the instrument by which success can be achieved in a sustainable manner. To do so, however, includes redefining development, by putting a price on carbon, and we must incentivize practices and technologies that reduce carbon releases.
4
4 | P a g e
Tourism, is our largest industry and we have branded Grenada as a sustainable tourism destination with the PURE GRENADA brand and campaign which refers to our spices, pristine tropical rain forests, and our coral reefs.
Grenada has adopted Climate Smart Agriculture by embracing partnerships with our more developed partners, and today, most of Grenada’s export crops are from trees that require no tillage. Grenada is the world’s second largest producer of nutmeg and has one of the highest quality cocoa.
Food Security must be “climate smart”. As a source of protein, Seafood is amongst the lowest in carbon intensity compared with beef, pork and lamb. So, in terms of fisheries, Grenada is pleased to be part of the Global Blue Growth Network that recognizes the need to better protect the marine environment while also aiming to produce an additional 60 million tons of fish through sustainable aquaculture by the year 2030. Grenada has already committed to conserving 20% of its near shore marine environment. We are actively pursuing opportunities for ocean aquaculture. Moreover, in 2016, we will be hosting an international conference for investment in Blue Growth, in collaboration with the Dutch, and other governments, the World Bank, FAO and other development partners.
5
5 | P a g e
Grenada embraces Sustainable Goal #7 and its targets and anticipates enhanced international cooperation for the facilitation of access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, to promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology through a reliable Technology Transfer Mechanism.
Mr. President, looking ahead to the 21st Session of the Conference of Parties in Paris in December, Grenada looks forward to outcomes that legally address mitigation adaptation, financing technology development and transfer, with support for capacity development for SIDS like Grenada.
President Holland, I commend your leadership as we head towards COP-21 in Paris. Our agreement in Paris must have the legal force for transforming our world: through the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Grenada affirms that our people and our planet deserve peace and prosperity which can only be achieved through strong and trusted partnerships. Our pledge is to work for an ambitious and universal legally binding outcome, recognizing that if we are to achieve sustainable development, we must conserve and support sustainable use of our oceans, seas, and fresh water resource, understanding that the protection of our biodiversity, ecosystems, and wild lives is essential.
6
6 | P a g e
Mr. President, let us go forward to COP-21 in Paris, embracing the Sustainable Development Goals, and let us work collectively for our planet and our people and for peace and prosperity.
I thank you.
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