Manhattan, New York, September 25, 2024 (SKNIS): The Honourable Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment of St Kitts and Nevis, delivered a compelling keynote address at the Climate Mobility Summit on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. Speaking on behalf of St Kitts and Nevis and the broader Caribbean region, Dr. Clarke underscored the urgent need for global collaboration in addressing climate mobility and the existential threats posed by climate change.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Clarke challenged the often-idealized perception of the Caribbean.
“This is the idealism that is often marketed of our islands – your paradise for a few days. But the lived reality of Caribbean residents is not what most think of when preparing to bake in our unforgiving sunshine,” she stated, drawing attention to the daily struggles Caribbean nations face due to rising sea levels and climate crises. “Climate change is not a distant threat for the Caribbean or for small island developing states across the world. It is omnipresent and a very sobering reality.”
Dr. Clarke emphasised that climate mobility is not just an environmental issue, but a human rights concern, highlighting how climate displacement disrupts communities and erodes cultural identities.
“For us, every inch of rising water, every drought, every hurricane represents lost land, culture, and opportunity,” the environment minister remarked, while stressing that climate change-induced displacement is becoming an increasing reality for many Caribbean families forced to leave their homes, not out of choice, but out of necessity.
She called for the global community to work together in combating the challenges of climate immobility. She outlined key areas for action, including fostering stronger connections among small island states and their partners, demanding access to adequate climate financing, and insisting on climate transparency and corporate accountability from industrial polluters.
Dr. Clarke passionately encouraged collaboration across borders, sectors, and communities.
“Let us work to safeguard our paradises and fight for their existence so that our people for generations to come can know themselves, not by struggle or displacement, but through a heritage and a home that lives on,” she said.
According to Minister Clarke, the Global Center for Climate Mobility engagement at the summit built on earlier connections. A series of meetings were held with the Global Center for Climate Mobility (GCCM) during the margins of the SIDS4 conference, and St. Kitts and Nevis has since maintained close contact with the organisation. During this summit, the collaboration was further solidified as St. Kitts and Nevis confirmed joint cooperation for a climate youth forum to be held at COP29. These interactions are expected to result in the advancement of resources for climate youth activists and environmental youth groups in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Climate Mobility Summit 2024, taking place on September 25-26 in New York during the UN High-Level Week, brings together global leaders, policymakers, experts, and representatives of affected communities to address the urgent issue of climate-induced displacement and migration. The summit aims to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change on forced displacement, share knowledge on legal, policy, and financial tools to address climate mobility, and promote cooperation among stakeholders to develop concrete solutions for affected communities, advancing global efforts to support those on the frontline of the climate crisis.
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