Abstract
Studies have indicated that climate change is likely to have dramatic negative effects for Caribbean small island developing states. This article considers the main economic effects that climate change is anticipated to have in these vulnerable states, charts the progress of international negotiations at the 2009 Copenhagen conference, and provides a brief analysis of the impact of the Copenhagen Accord on Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Although climate change has traditionally been seen solely as an environmental issue, its economic effects on vulnerable developing nations, such as Caribbean SIDS, forces a re-definition of climate change to that of a more complex union of environmental and developmental issues for these states. By highlighting some of the anticipated economic effects of climate change for Caribbean SIDS, the author aims to provide a broader context for the issue of climate change for Caribbean SIDS.
Highlights
Climate change poses difficult issues in the international arena
The effects of climate change will be felt mostly by developing countries including small island developing states (SIDS), which must rely on the largely voluntary future mitigation commitments of certain industrialised countries (Haites, Pantin, Attza, Bruce, & MacKinnon, 2002, p. 2). These commitments are currently being negotiated through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process, which produced a poor result for Caribbean states in the Copenhagen Accord developed during the 15th
This article considers some of the main economic effects that climate change is anticipated to have in these vulnerable states, charts the progress of international negotiations at the 2009 Copenhagen conference, and provides a brief analysis of the impact of the Copenhagen Accord to Caribbean small island states
Summary
Climate change poses difficult issues in the international arena. It is a long-term problem which requires coordinated and long-term policy solutions from sovereign states. This article considers some of the main economic effects that climate change is anticipated to have in these vulnerable states, charts the progress of international negotiations at the 2009 Copenhagen conference, and provides a brief analysis of the impact of the Copenhagen Accord to Caribbean small island states. Characteristic Vulnerabilities of Caribbean SIDS There is no universal definition of Small Island Developing States (SIDS); there are currently 51 SIDS included in the list used by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
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