Small Island Developing States at existential risk need reliable international partners: will the UK step up?

Excerpt and Photo from committees.parliament.uk

International Development Committee says new Loss and Damage funding should be disbursed as grants, not more debt.

Small Island Developing States are among the world’s most vulnerable countries. They are particularly exposed to the impacts of climate change – including intensifying tropical cyclones, sea level rise and the destruction of the coral reefs upon which their wider ocean ecosystems and economies depend.

If global temperatures rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius, the Earth will lose 70% of its coral reefs. At 2 degrees increase, we will lose 99% of global coral reefs, with devastating consequences to the SIDS communities dependent on them. The UK’s Climate Change Committee reports that temperatures are already more than 1 degree above pre-industrial levels; NASA puts it at 1.36 degrees. There is a very real risk that rising sea levels will cause some SIDS to disappear underwater by the end of this century.

Small Island Developing States are taking ambitious steps to address these challenges, but they need committed international partners to support them.