How Barbados became a mighty voice for climate justice

The collaboration between Barbados and UNEP extends beyond action on climate change. UNEP has supported the country’s efforts to conserve biodiversity, control invasive species, rein in marine pollution and phase out ozone-depleting chemicals, among other things. UNEP also helped Barbados produce its first report on the state of its environment, a second edition of which is now underway. And UNEP is supporting the nation as it modernizes its environmental governance and develops strategies for greening its economy. 

Sinckler says that type of technical assistance work is vital for small island developing states, which often only have a handful of people working on environmental issues. 

“If you look around the room [at international summits], small island developing states are represented by one or two people,” he said. “These are the same one or two people that, at home, are implementing every convention, monitoring every aspect of the environment and engaging in meetings at the regional level. So, capacity support is significant.” 

The world remains off track in the effort to rein in the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change. Based on current national commitments, the Earth is on pace to warm by 2.9°C since the start of the industrial era, a number that would shatter limits in the Paris Agreement.  

Sinckler, though, believes that by acting together, the countries of the world can ward off disaster.  

“We have to be optimistic,” he said. “As my prime minister says, we put a man on the moon 60 years ago. So, mustering the human will to respond to a crisis we created is within our reach.” 

Barbados is one of UNEP’s funding partners, whose full-share contributions to UNEP’s Environment Fund enable agile, innovative global solutions for climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Learn how to support UNEP to invest in people and planet.