Madam Executive Secretary
Chairs of the Subsidiary Bodies
Excellencies
Colleagues
I speak on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, in line with the intervention by the Group
of 77 and China.
This year, as Parties, we have two critical challenges ahead: the first is to build accountability and
follow-through to convert the Glasgow Climate Pact promises into credible and tangible action;
the second is to urgently accelerate a just climate transition that will benefit people’s lives.
Permit me to elaborate.
GLASGOW CLIMATE PACT FOLLOW-THROUGH
On the first pillar of the Glasgow Climate Pact:
At COP26, we witnessed a clear shift to collectively support keeping 1.5 alive. The Glasgow
Climate Pact called on Parties to revisit and strengthen 2030 targets in NDCs. We need each
Party to do this, aligned to a 1.5-degree global emissions pathway with no overshoot. We expect
strengthened NDC targets from major emitters, especially G20 members, by September to inform
the Synthesis Report. This is just 3 months away!
The Mitigation Work Programme is our chance to close the pre-2030 ambition gap. This session
should draft text for adoption at COP27 that sets out the critical evidence-based actions for a 1.5-
pathway with no overshoot. We call on Parties to indicate when their emissions will peak in their
revised NDCs, for those who have not yet peaked emissions or announced a peaking year.
COP26 was a historic moment for explicitly pointing to fossil fuel subsidies, and their marketdistorting impact. Excellencies, our decision on this has been reinforced by the Secretary-General
of the UN, who called fossil fuel subsidies a “scandal”, and the IPCC, which estimates that phasing
out subsidies would reduce global GHG emissions by up to one tenth, a full 10%, by 2030 – an
amount larger than the third highest emitting Party.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA AOSIS CHAIRMANSHIP 2021-2022
In contrast to the estimated nearly $6 trillion that subsidized fossil fuels in 2020, developed
countries undershot the hundred-billion-dollar goal, and provided just $19 billion for adaptation.
The Glasgow decision to at least double adaptation finance from 2019 levels, must be reinforced
with a plan and complemented by concrete progress on the global goal on adaptation work
programme. This should include key performance indicators on access and support. The data
we’ve seen on the number of months to approve an adaptation project is, frankly, embarrassing.
It’s no wonder the private sector doesn’t engage in adaptation finance.
Implementation mode means turning promises into credible action. Today’s SBs are a half-way
milestone from COP26 to COP27. We need to see and demonstrate progress at this session to
arrive in Sharm El-Sheikh on solid ground.
ACCELERATE A JUST TRANSITION
On the second pillar of a just transition:
We have always said that SIDS are canaries in a coal mine when it comes to climate change. This
year’s IPCC reports confirmed just that, recognizing now, all regions, all countries, companies,
communities, and people are being adversely impacted by climate change.
Loss and damage and response measures are the cross-cutting “safeguards” of the Convention and
the Paris Agreement.
Loss and damage is already happening now and getting worse, but financing to address loss and
damage has spun its wheels for 30 years.
For AOSIS, the global architecture designed to address climate change is a moral hazard, where
each tonne of emissions does not bear the cost of that tonne on vulnerable economies and
populations. In 2019, the 39 SIDS emitted just 0.6% of global emissions. Yet, our countries are
disproportionately suffering from climate-induced displacement.

As we stated at the adoption of CMA.3 last year, AOSIS firmly believes that this year’s Glasgow
Dialogue should lead to the conclusion that a new Loss and Damage Finance Facility is necessary
and will be adopted at this year’s COP, so that the future Glasgow Dialogues to 2024 can
operationalize the Facility. We reiterate that position here today, and signal our position for an
agenda item on funding arrangements at COP 27 and CMA 4 to facilitate this becoming a reality.
On response measures, peaking global emissions at the last possible window to limit warming to
1.5-degrees, which is where we are today, means a dramatic, steep emissions decline. Casualties
of the steep decline ahead means more stranded assets, more job displacement, more uncertainty
and risk to developing economies, more burden on disadvantaged communities – women, youth,
indigenous peoples, local communities, persons with special needs. Response measures covers
analytical work to diversify carbon-intensive sectors and economies and re-train workers.
As we Parties collectively underperform on the three Article 2 goals of the Paris Agreement –
adaptation, mitigation and finance – the cross-cutting safeguards of addressing loss and damage
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA AOSIS CHAIRMANSHIP 2021-2022
and response measures must now kick in. That is the global perspective we expect to see from a
robust Stocktake that prepares us for the coming years of pre-2030 action and implementation.
Finally, rest assured, Distinguished Chairs, that AOSIS will work with you and our partners for
strong conclusions at SB-56, in a manner that moves us all forward on the Convention and the
Paris Agreement. Progress must be captured in writing; we cannot afford to waste time.
Thank you.