We must doublethe funding for adaptation and expedite the allocation of resourcesto address the damages caused by climate change, said KenrickWilliams, the country's Vice Minister of Sustainable Developmentand Climate Change, as he delivered her national statement at theCOP29 summit, reports. Williams noted that the climate crisis continues to have adevastating impact on vulnerable countries like Belize. Natural disasters, such as Tropical Storm Laura and forestfires, have resulted in losses exceeding $200 million, representingmore than 6 percent of the country’s GDP in the past two years.
“We need a doubling of adaptation financing, and we need toexpedite the financing for loss and damage. Every moment ofinaction causes harm to lives, ecosystems, and livelihoods.Investment in adaptation is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite forsurvival," he said.
The Vice Minister emphasized the importance of globalparticipation in tackling the climate crisis, urging that allcountries, including Taiwan, must join in the collective effort toensure a sustainable future. To note, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties tothe UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which willrun until November 22, opened at the Baku Olympic Stadium onNovember 11. It is the largest event organized by Azerbaijan todate, and the first time in the region that it is being held inAzerbaijan.
Within COP29, the highest-level event - the summit of worldleaders on climate action - was held on Nove.