The Climate 100 List: Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley is paving the way for reforming climate finance

The Independent

The Climate 100 List: Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley is paving the way for reforming climate finance

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Known for her powerful speeches, Mottleys landmark Bridgetown Initiative calls for serious change to debt repayments for developing nations, who suffer the most after devastation caused by the climate crisis - yet have contributed the least This is not science fiction, this is our reality, Barbados prime minister, Mia Mottley , has repeatedly said in global speeches. Shes referring to the state of our climate and has quickly become one of the worlds most prominent voices on the severity of the issue , where her actions match her words. Shes set ambitious targets, like cutting fossil fuels in Barbados by 2030; has a vision for all homes on the island to have solar roof panels; and has schemes for restoring coral reefs and planting a million trees. Mottley is a former lawyer, who earned a law degree from the University of London and studied at Londons School of Economics. Though politics is almost in her DNA as her grandfather, Ernest Deighton Mottley, was the first mayor of Bridgetown who received a knighthood in the 2019 New Years Eve Honors and her uncle (named after her grandfather) was the political leader of the Christian Social Democratic Party. She began her political career in 1991, and aged just 29 she was one of the youngest Bajans to be assigned a minister portfolio. She was then appointed Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture in 1994 (a role she held until 2001) and in 1996 she was elected general secretary of the Barbados Labour Party. Since becoming the countrys eighth prime minister in 2018, Mottley has added a number of firsts to her name, too. Shes not only the first woman to lead the country, but also the first to serve since Barbados became a republic in November 2021 (behind which she was a driving force). She was also the first Bajan to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. Aside from those milestones, she cemented herself as a trailblazing leader and quickly became known for her eloquent, urgent and powerful speeches after announcing her Bridgetown Initiative at the opening ceremony of the Cop26 climate summit in November 2021. The initiative advocates for poorer nations, who bear the physical and financial brunt of the climate crisis yet who have contributed the least emissions. In 2020, Barbados accounted for less than 0.01 percent of global emissions. At the UN in September 2021, Mottley said: We have the means to invest in protecting the most vulnerable on our planet from a change in climate, but we choose not to. It is not because we do not have enough, it is because we do not have the will to distribute that which we have. She went on to say: Our world knows not what it is gambling with, and if we dont control this fire, it will burn us all down, where she also drew on the lyrics of Bob Marley, pointedly asking, who will get up and stand up for the rights of our people? The following year, at Cop27 in Egypt, she told leaders of the worlds wealthiest countries that their failures to do better resulted in a death sentence to small islands and developing nations, as The Independent previously reported. To combat the lack of action, the Bridgetown Initiative aims to spearhead a reform in world finance, rebalancing the difference between wealthier and poorer counties in how theyre able to cope with and adapt to the effects of the climate crisis. The movement pushes Barbados to the forefront of tackling the disparity in coping with the climate crisis, which is rooted in how vulnerable Barbados (and other island nations) are. At its heart, Mottleys plan wants debt capped or cancelled for climate-stricken nations. Those on the climate frontlines are most at risk of rising sea levels along with extreme weather disasters like floods, hurricanes, coastal erosion and droughts. And while debt repayment for wealthier nations is usually around 1-4 percent, poorer countries face staggering rates of 12-14 percent, because theyre seen as much riskier loans. These higher interest rates seriously hamper the ability to repay, especially in conjunction with attempting to rebuild homes, hospitals and schools after extreme disasters. For developing countries, the cost of countering climate-related natural disasters is estimated at $70bn per year - but could rise to as much as $300bn by 2030. Mottley sees the Bridgetown Initiative working in the same way that Europes debt was capped post-Second World War, so countries were able to rebuild. Without this approach to the gulf of inequality and outdated repayment structures, Mottley says its nearly impossible for vulnerable nations to truly be able to fight the climate crisis. The initiative also demands that wealthier countries - who account for four fifths of global emissions - pay more towards funding climate resilience in poorer nations. Our people are watching, and our people are taking note, she told global leaders from the stage of Cop26 in Glasgow. Are we really going to leave... without the commitment to ambition that is sorely needed to save lives and to save our planet? Or are we so blinded and hardened that we can no longer appreciate the cries of humanity? The Independent will be revealing its Climate100 List in September and hosting an event in New York, which can be attended online, to reserve your place click here . Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies POOL/AFP via Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, speaks at COP28 on December 2, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Getty Images Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Log in New to The Independent? Or if you would prefer: Hi {{indy.fullName}}