Climate Change and Caribbean Small Island States: The State of Play

Abstract

Studies have indicated that climate change is likely to have dramatic negative effects for Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS). This article considers some of the main economic effects that climate change is anticipated to have in these vulnerable states, charts the progress of international negotiations at the 2009 Copenhagen conference, and provides a brief analysis of the impact of the Copenhagen Accord to Caribbean SIDS. Although climate change has traditionally been seen solely as an environmental issue, its economic effects on vulnerable developing nations, such as Caribbean SIDS, force a redefinition of climate change to suggest a more complex union of environmental and developmental issues for these states. By highlighting some of the anticipated economic effects of climate change for Caribbean SIDS, the author aims to place this issue into a broader context.