French Ambassador to T&T, Ambassador Hedi Picquart said this country is the first in the Caribbean region to show its commitment to deal with the effects of climate change.
This comes ahead of today’s conference in Paris where global leaders will meet to talk about climate change, including gas emissions and its effect on the environment.
The ambassador was speaking at the start of yesterday’s People’s Climate march titled, From Port-of-Spain to Paris 2015, which started at the Nelson Mandela Park in St James and had between 500 and 600 participants, according to director, Jonathon Barcant from the IAMovement, a non-profit organisation founded in 2014.
Countries across the globe held similar events.
Picquart said T&T should be proud of its commitment to climate change: “The T&T authorities have presented their INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) in August, being the first in the Caribbean basin to do it.”
He said that this would go toward the final COP21 document. Referring to today’s COP21 conference, he said: “Governments from 195 countries will meet in the upcoming days to draw a Paris/climate alliance with France which will be a universal, ambitious and legally binding agreement. Climate change issues would not be resolved in a one day or two weeks conference.”
But Picquart added: “Joining forces and acting together is something essential. States, local governments, the local citizens, everyone can do something at his own scale.”