Chief Minister Rebecca Cairns-Wick has issued a reminder of the stakes facing St Helena regarding global warming, describing the island’s climate strategy as a matter of “survival” in a recent interview.
Speaking during a BBC discussion before the COP30 climate summit, the Chief Minister addressed the growing concerns that international targets to limit global warming are slipping out of reach.
“I think you always have to have hope,” Rebecca said. “It would be all too easy to give up and say that things are not possible… But by working together, amplifying our voice… we are united in our ambition”.
During the discussion, the Chief Minister was pressed on the difficulties of St Helena’s political status. As a British Overseas Territory, the Island relies on the UK government to negotiate on its behalf on the global stage, potentially limiting its direct influence.
Rebecca acknowledged the challenge but emphasised that shared values and partnerships such as the “Go Programme” are vital to the Island’s strategy. She stressed that the priority is “communicating well with the UK government” to ensure St Helena’s specific needs are understood in Westminster.
To that end, the Chief Minister confirmed she was travelling to London to attend the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). She will join heads of other Islands and Overseas Territories to present a united front to the UK government.
The primary agenda item will be securing necessary funding. Rebbeca was clear that St Helena’s internal budget cannot shoulder the burden of climate change alone.
“We do not have the ability within our recurrent budget to adapt and be flexible to climate change on our own,” she explained. “We are highly dependent on having that climate finance from the UK”.
The interview highlighted St Helena’s status as an extremely biologically diverse environment that is “desperately in need of protection”.
For the Chief Minister, the path forward relies on the strength from other small island states facing similar threats. She concluded that for frontline communities, these negotiations are not abstract politics, but the key to “our ability to adapt, and to respond, and to cope”.
You can listen to the full discussion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR8xG953M1E