The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) has released a statement in response to the G20’s dissent on climate change commitments.

The statement reads:

As the G20 energy and environment ministers meeting closed today without agreement on climate, the Alliance of Small Island States is heartened by the stance of countries which have stood up for a more ambitious target.

Remarks from AOSIS lead climate negotiator, Ambassador Diann Black-Layne of Antigua and Barbuda:

“It is really encouraging to see that for once there has been a really conscious debate, and we applaud those G20 countries that refused to settle for a weak consensus. AOSIS is aware that in 2017 the IMF indicated that the unfunded cost of climate change is well over 4 trillion dollars. Every citizen in the planet is wondering what we are waiting for to make a dramatic move.

“The value of the coal, oil, and gas industry is not worth the losses we are seeing globally. This does not make economic sense but demonstrates that the politics of the fossil fuel industry seems to be far more important than the rest of the global economy and its people. There are alternatives to coal, oil and gas and AOSIS will no longer accept further excuses from these big and powerful countries.

“Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, and onset of severe weather which has yielded disastrous consequences, it is interesting to see that some G20 countries are not letting the traditional power and politics of the oil, gas, and coal industry prevail completely.

“For those who supported a more ambitious target, AOSIS would like to send you the gratitude and the best wishes of all our men, women, boys, and girls of our 39 small vulnerable countries.”