Created: Apr 04, 2023 07:38 AM

Climate concern: Lord Michael Naseby (Photograph supplied)

The British Government is helping Caribbean nations to develop policies to combat global warming, while neglecting Overseas Territories such as Bermuda, it has been claimed.

But last night the Ministry of Home affairs pointed out that the island already had a team of experts working on policy development and did not need further assistance from Britain.

In a debate on global warming in the House of Lords on Thursday, Lord Michael Naseby pointed out that, according to a new United Nations report, CO2 emissions need to be cut by 80 per cent by 2040 in order to contain global warming.

The Conservative peer went on to explain what a number of countries were doing to tackle the problem, including Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and Samoa.

He then questioned why Britain was providing assistance in the form of “special resources” to Caribbean nations such as Jamaica and Barbuda, while neglecting overseas territories such as Bermuda.

He said: “I will say a few words about the Cayman Islands. I declare an interest — my youngest son works there. They know what hurricanes are like.

“I have seen the results of hurricanes on the ground in the Cayman Islands. The results were horrific. Every year, they worry particularly in the hurricane season, around September.

“I wonder why His Majesty’s Government are providing some special resources to Antigua, Barbuda, Jamaica and Saint Lucia, providing a person called a climate adviser, whereas the Cayman Islands, with 66,000 people, the Turks & Caicos Islands and Bermuda, with 62,000, at the moment get nothing.”

Lord Naseby said that authorities needed to urgently “take some practical action” in order for emissions to be reduced in the next two decades.

He suggested that the Foreign Office could assist Commonwealth nations to form a combined taskforce “to give advice, help and motivation for the plans for the small dependencies and countries such as those I referred to”.

He said: “They need a clear policy framework to know what is possible and what can be financed.

“I know there is a joint fund, split between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, but, frankly, it is too cumbersome and is not targeted precisely enough.

“Finance is key to deliver the trillions of dollars needed for climate change, but I do not think we have that structure at the moment.”

On Friday, a spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs said that experts already on island were “more than qualified“ to advise the Government.

The spokesman said: “Bermuda has a climate taskforce which includes representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Public Works, Finance, Transport and the Bermuda Weather Service.

“The members, including scientists, engineers and planners, are experts and more than qualified to advise on matters relating to the impact of climate change.

“Furthermore, the public will be aware that the $400,000 grant provided by the UK Government will go towards preparing a climate study. Through the Blue Shield initiative, we are also working with the UK Government to support Exclusive Economic Zone enforcement and research.

“We are the first Overseas Territory to benefit from this programme. As such, there is no need for an additional climate adviser from the UK.”