The president of the Fourth International Conference of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Gaston Alfonso Browne, accused wealthy nations of empty climate pledges and promises on Monday, referring to a lack of financial help to small and developing countries along with the inadequacy in carbon reduction by the rich and developed countries.

Antigua and Barbuda, a small island nation on the Caribbean Sea, hosts this decade’s SIDS summit. The conference began on May 27 with the theme, “Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity” and will continue until May 30.

Alfonso Browne, the current prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, highlighted the “unprecedented global challenges where the SIDS found themselves on the frontline of battle against a conference of crisis.” Browne also remarked on how these environmental repercussions where the SIDS are most vulnerable have not been created by themselves, “characterized by their small size, limited financial resources, and human capital.”  He called out developed nations for their continuous carbon emissions and environmental harm and blasted them for their failing their “obligation to compensation” to the SIDS. and other states. Browne was referring to the 100 billion dollars in climate financing that was agreed to under the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2009 and was reiterated in the 2015 Paris Agreement. In his opening statement at the conference, Browne posed questions to global leaders while stating:

Oil producing countries are significant contributors to the environmental challenges that now must be held accountable for their pivotal role in this global climate crisis where they prioritized profits over environmental sustainability. Isn’t it high time to end fossil fuel subsidies and to make these companies accountable to reduce emissions and to accelerate the transitions to renewable energy resources to protect lives and livelihoods? Shouldn’t a global oil tax be levied on these companies which are consistently enjoying supernormal profits?

The first international conference of SIDS was held in April 1994 in Barbados to find possible solutions for the climate catastrophe that the small island states have been facing. Barbados Programme of Action for Small Island Developing States was adopted during the conference while emphasizing the evident need for a sustainable approach for nations in alleviating climate crisis. The second international SIDS conference was held in Mauritius in 2005 which witnessed the unanimous adoption of the Mauritius declaration, which covered certain areas of concern including rising sea levels as well as natural and environmental disasters. The last and third SIDS international conference which adopted the Samoa Pathway was held in 2014 in Apia, Samoa. The pathway integrated environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable development. 

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations had also called on the developed nations to “honour their commitments to provide $100 billion a year to developing countries for climate support and fully replenish the Green Climate Fund.”

Correction:  A previous version of this article referred to Alfonso Browne as Antigua and Barbuda’s president; he is the country’s prime minister.