At the COP30 Conference in Belém, Brazil, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador for Climate Change, Ruleta Camacho-Thomas, delivered a compelling address at a high-level event focused on Climate Mobility and Loss and Damage. Her speech shed light on the profound and multifaceted challenges faced by Caribbean communities due to climate-induced displacement. Ambassador Camacho-Thomas emphasized that the displacement caused by climate change extends beyond physical relocation, deeply affecting mental health, community cohesion, and cultural heritage. Drawing from Antigua and Barbuda’s experience with Hurricane Irma and Jamaica’s ongoing struggles after Hurricane Melissa, she illustrated how natural disasters can rapidly dismantle the social fabric of entire populations. The Ambassador stressed the urgent need for access to the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, a critical resource to alleviate the human, economic, and cultural toll of displacement. She asserted that climate mobility is not a distant threat but a present reality reshaping Caribbean life. Ambassador Camacho-Thomas called for a collective response that prioritizes the protection of people, culture, and dignity. Her participation at COP30 highlights Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership in advocating for climate justice, equity, and resilience, particularly for small island developing states on the global stage.
Ambassador Ruleta Camacho-Thomas Champions Caribbean Voices on Climate Mobility and Loss and Damage at COP30 in Brazil
