PM Talks About COP26 and His Frustration With Some Developed Countries.

Prime Minister Briceño also commented this morning on his experience in Glasgow at COP26, going this time as a national leader, and his frustration with some of the larger countries who have damaged their own environments but are now telling small countries to adapt to climate change.

Prime Minister John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I have attended several COP meetings when I was a minister of the environment, but now that I went as the Prime Minister, obviously it is a totally different ball game. Quite exciting to be among your colleagues, the big boys and girls in the league, in the world. But once you are in there you realize you are one among equals, we all represent our own countries. And that Belize is in a position, where we can boast and that we can, I am trying to find the right word, where we can throw at them, you know, we are doing our part. ….. In conservation efforts Belize is among the best in the world. We have almost about thirty percent of the land under protected status, over sixty percent under forest cover. With the agreement that we have started with TNC, by 2026 we are going to have about 30 percent of our waters under some sort of protection. And the developed countries have not done that. What they have done, they have destroyed their environment to be able to develop themselves. But that development is now having a direct impact in developing countries like ours. And my frustration, and when I lashed out, it was not planned when the lady asked me the question, was to point out our frustration. Here we are doing our part, but you big guys are not doing your part and now you are talking about adaptation?”