Prime Minister Gaston Browne delivered a forceful appeal for urgent climate financing reform as he addressed parliamentarians at the First Sitting of the Caribbean–European Union Parliamentary Assembly at the Convention Centre of the American University of Antigua on Monday.

Browne warned that while global discussions continue, small island states remain on the frontline of climate change.

“There is no refuge in indifference,” he said. “If the Caribbean perishes, climate change will not retreat — it will gather momentum and strike the next most vulnerable nations.”

Caribbean-EU Parliamentary Assembly (Screenshot of OACPS Secretariat)

The Prime Minister expressed support for the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative, emphasizing the need for concrete actions.

He called for quicker climate fund disbursement, simplified access procedures, investment in renewable energy and infrastructure, and eligibility criteria based on vulnerability rather than outdated income classifications.

“This is not a plea for charity,” Browne emphasized. “It is a call for partnership grounded in shared risk and shared responsibility.”

PM Browne addresses Caribbean-EU Parliamentary Assembly (Screenshot of OACPS Secretariat)

He argued that small island developing states (SIDS) are often excluded from concessional financing because they are classified as middle-income countries, despite being highly climate-vulnerable and disaster-prone.

The Assembly, being held February 16–18, brings together Caribbean and European parliamentarians to deepen cooperation in trade, climate, security, and governance.