ANTALYA, Turkiye, Nov 11, CMC – Antigua and Barbuda Prime MInister Gaston Browne Wednesday held talks with the executive director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Mafalda Duarte, aimed at securing increased climate financing to advance his country’s national priorities in climate adaptation, renewable energy development and resilience-building.
The meeting took place on the margins of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) here, with Prime Minister Browne outlining several priority areas in which enhanced GCF support could deliver meaningful and lasting benefits to Antigua and Barbuda, particularly in strengthening the country’s capacity to withstand increasingly severe climate-related events.
A statement issued by the Antigua and Barbuda government afterwards noted that climate-resilient housing featured prominently in the discussions, with the Prime MinisterBrowne emphasising the urgent need for financial assistance to improve housing conditions and provide safer, more resilient homes for vulnerable families and communities.
He said that investments in resilient housing are essential to protecting lives, reducing disaster-related losses and safeguarding the livelihoods of those most exposed to hurricanes and other extreme weather events.
Browne also identified coastal erosion and shoreline degradation as pressing national concerns requiring targeted investment, while seeking the GCF’s support for coastal protection, shoreline restoration and other adaptation initiatives designed to preserve vulnerable coastal communities, protect tourism assets and strengthen the country’s natural defences against rising sea levels and increasingly intense storm surges.
Another major focus of the engagement was the resilience of Antigua and Barbuda’s critical national infrastructure, particularly its international airport and seaport with Browne noting the strategic importance of these facilities to the country’s tourism-dependent economy, international trade and connectivity, stressing that their continued operation and long-term protection are essential to national economic security.
“Discussions also examined opportunities for expanding investments in renewable energy as Antigua and Barbuda accelerates its transition away from fossil fuels,” the statement said, adding that Prime Minister Browne highlighted the importance of accessing affordable financing and technical expertise to support clean energy generation, improve energy security and reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
“Both sides explored the development of a coordinated programme of climate-related investments that could facilitate greater access to GCF resources and advance a comprehensive national strategy for adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development.”
The statement said that Prime Minister Browne reiterated that the growing risk of global temperatures exceeding the 1.5°C threshold presents an existential challenge for Small Island Developing States, making the timely delivery of adequate and accessible climate financing more urgent than ever.
He said that countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, which contribute negligibly to global greenhouse gas emissions, should not be left to shoulder the disproportionate financial burden of responding to a climate crisis they did little to create.
The prime minister also sought to underscore the need for international climate financing mechanisms to be more responsive to the circumstances of small island economies, including through simplified access procedures, affordable financing arrangements and sustained support for nationally determined development priorities.
CMC/hg/ir/2026