On Wednesday, Caribbean communities and groups took to the big screen as Climate Analytics Caribbean premiered their documentary titled, "Island Action, Global Goals: Can the Global Stocktake Change the Caribbean's Climate Future?"
The film portrayed several groups from Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, and Dominica, showcasing people and communities on the frontlines of climate change who are creating opportunities for their communities to adapt to a new normal and improve their ways of life. It also shows how Caribbean islands are taking essential action against the backdrop of the first Global Stocktake in the face of worsening climate change.
At the film's premiere, Carlon Mendoza, Climate Policy Advisor at Climate Analytics Caribbean, said:
"This documentary is important for the Caribbean because it is the first of its kind in terms of distilling what the Global Stocktake really means."
Last year, the Global Stocktake was completed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Conference of the Parties, or COP28, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. It assessed the advances, or lack thereof, of countries in meeting the targets of the Paris Agreement. After the assessment, the process identified the gaps, and governments are now working together to agree on a pathway to limit global warming.
Multiple schools attend the premiere of the documentary, Island Action, Global Goals: Can the Global Stocktake Change the Caribbean's Climate Future? at Queen's Hall, Port of Spain.
In the 38-minute documentary, innovative projects and activities take centre stage, bringing to life the science behind climate change and showing how Caribbean leadership exists at all levels in the fight to ensure the global community limits warming to a 1.5°C increase above pre-industrial levels.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the Brasso Seco community was highlighted for its efforts to safeguard agriculture amidst rising water insecurity. The Climate Analytics team also looked at the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago's Keeping History Above Water Project, which showed flood risk assessments and sea-level rise visualizations of downtown Port of Spain and Nelson Island. Agriculture, rainwater harvesting, and other projects were shown in St. Lucia and Dominica.
"These different projects are now being brought to the front so that we as citizens could acknowledge that there is a problem. There are also activities and people doing great work to address these issues,” Mendoza explained.
“We hope by highlighting this in this documentary, that listeners are inspired and realize that you know, even though we are experiencing this heat, we are dealing with it or taking steps and actions to really ensure that we meet our 1.5 targets to stay alive."
The film will continue to be screened at Queen's Hall as part of the Green Screen Environmental Film Festival Schools Screenings and Green Career Talks.