London, 1 October 2020. - The Cuban Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Bárbara Elena Montalvo Álvarez, participated in the virtual seminar "Update on (COP26)", sponsored by Canning House.
The event was attended by Ms. Fiona Clouder, COP26 Regional Ambassador for Latin America and the Caribbean, and representatives of Latin American diplomatic missions accredited in the country.
The seminar provided an opportunity to exchange views on the efforts needed to confront climate change, in particular the need for funding and commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Montalvo stressed that for vulnerable countries, and particularly for Small Island Developing States, adaptation to climate change will continue to be a priority. She reiterated that for her country, adaptation is a key issue; however, important mitigation actions are also being carried out, even though Cuba's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is very low.
"Development and poverty eradication are essential priorities for our countries, and international action to address climate change should not be an additional burden," Montalvo said. "We know that the coronavirus pandemic is much more than a major health crisis; it has caused very serious and severe economic and social impacts, and its long-term effects remain to be seen.”
Referring to the update of the Nationally Determined Contribution recently presented by Cuba, Montalvo stressed that this document contains more ambitious commitments.