Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said yesterday he was not concerned about the potential impact on discussions and efforts on climate change following the election of Donald Trump as US president.

Trump is a climate skeptic and has promised to end much of the climate change policies put in place under President Joe Biden.

Davis said: “He speaks for his country, and I don’t blame him for any of that.

“Remember that the Conference of the Parties (COP), which are the leaders of the world, has been going on for 29 years now.

“And it’s only been around for 10 years, and we’re still no further along than we were 29 years ago.”

During his first presidential term, from 2017 to 2021, Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change.

The move is just one singular example of his broader efforts to move the United States away from its leadership role in discussions about slowing climate change and mitigating its impacts.

Davis, since becoming Prime Minister, has made climate change a key agenda item and talking point.

He has repeatedly raised the issue on the global stage, where there have been sustained efforts to advocate for climate finance, particularly for the world’s most vulnerable countries.

While the Biden administration has been more climate-friendly than Trump, rejoining the Paris Agreement and pledging to reduce emissions, Davis said yesterday that little has materialized in the fight against climate change. climate change and creating climate justice in recent years.

“So what happens next is not just going to depend on what he does or doesn’t do, because not much happened even when he wasn’t there,” Davis said.

“This is why our voices continue to campaign and advocate for concrete actions to limit the impact and consequences of climate change, which is devastating not only for small island states, but also for larger countries . »

Promises to roll back recent climate change efforts have been a recurring theme of Trump’s recent campaign.

He pledged, among other things, to withdraw again from the Paris Agreement and increase fossil fuel production.

After announcing his victory in Tuesday’s election, the issue quickly surfaced, with Trump highlighting the United States’ significant oil and natural gas reserves in his victory speech.

World leaders, including Davis, are expected to meet next week at COP 29, where the US election results will likely be seen as an obstacle to progress.