Zachary Phillips, Crown Counsel at the Attorney General’s Office of Antigua and Barbuda and a representative of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), was a featured speaker at the COP30 session titled “The ICJ Has Ruled: States’ Obligation to Close the Climate Ambition Gap.”
The event brought together global youth leaders, policy specialists, and climate justice advocates to examine the implications of the recent International Court of Justice advisory opinion on climate responsibilities.
During his presentation, Phillips delivered a compelling account of the lived realities faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS), emphasizing the escalating threats posed by intensifying hurricanes and climate-driven disasters.
He noted that in many cases, the scale of modern hurricanes surpasses the size of several Caribbean islands combined—rendering evacuation impossible and placing entire populations at risk simultaneously.
Phillips underscored that these conditions are not abstract projections but ongoing experiences for communities across the region.
He highlighted the unique vulnerability of SIDS, where recovery from one catastrophic event is often interrupted by the next, placing severe strain on national systems, infrastructure, and economies.
Calling for a fundamental shift in global climate finance, Phillips stressed that concessional loans—often offered to SIDS following disasters—only deepen debt burdens.
Instead, he urged the international community to prioritize grant-based financing, to support resilience-building, adaptation infrastructure, and long-term sustainability.
