Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne will be among a cast of expert sources appearing in a Netflix film that documents the grueling journey of small island states in dealing with the varied and deeply troubling issues of climate change.During his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Browne was able to set aside time out of a busy schedule to share his insights with the film crew which has been in the process of shooting the documentary since 2021.The film will carry the working title, “1.5” – an appropriate choice as this is the temperature level that scientists have warned is the tipping point for climate change to reach the crisis proportions.
Shooting on the film began during the frenetic lead-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, otherwise known as COP26. It will seek to take its audience behind the closed doors of the heated exchanges in securing climate justice for small states.
Prime Minister Browne was sought after by other media outlets for his thoughts on the issue of climate change and his leadership in bringing the attention of the global community to the concerns of small states. Among the news agencies that secured an interview with the Prime Minister was the New York Times.
The award-winning international climate reporter for the Times, Somini Sengupta, sat with Prime Minister Browne for over an hour to speak on the possibilities for the proposed Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI). The MVI seeks to improve access to concessional financing for countries like Antigua and Barbuda, especially in times of crisis.In November, COP27 will convene in Egypt and this is expected to set the scene for the final stages of filming for the production that is expected to be released on Netflix in 2024.Prime Minister Browne is Co-Chair of a UN expert panel on the MVI and also serves as Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
