Prime Minister Gaston Browne said Antigua and Barbuda is aiming to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, a goal he described as ambitious but dependent on international support.

Speaking on the _Browne and Browne Show_, Browne said the country’s climate commitments are tied to its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. He noted, however, that reaching the 2040 target hinges on the availability of external funding to speed the transition away from fossil fuels.

“We’re committed. We have very ambitious NDCs. I’d say net zero by maybe about 2040. But it’s all dependent on how fast and the quantum of monies that we receive to facilitate that transition,” Browne said.

The prime minister said that despite pledges from large polluting countries, the level of financing that has reached small island states like Antigua and Barbuda remains inadequate.

“The funds are extremely small and they’re not really making a difference. When you look at the investments that we have made so far in green energy technologies, it’s primarily from the treasury,” he said.

Browne added that Antigua and Barbuda has already suffered extensive damage from climate change, including coastline erosion, crop losses from drought, and coral reef destruction.

He warned that if high-emitting countries fail to cut emissions and contribute to loss-and-damage support, his government may have no choice but to pursue legal remedies under international law.

Antigua and Barbuda, along with Vanuatu, has sought advisory opinions from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the International Court of Justice to affirm the obligations of large emitters to protect the marine and terrestrial environment.