For Karen-Mae Hill, climate change is not a future threat. It is a daily reality.
As High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda, she represents a tiny Caribbean island state of just 100,000 people. Together they face some of the world’s most immediate climate risks. Rising seas, stronger hurricanes, drought, coral loss and economic vulnerability are not distant scenarios. They are immediate realities and lived experiences that threaten everyone’s existence.
Karen describes herself as “This island girl” who grew up surrounded by the beauty of the Caribbean. But that changed when Hurricane Hugo struck in 1989. “I realised then how within a matter of seconds, hours even, an entire country’s trajectory can be transformed.”
For Small Island Developing States (SIDS), climate change is not measured in decades. It is measured in surviving the increasing number of hurricane seasons. “Most Caribbean people will be thinking about whether this will be another hurricane season and whether we can dodge the bullet.”
The storms themselves are becoming bigger, more intense and more destructive. “In Antigua’s case with Irma, it was described as being the size of Texas passing over an island the size of a dot.”
As every one of the SIDS knows, the consequences are profound. Unlike larger countries, there is no alternative region to retreat to.
“When a hurricane impacts an island state, it’s the whole country that’s gone.” A single event can wipe out years of economic progress. “In some instances, 100% or 200% of GDP is wiped out in a matter of hours.”
Yet Karen rejects the idea that SIDS should only be viewed as victims. “We have also been at the forefront of innovations in how we confront these realities.”
Antigua and Barbuda has invested heavily in resilience, from stronger building regulations and drought mitigation to marine conservation and renewable energy initiatives.
The country has banned plastic bags and Styrofoam, restored protected marine areas and helped drive coral reef recovery. “We are doing what we can as a small island developing state.” There are reasons for optimism.
Coral reefs that once declined dramatically are beginning to recover. Hotels are educating visitors about reef-safe products. Scientists are developing new approaches to ocean conservation. “We’re now seeing that these corals are reviving.”
Karen believes sustainability and economic growth can coexist. She points to business leaders demonstrating that profitability and environmental responsibility are not mutually exclusive. “It is possible to be profitable and still embrace the doctrines of sustainability.”
The challenge now is bringing more people into the conversation.
“You don’t want people to think sustainability means living in caves.” Progress, she argues, comes from practical action, not perfection. “Everybody, every nation, large or small, has a part to play in this global struggle.”
Her message is simple.
“We ask each company, each CEO, each nation to do something, however small, however big, that moves this conversation forward in a positive and constructive way.”
While there remain intense dangers for SIDS, Karen makes clear there are also vital grains of new hope.
Karen-Mae Hill
Karen-Mae Hill is an accomplished diplomat, barrister, and advocate for sustainable development, currently serving as High Commissioner of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Kingdom.
Karen has played a leading role in advancing the interests of small island developing states, with a particular focus on climate resilience, the blue economy, trade, and international cooperation. Hill is a respected voice on global cooperation, economic development, and the challenges facing vulnerable nations in a rapidly changing world.
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