This Tiny Country Says It Can Beat Climate Change

The prime minister of Dominica stood in his office atop the country’s main government complex, ready to explain how he was making his tiny Caribbean nation the world leader in rebounding from natural disasters. But first he felt compelled to address the obvious: The building had no electricity.

Roosevelt Skerrit, whose rounded cheeks and tall frame allow him to come across as both jovial and imposing, dismissed the blackout with a flick of his hand. His only concession to the absence of lights or air conditioning, which in other countries might have sent the building’s staff shuffling out into the steamy May streets, was to remove his suit jacket. “We are resilient people,” he said, sweating slightly.