28 January 2016: The Government of Japan, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have launched a US$15 million Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (J-CCCP) to help countries mitigate and adapt to climate change in line with their long-term development strategies.
The initiative will help Caribbean countries to put in practice actions and policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change, including Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). It also aims to improve access to sustainable energy and help reduce fossil fuel dependence. Participating countries include Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.
The launch took place on 28 January 2016, during the first Japan-CARICOM Summit, which took place in Barbados with the presence of the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and Heads of CARICOM member States.
Speaking at the launch of the J-CCCP, Masatoshi Sato, Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago, stressed that the project will also: contribute to building an information sharing platform for developing and implementing climate change policies; promote the transfer of adaptation and mitigation technologies; enhance the Caribbean countries' capacity to cope with natural disasters; and promote South-South and North-South cooperation.
Gloria Joseph, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and Investment, Dominica, welcomed the opportunity to benefit from early response warning systems, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures.
Rebeca Arias, Director of UNDP Regional Centre in Panama, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized that, in light of the Paris Agreement, the initiative is “timely in assisting countries to respond more effectively to the impacts of climate change and to increase their resilience through actions today to make them stronger for tomorrow.” More [UNDP Press Release] [Caribbean Climate Press Release]
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