Attorney General Proposes Policy Measures for Paris Agreement

The Attorney General’s Department has proposed several legislative and policy measures for consideration by the Government regarding Jamaica’s implementation of the Paris Agreement, which relates to climate-change adaptation and mitigation.

Attorney General, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, says this is based on the fact that the commitments of the parties to the Agreement relating to reducing emissions “are, strictly speaking, of a non-binding nature”.

“This allowed for the consensus, but also represents a weakness of the Paris Agreement,” she added.

In this regard, Mrs. Malahoo Forte said the recommendations being proposed, based on a review of the document, “will demonstrate our commitment to addressing climate change”.

The Attorney General was making her contribution to the 2017/18 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 17.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Malahoo Forte advised that Jamaica’s ratification of the Agreement was based on the fact that its binding obligations “are procedural in nature” with regard to the submission of nationally determined contributions and other information to be used in tracking the country’s progress in climate-change mitigation and adaptation.

“The Climate Change Division, Climate Change Advisory Board, and entities within the Climate Change Focal Point Network all have responsibilities in fulfilling these obligations,” she stated.