Jamaica Lead Authority For Caribbean Climate Change Project

Jamaica has been designated the lead national authority among seven Caribbean countries for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) project, which is being undertaken through a US$1.2-million grant.

“The initiative seeks to build on a number of other GCF initiatives and will seek to scale up innovative climate change solutions among civil society organisations/non-governmental organisations (NGOs),” said Minister of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.

He was speaking to JIS News at the virtual launch ceremony for the project, held recently.

Minister Charles Jr said that the initiative will be monitored by the Climate Change Division in the Ministry.

He noted that the two-year-long project is being implemented and delivered by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and will build the capacity of NGOs to access and deliver climate finance while strengthening the GCF project pipeline through collaborative efforts.

In addition to Jamaica, the other beneficiary countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Suriname.

The project comes under the GCF’s Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme.

The GCF, created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is the world’s largest dedicated fund helping developing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and enhance their ability to respond to climate change. It was set up in 2010.