Senator Aundre Franklin to Lead Delegation to Climate Change Conference in Poland

Senator Aundre Franklin, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Environment will on December 10-12 lead a delegation to the 14th Conference of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change which started in Poznan, Poland on December 1.
The members of the delegation are Clifford Mahlung, Chief Climate Negotiator and Jeffery Spooner, Head of the Climate Branch of Jamaica’s Meteorological Office.
“This conference is crucial in strengthening the shared vision and commitment among parties to facilitate a seamless transition to the second commitment phase,” Senator Aundre Franklin said.
Senator Franklin said at this conference the parties will be concentrating on strengthening mitigation, adaptation strategies, technical and financial competences essential to moving forward to Copenhagen 2009.
He said Jamaica has a crucial role to play in this Conference as an executive member of the CCRM. Jamaica is also one of ten countries in which a community-based adaptation project will be established soon under the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme geared at reducing vulnerability and enhancing the capacity of selected communities towards climate change.
In pointing out the importance of heightening local response to climate change Senator Franklin said that policymakers, parliamentarians, public and private sectors as well as private citizens are crucial to all efforts geared at tackling climate change. He said the Government is aware of this and is fully prepared to ensure that the environment is managed in a collective and holistic manner.
“The Prime Minister has, in recognition of this fact, accorded high priority to this issue, and has mandated the establishment of a Department within the Ministry of Health. The Environmental Regulatory Authority (ERA) is set to become fully operational and backed by the necessary legislative strength by April 2009.