Climate Action Poster

Caption: Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation in discussion with Spanish Ambassador, H.E. Josep Bosch Bessa.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Hon. Daryl Vaz, met recently with Spanish Ambassador, H.E. Josep Bosch Bessa, and members of the TSK Group out of Spain, at Jamaica House.   The discussions were centered on the completion of the US$300 million 190 megawatt combined cycle power plant at Old Harbour Bay, in St. Catherine.

In 2017,  South Jamaica Power Company, a subsidiary of the Jamaica Public Service Company signed an engineering procurement and construction  contract with the TSK Group to undertake the turnkey construction of the plant which will assist in reducing Jamaica’s oil imports.

Construction of the plant is well advanced and should be completed ahead of schedule.

Statement by Hon. Daryl Vaz, MP

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation

(Land, Environment, Investment and Climate Change)

on

Reduction of plastic waste: Implementation of a Deposit Refund Scheme for Plastic Bottles

in the Houses of Parliament

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

In my Sectoral Presentation to the Parliament earlier this financial year, I indicated to the nation that ‘change is coming’ in relation to the manner in which we, as Jamaicans, treat with our environment and the country’s natural resources.  As an indication of that much needed change, I elaborated on, inter alia, the measures that the Government intends to take to minimize the country’s plastic waste generation and management.

The Government, through my Ministry – the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation – has made good on this commitment to the population with the implementation of a ban, on a phased basis, on single use plastics, namely plastic bags of a specified dimension and thickness, plastic drinking straws and expanded polystyrene foam products used in the food and beverage industry, effective January 1, 2019.  

Implementation of the ban is governed by two Ministerial Orders, that is, The Trade (Plastic Packaging Materials Prohibition) Order, and The NRCA (Plastic Packaging Materials Prohibition) Order. The public’s response to the ban has been overwhelmingly positive and I would like to thank all Jamaicans for their continued cooperation and support in ensuring that the implementation of this measure is a success.

 It is the Government’s intention to continue the public education and awareness programme being undertaken by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Jamaica Information Service across the length and breadth of the island. Additionally, the relevant regulatory agencies, including the Jamaica Customs Agency, NEPA, the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica will be intensifying their monitoring activities and commence their enforcement actions in the coming weeks.  I take this opportunity to reiterate my invitation to the public to submit any queries, suggestions or comments regarding the implementation of the ban on single use plastics to policyonplasticban@nepa.gov.jm or call 876 285 8531.

Change is never easy and can be disruptive, but change is necessary, if we are to ensure a good quality of life for present and future generations of Jamaicans.

The ban on single use plastics while it serves to mitigate some of the country’s waste management challenges, is not a panacea. My colleague, the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), will continue to strengthen the country’s waste management infrastructure and regulatory framework. However, the effective management of the country’s waste is not the responsibility of the Government alone, but also of the private sector, civil society and the individual. Collectively we can realize the much-needed change.

I call upon the private sector, including our micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), to seize the opportunity presented through the ban to supply Jamaican designed and produced alternative products for the domestic and regional markets.  As you are aware, both the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) and Ex-Im Bank have been requested to support the private sector in making the transition to alternative packaging.

As part of the national programme to minimize plastic wastes, I also made reference in my Sectoral Presentation to the implementation of a deposit refund scheme for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles or plastic bottles. Over fifty per cent (50%) of the plastic waste generated in the island are plastic bottles.

 Indeed, approximately eight hundred and fifty (850) million plastic bottles are placed on the local market each year. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of these bottles are collected in the formal waste management system or recycled. As one traverses the country, you will see plastic bottles indiscriminately discarded along major thoroughfares, on open lots/dumps, in gullies, drains and other waterways.

Not only are these bottles unsightly, but they are potential hosts for vectors, such as mosquitoes, and have contributed to the flooding which occurs in several of the main urban centres after heavy rains. This was recently evidenced by the large quantity of plastic bottles seen in Kingston Harbour as well as several of the major drains and gullies within the Kingston Metropolitan Area, Montego Bay and other major towns, after the rains the island experienced two weeks ago. Indeed, each International Coastal Cleanup Day, the country is alarmed at the increasing volume of plastic waste collected along our coasts. Business as usual is not an option. The time for change is now.

The Government has partnered with the private sector in supporting Recycling Partners of Jamaica Limited, through its contribution of J$50M per annum, to facilitate the collection and recycling of plastic bottles. Despite Recycling Partners of Jamaica Limited’s efforts to date, only eleven percent (11%) of the plastic bottles generated are collected.  This level of recovery is inadequate and will not ensure the change the Government intends to effect.

Studies have shown that the implementation of a deposit refund scheme or deposit return system for specific categories of wastes, including plastic bottles, can result in a reduction in litter, increase in recycling rates, creation of decent jobs – reduction of poverty – as well as support the Green and Circular economies. It should be noted however that Implementation of a Deposit Refund Scheme is not new to Jamaica. A Deposit Refund Scheme has been successfully implemented by one of the country’s major bottlers for several decades to facilitate the recovery of its crates and glass bottles.  Institution of a Deposit Refund Scheme on plastic bottles is therefore an expansion of a ‘tried and true’ approach which the Government has embraced as a viable strategy for addressing the millions of plastic bottles generated in the country each year.

Indeed, The Most Honourable Prime Minister had indicated in his contribution to the 2018/19 Budget Debate in this Honourable House the Government’s commitment to support a Deposit Refund Scheme for plastic bottles. He had also indicated that the private sector had submitted a proposal for the Deposit Refund Scheme which was being considered by the Government. The idea of a private sector-led Deposit Refund Scheme for plastic bottles was also one which was endorsed by the National Partnership Council.

I am therefore happy that the private sector has stepped up to the plate and will therefore provide further details of this private sector-led deposit refund scheme for plastic bottles.  The Deposit Refund Scheme will allow for the application of a deposit on plastic bottles placed on the market and a cash rebate to the consumer on the return of these bottles to designated redemption centres across the island. This Scheme will be implemented by a reconstituted Recycling Partners Jamaica Limited.

It is important to note that the participating members of the private sector have instituted a self-imposed Cess of J$1.00 per bottle, which will see an initial private sector investment of J$ 850mn into the program. the initial investment in Recycling Partners will be used to put in place collection points and increase collection capacity by way of truck   purchases and fund an expanded education campaign. It is the expectation of the government and should be the expectation of the public that this J$1.00 deposit per bottle will increase the capacity for the collection in place.

In lending its support to  this Deposit Refund Scheme, the Government has charged the private sector partners to ensure that: (i) the Scheme is fully operationalized early in the 2019/20 financial year, (ii) the requisite infrastructure is in place to facilitate the effective implementation of the Deposit Refund Scheme, including the siting of redemption centres to allow for ease of return of bottles by consumers, and  (iii) a plastic bottle recovery rate of at least eighty-five percent (85%) is achieved within the next four years of implementation of the Scheme.

Additionally, the Deposit Refund Scheme must be supported by a comprehensive and sustained national public education and awareness programme. The Government will monitor the implementation of the Deposit Refund Scheme to ensure accountability and transparency, and if deemed necessary, promulgate legislation to govern the Scheme. Un-refunded deposits will be used to maintain the Deposit Refund Scheme as well as provide support to the NSWMA in its efforts to improve the island’s waste management infrastructure.

Again, the plastic bottles, once collected, present an excellent opportunity for our recyclers to catalyse economic activity, particularly at the micro- and small levels, by designing and producing products for local and regional consumption.

Plastics, by their chemical characteristics, take decades, in some cases thousands of years, to degrade in the environment. Hence, collection of plastics for disposal at landfills is not a sustainable solution in the long-term – particularly in small island developing island states such as Jamaica where land is a scarce and extremely valuable resource.

I have seen and received proposals for the use of these bottles in construction and as inputs in other sectors. The Government of Jamaica would like to see these proposals come to fruition and stand ready to support viable ventures.

The members of this house can be assured that this policy initiative will increase the availability of plastic bottles as raw material for other business initiatives ensuring that there are improved prospects for existing operators and new entrants.

 The country must therefore employ creative and sustainable approaches to manage its plastic wastes.  It is a social cost, as well as an environmental cost, which we need to factor into our consumption decision.    As consumers, we must all take a more responsible approach in the actions we take or not take for our survival and sustainability.

I therefore call upon all Jamaicans to get involved!  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! We all have a responsibility to create the Jamaica we want for ourselves and our children.  A new Jamaica is emerging and each and every Jamaican needs to play an active role in its renewal.

Fruitful conversations regarding implementation of the Gender Action Plan on Climate change. Gender equality advocates and champions for climate action had candid discussion on moving forward. An initial engagement with women involved in both areas was held on October 17, 2018 as a first step to wider gender engagement including a gender and climate change workshop on October 18, 2018 in Kingston.

The Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism has teamed up with JN Small Business and JN Foundation to talk about climate change, water adaptation and financing at the Caribbean Water and Waste Water (CWWA) Regional Conference starting Monday, October 8, 2018 in Montego Bay.

Here is our booth all prepped and ready for the opening ceremony this evening at 4:30 pm and another photo  of the preparations.

THE development of Jamaica’s National Spatial Plan (NSP) has been progressing with a series of consultative workshops, including one held on Monday in Kingston.

Four others were held in June – two in Kingston, one in Mandeville, and another in Montego Bay. Some 140 stakeholders participated.

The objective of the workshops is to capture expert stakeholder information in the formulation of the seven technical papers that will guide the development of the National Spatial Plan.

Spatial planning refers to the various approaches used by the Government and non-government participants to influence the distribution of people and activities in spaces of various scale.

“A spatial plan is one of the most important planning instruments in any country. These workshops are a part of the process in shaping our sustainable development goals and priorities,” said Frances Blair, manager at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), at the first workshop held in Kingston in June.

Monday’s event was a Geographic Information System (GIS) workshop. It is a follow-up to the first GIS workshop held in June 2018. It was intended to present the draft deliverable GIS database and to present and seek feedback on gaps in the spatial data and their metadata.

It also afforded stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the handover of the geo-database and aspects of management/maintenance that will be required by NEPA and others after the handover of the database.

“We are happy that the consultations and workshops are progressing well and are well attended by a number of stakeholders, relevant organi-sations, etc, ” said Dr Winsome Townsend, project manager for the Adaptation Programme and Financing Mechanism for the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (AP&FM), under which the development of the seven technical papers fall.

The AP&FM is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Jamaica.

“The technical papers will help us to ensure that the NSP is climate-resilient. This is crucial for Jamaica to achieve its sustainable development goals,” said Anaitee Mills, project manager at IDB’s Climate Change Division.

Jamaica is now better positioned to keep an eye on the changing climate, thanks to the addition of 35 new automatic weather stations to the Meteorological Service’s network.

Used to record temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric temperature and precipitation, the stations are an improved version of the older ones and should enhance the Met Service’s forecasting ability.

“The new stations give our forecasting team eyes across the island in many places where there were none before,” says Jacqueline Spence, head of the Met Service’s Climate Branch.

The Climate Branch monitors Jamaica’s climate and aspects of climate change, does climate data collection and provide information to sectors, agencies and legal entities on issues relating to climate.

Enhancing Capabilities

New features of the weather stations include a data logger to save daily human labour and the capability to transmit real-time data. The data collected by the stations over time is what will enhance the Met Service’s forecasting capabilities.

The stations were installed under the management of the Planning Institute of Jamaica as part of the Improving Climate Data and Information Management Project (ICDIMP) of the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR).

Prior to the start of the ICDIMP – on which the Climate Investment Funds is spending US$6.8m and administered through the World Bank – the Met Service had 135 manual stations and 45 automatic weather stations across the island.

With installation out of the way, the entity is focused on actualising the real-time aspect of its network to enable its technical team to access weather readings directly from the Met Office and eliminate the need for monthly data collection at the sites.

Maintenance

The sites are to be maintained by individuals who have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Met Service to ensure the environment surrounding the stations are kept in good condition.

The PPCR was conceptualised to help developing countries integrate climate change resilience into development planning and investment. The ICDIMP is one of several projects aimed at meeting the goals and objectives of Jamaica’s own Strategic Programme for Climate Resilience (SPCR), geared towards the climate change adaptation imperative outlined in Vision 2030 Jamaica.

The new installations were part of phase one of overall upgrading works under phase one of the ICDIMP, which has also seen the placement of a sea level tide gauge at the Montego Bay Pier to better record the height of the surrounding water level.

The second and third phases will include climate resilient planning, hydro-meteorological information services and climate change education and awareness across the island.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20180830/earth-today-met-service-gets-improved-forecasting-abilities

Approximately 150 persons across the island are being trained in operating, collecting and recording data using rain gauges and automatic weather stations. The individuals involved are voluntary observers and automatic weather station partners of the Meteorological Service Division (MSJ). Their capacity is being built through a partnership between the MSJ and the Improving Climate Data and Information Management Project (ICDIMP) being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

Seven training sessions are being held to cater to participants and, so far, two have already been executed.  The first session for individuals in St. Catherine and Clarendon took place at the Bodles Research and Training Centre in St. Catherine on Wednesday, July 19, 2018 and was attended by 19 individuals. The second session was held at Appleton Estate in St. Elizabeth on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 and involved 29 individuals from Manchester and St. Elizabeth.

“In light of climate change, the use of climate data for decision making in our daily lives and livelihoods has become increasingly significant. Improving the quality and use of this information is therefore key to building resilience and protecting lives.  While the project has procured 35 automatic weather stations which have all been installed across the island by the MSJ, we also think that it is important to improve the capacity of the partners and individuals who interact with climate data collection equipment on a daily basis,” said Christena McCarthy, Project Assistant for the ICDIMP, in underscoring the importance of the training sessions.

The ICDIMP aims to improve the quality and use of climate related data and information for effective planning and action at local and national levels, through the strengthening of meteorological observation and data collection systems among other things. The project is funded by the Climate Investment Funds administered through the World Bank, and is being implemented by the PIOJ and other partners, including the MSJ.

“We have to ensure that everyone is fully aware of the international standards as it regards collecting and recording information and that they abide by them.  It is this data which is collected that allows us to refine our climate products especially for our farmers who need rainfall and weather data to guide their farming practices.  If there are discrepancies in equipment operation and data collection, then we will not be able to properly use the information to make decisions,”   said Andrew Hanchard, Meteorological Technician at the MSJ, speaking during the first training session.

Participants have been very receptive to the training material.  Cecelia Campbell, a voluntary observer from Clarendon, shared that, “It was a very informative session. Learning that the data which is captured can be used in so many other ways afterwards gives you a greater sense of responsibility and makes you even more committed to ensuring that you perform your duties well. I recommend that they continue to have similar sessions on a regular basis.”

Ms. Campbell’s sentiments were echoed by Stephen Sharpe, an automatic weather station partner from St. Catherine. “The sessions reinforced that it is not just about collecting and recording the data but implementing measures to ensure proper care and maintenance of the equipment, as well as being sensible and vigilant as it regards the area in which it is set up, because you need to make sure that there is nothing in the surrounding environment that can compromise the data,” he said.

For further information, please contact:
Lehome Johnson
The Planning Institute of Jamaica
16 Oxford Road, Kingston 5, Jamaica
Tel: (876) 935-5049 l Email: lehome_johnson@pioj.gov.jm