Jamaica has applied to the Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP) with the hope of securing the financial support to complete a long term Green House Gas emission reduction and resilient development strategy for a period up to 2050.

This was disclosed in a statement at the launch of the CAEP at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, earlier this week, by Hon. Daryl Vaz, Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

“This strategy will undoubtedly embellish our NDC implementation efforts and will be consistent with the international goals and vision of net-zero by 2050. It will also help avoid locking in high-carbon technologies and reduce observed and anticipated vulnerabilities for decades to come,” the Minister said in his statement.

NDC’s or Nationally Determined Contributions are (intended) reductions in greenhouse gas emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Minister Vaz noted that the Government of Jamaica is looking forward to being listed among the countries committed to increasing ambition in climate action and in being recognized amongst the group of countries and other stakeholders that are setting carbon neutrality goals toward 2050

“In June 2018, the Government of Jamaica communicated an interest to become a member of the Nationally Determined Contribution Partnership and we are happy to announce that membership was successfully confirmed in August that same year.

This bold step was deemed necessary as Jamaica is committed to the global efforts to address climate change and to the implementation of the sustainable development goals” the Minister said.

The Minister added that Jamaica is aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Guiding Principles of the NDC Partnership, as exemplified in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)

“Our first NDC was focused only on the energy sector. Jamaica has committed to submitting a revised and enhanced NDC by 2020. My Government will accomplish this through very fruitful collaboration with the NDC Partnership and the World Bank with whom we are working to complete an assessment of the current potential for greenhouse gas reduction and avoidance,” the Minister said.

In the enhanced NDC Jamaica intends to further strengthen synergies between mitigation and adaptation across proposed commitments and policies, including by adopting a comprehensive blue economy approach and thereby reducing the acute vulnerability of its natural assets.

A delegation led by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness which included Minister Vaz recently participated in the much-anticipated Climate Action Summit at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on Monday September 23, 2019.

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