CARICOM Heads set up Caribbean Climate Change Centre

President Ramotar took the lead on climate change at the Heads Meeting in St. Vincent following which CARICOM Leaders agreed to establish a CARICOM Climate Change Task Force to provide guidance to Caribbean climate change negotiators, their Ministers and the region’s political leaders.The Caribbean Climate Change Centre (CCCC) along with the CARICOM Secretariat, has been tasked with setting up the task force and facilitating its work. Heads also reaffirmed the mandate to the CCCC to develop in partnership with member states, a portfolio of bankable projects eligible for climate financing and to present to the donor community for support.
According to President Ramotar, “This is a critical decision by Heads at a time when efforts are underway through the UN to have a global climate change agreement by end of 2015. We need to ensure that, as a Region, our voices are being heard on this important issue, and not only from our technical people, but from the collective political leadership in the region. We have to ensure that we push for a climate change agreement by 2015, which is ambitious in terms of emission reduction targets and providing climate financing.”
President Ramotar also emphasised that despite the difficulties faced with climate financing and support for the adaptation and climate resilience, the Region needs to aggressively tap into opportunities that exist now while we organise ourselves for future possibilities.
In this regard, the president commended the work of the CCCC and indicated that Guyana has been working closely with the Centre since its establishment and  closer ties are being developed as part of the LCDS implementation.