Remarks by Dr. Garry Conille at the Government of Jamaica Post-COP 26 Media Event

[As prepared for delivery]

Acknowledgement and Protocol

First, on this very historic moment, let me bring greetings to you on behalf of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN Country Team here in Jamaica.

          

In September, the United Nations, led by UNDP,  stood alongside the Government of Jamaica and its partners to host the 26th Pre- Conference of Parties Conversations and Launch of Jamaica’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Partnership Plan.

Today, I am delighted to join our local partners in this Post COP26 event to further cement the commitment of the United Nations in working with the people and Government of Jamaica to guarantee a Low-Carbon and Climate Resilient Future for us all.

I am also proud to stand with you on the heels of what was, evidently, a strong and successful representation by the Jamaican delegation in Glasgow, which no doubt amplified the issues of small island developing states within the global climate crisis.

To quote the Honourable Prime Minister Andrew Holness “.. climate change remains a pre-eminent priority for global action.  As we have come to appreciate with the pandemic, “no one is safe until everyone is safe”.  So too with CLIMATE CHANGE. All countries must act responsibly and with ambition, to preserve our climate for current and future generations”. End quote.

And let me say, ladies and gentlemen, Jamaica's voice on the global stage was not only a call-to-action to other members states, but a model in leadership-by-example. Jamaica’s own revised NDC represents an increase in ambition in broadening of sectoral scope as well as greater emission reductions of 28.5 per cent by 2030.

Your leadership, Minister Charles, alongside Minister Sharma of the United Kingdom, as co-chair of the global NDC partnership, as well as Jamaica’s example,   certainly help other countries in reviewing and updating NDCs to combat climate change.

Honourable Minister Kamina Johnson Smith, Honourable Minister Charles, let me also commend the Jamaican Delegation for working to secure Jamaica's selection as 1 of 5 pioneer countries by the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance, to increase access to funding for climate projects - heartfelt congratulations to the Prime Minister Holness, and the whole delegation. This is indeed a big win for Jamaica and the region.

As we know, to achieve its goals, the Caribbean will need urgent funding in the form public climate finance, grants and easier access to funding and we stand ready to work with you to ensure the promises of COP 26 to our region in particular and to Small Island Developing States in general are turned into action

Distinguished guests,

It cannot be repeated enough. while the Region emits roughly 0.2% of global greenhouse gases, it continues to disproportionately bear the costs of a climate crisis it did not create. SIDS are uniquely threatened by climate change and rising sea levels.

And while countries in the region have achieved resilience levels that have allowed them to support economic development despite large recurring damages and losses from multiple hazards and shocks; There is still so much to be done to prepare for the new challenges posed by climate change.

The strategies that have worked in the past will not be enough in the future. Climate change in a post-COVID 19 world brings more uncertainty and new sources of volatility, because of intensified natural hazards, impacts on health, agriculture yields, and coastal landscapes.

As a matter of fact, the climate emergency, is already resulting in rising sea levels and more frequent, intense and extreme rainfall events. These will continue to threaten communities in low-lying coastal areas and a significant number of major urban centres across Jamaica and the region.

Increasing temperatures will heighten the intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones. They will also increase the frequency of heatwaves and drought, paired with reduced net levels of precipitation. Water scarcity will also become a significant challenge in multiple areas. The location of most population and infrastructure centres in coastal areas and the dependence on tourism and agriculture further compound vulnerabilities to disasters, environmental degradation and climate change. 

This is why the UNCT remains committed to working closely with the Government of Jamaica, and its partners to integrate climate and development and support interventions that tackle mitigation in a manner that maximizes impact.

This will require engagement across a spectrum of activities including policy support, creating the enabling environment for investment, project development and design, and, importantly, finance.

Under the new Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the Caribbean, the UN is committed to supporting Jamaica in building resilience to climate change and environmental shocks, and sustainable natural resource management - as a principal priority of UN – government engagement within our new programme cycle 2022- 2026.

Building on our successful partnership with the government of Jamaica, the UNCT is ready to support ongoing efforts to:

• Adopt and enforce solid policy frameworks that are flexible, coherent, connected, and intuitive.
• Build the capacity of institutions to prepare for and respond to climate impacts through strengthened systems and investments in key assets and infrastructure.
• Promote, among other key objectives, green recovery from COVID-19 and sustainable solutions with a focus on transitioning to low and zero carbon development that tackles the region’s high reliance on fossil fuels and the need for diversification of energy sources.
• Strengthen disaster risk management and risk reduction measures, as well as enhancing the adaptiveness of safety nets,
• Mobilize climate and disaster risk reduction financing at a local, national, regional, and international level.
• Identify, design, implement and monitor solutions that tackle systemic multi-hazard risks and respond to climate change on a regional, multi-country, national and local level.
• Advocate for integrated, multisectoral approaches that consider the interplay between the region’s development challenges and produce mitigation co-benefits, resulting in stronger blue and green economies and improved safety and well-being of people in the Caribbean.

Several agencies, including UNDP and UNEP are already actively at work in supporting local and regional efforts to

• Promote low-carbon solutions which expand renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies
• Improve policy and legislative frameworks
• Pilot blended finance instruments for deployment of nature-based solutions to strengthen local climate change adaptation capacities
• Leverage financial and technical resources to meet obligations to multilateral agreements and commitments from COP26.

Honourable Ministers, Excellency, distinguished guests

Jamaica is on the right track, but there is still space for more partners to support the climate action agenda. Private-public It is important that public-private partnerships will be essential. The UN cannot overstate the critical role that the private sector has to play in building resilience to climate change. Enacting policies and challenging our private sector business models to address unsustainable consumption and production patterns is key to achieving a resource efficient circular economy. Only through facilitating interactions between science and policy, and the finance and technology sectors can we reasonably expect to achieve decarbonization, reduce pollution, and build resilience to climate change.

Ladies and gentlemen,

COP26 has cemented the realization that science alone is not enough to solve today’s climate emergency. The power of strong political will to make effective decisions cannot be underestimated.

Environmental awareness and respect must feature across all our plans for sustainable development and building back better after COVID-19. Doing this, paves the way for the promises and commitments of COP26 to be realized.  

To borrow the words of the UN Secretary-General, Climate Action progress will not be a straight line. There will be detours. There will be ditches. But we can get there. For small island developing States like Jamaica, this is the fight of our lives, and it is a fight that we have no choice but to win.

For our children and our children’s children, we can never give up. We can never retreat. We must keep pushing forward.

Thank you.