JAMAICA seems poised to benefit significantly from the US$100 billion which rich countries have committed to jointly mobilise to support the climate needs of developing states.

Outgoing British High Commissioner to Jamaica Asif Ahmad says the recent visit to the island of COP26 President-designate Alok Sharma was an indication of Jamaica’s shared priority with the UK to address the issue of climate change.

“On climate we can speak more strongly because we just had the visit of COP26 President-designate Sharma, and he talked with the prime minister and others here intensively about raising the US$100 billion per annum that is needed to fund ambitious commitments like the ones that Jamaica has — and that has to be real money,” Ahmad told the Jamaica Observer during a recent exit interview.

“And leading up to our conference in Glasgow [Scotland] in November, the aim is to actually release such funds. It will be quite a mixture of funds — from grant money to loans and investment — and that is where I think the opportunity really lies, but it would be premature for me to say this is all in the pipeline. But, it is happening,” added Ahmad, whose four-year stint as the UK’s top diplomat in the island comes to an end next month.

He noted that Jamaica has been a leading voice with regard to the climate change agenda, “and it would surprise me if they didn’t pick up a substantial portion of what is needed through these mechanisms”.

In his brief visit to the island recently, the COP26 president-designate declared that Jamaica is a clear leader on climate action.

“I have been delighted to hear how this inspiring island is bringing other countries on its journey, and I encourage Prime Minister [Andrew] Holness to continue to be a vocal spokesperson for how climate change is impacting developing countries, and particularly small island states,” said Sharma who will preside over COP26, the next annual United Nations climate change conference.

COP stands for Conference of the Parties, and the summit will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — a treaty that came into force in 1994. COP26 will be the time when countries must set out more ambitious goals for ending their contribution to climate change, under the Paris Agreement.

“Climate change impacts lives and livelihoods around the world every day. The world must continue to work together to drive down emissions and make our communities more resilient to climate shocks,” Sharma said.

“Countries like Jamaica on the front line of climate change have done the least to cause climate change and it is on all G20 countries to step up and deliver urgent climate action,” he added.

The UK and Jamaica are also working closely towards a shared priority of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C, as co-chairs of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Partnership.

The partnership supports countries around the world in putting forward ambitious emissions reduction targets through NDCs.

Addressing some 40 world leaders in April, Holness called on developed countries to establish an accessible and equitable climate finance mechanism to help developing countries attain greenhouse gas emission goals.

Speaking during an online climate change summit, the prime minister joined other world leaders in a call for a combined effort to reduce climate change, which he said is affecting small states in disastrous ways.

“Jamaica has great sprinters and we know that a great start does not guarantee a win, it requires momentum building — in this case an accessible and equitable climate finance mechanism. We have raised our ambition and now call on major economies to step up and sprint with us to the finish line. We can win this, but we must act now,” said Holness.

“While some progress has been made, significant hurdles remain in accessing climate finance, and the pace of implementation does not reflect the urgency of the climate crisis,” added Holness.