The People’s National Party (PNP) is urging the Government to prioritise Jamaica’s national and regional interests at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), being held from November 11–22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Since last week, the conference has discussed urgent issues related to global climate financing, including the negotiation of a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) to better support developing nations in tackling climate change impacts.

Since the last COP in Doha in 2023, there have been calls to replace the existing $100 billion NCQG with a more realistic target that takes in account actual global climate financing needs, estimated at trillions of dollars.

PNP Spokesperson on Foreign and Regional Affairs, Dr.Angela Brown-Burke, emphasised the importance of updating Jamaica’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reflect ambitious commitments and secure resources for urgent climate action. She noted that while COP28 established the Loss and Damage Fund, significantly more funding is needed to help vulnerable nations like Jamaica manage severe climate impacts, including hurricanes and rising sea levels.

The Loss and Damage Fund is a welcome step, but much greater investment is required to address the realities of climate change for small island developing states (SIDS),” she said.

Dr Brown-Burke also called on the Government to strengthen support for the Bridgetown Initiative, championed by Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, which proposes debt relief and private sector investments to combat climate change. She highlighted the growing need for regional preparedness in light of the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl this year in several parishes, including Clarendon and Manchester.

“Erratic and severe weather events underscore the urgency of resourcing institutions like the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) to enhance our national and regional responses,” she added.

Pointing to recent commitments by Caricom Member States on climate change, the PNP spokesperson also called for policies that aligned with the outcome document of the recent 4th United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Antigua and Barbuda in May.

“The Caricom consensus is that decisions made at COP29 must deliver the resources and urgency needed to address the grave threats of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and land degradation faced by SIDS. Jamaica must advocate firmly for these outcomes,” Dr Brown-Burke  said.