JAMAICA has joined a growing list of countries to register an updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The NDC is Jamaica’s action plans and commitments submitted under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

These national goals and the policies to achieve them are required to be updated every five years, with Jamaica meeting the requirement to submit NDCs 3.0, which represents a critical opportunity to increase ambition and secure the 1.5°C global temperature goal.

Addressing the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness noted that Jamaica’s first NDC focused primarily on the energy sector, targeting up to a 10 per cent reduction in emissions, conditional on international support.

“By 2020, Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation and the 11th globally to submit an updated NDC, increasing our ambition with targets of 25.4 per cent unconditionally and 28.5 per cent conditionally by 2030. We also broadened our scope to include forestry and land use change, further strengthening our climate leadership,” said Holness.

“I am proud to announce that Jamaica submitted its updated NDC 3.0 to the UNFCCC two days ago. With NDC 3.0, Jamaica is aligning ambition with action. Grounded in Vision 2030, our Climate Change Policy Framework, and our Long-Term Low-Emission Strategy, this new NDC is both comprehensive and realistic,” added Holness.

He pointed out that Jamaica’s NDC 3.0 targets are anchored in existing policies and supported by political will.

According to Holness, key highlights of Jamaica’s NDC 3.0 include broadening the scope to energy, transport, industry, forestry, and land use; a broader push for renewable electricity, energy efficiency in the water sector, and electric vehicle adoption — targeting 12 per cent of private fleets and 16 per cent of public fleets by 2030.

Earlier, the prime minister underscored that climate change poses an existential threat to both the livelihoods and environments of communities worldwide, but does so disproportionately to small island developing states and less developed countries.

He pointed out that sobering reports and assessments globally of the current state of the climate has increased the necessity for enhanced adaptation and mitigation measures, aiming to confront the challenges faced and bolster resilience.