The Government is to establish a Climate Finance Committee to help bring order and oversight to the flow of climate-resilience funds reaching Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda made the announcement on Tuesday when he delivered an update to Parliament on Jamaica’s participation in the 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP30), held in Belém, Brazil, from November 10-21.

Samuda said the new committee will be critical as the country moves to secure millions of US dollars in grants, concessional loans, and technical partnerships following the hurricane, which devastated large swathes of the island.

According to Samuda, the committee will include representatives of the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change; the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service; the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development; the Planning Institute of Jamaica; and the Development Bank of Jamaica.

Samuda said the committee will be mandated to help prevent duplication, set priorities across sectors, and ensure that reconstruction aligns with global best practice. It will also play a role in advancing technical submissions to funding bodies, including projects for agriculture, fisheries, housing, and water resilience.

He argued that in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, climate finance is not a bureaucratic exercise but a matter of survival.

“Jamaica’s participation in the [COP30] sessions provided an opportunity to champion and advocate for the country’s national climate change priorities. This call was made more urgent following October 28, 2025 when Hurricane Melissa made catastrophic landfall…Jamaica’s mission at COP30 was not only for the country’s positions to be included in final outcomes of the sessions, but that the world saw that climate change demands that we change,” said Samuda.

He told the House that Jamaica must now build for the future, and emphasised the need to respect the science, accelerate resilience projects, and ensure that financing systems are streamlined for quicker access.

Samuda noted that the international community has shown strong interest in helping Jamaica recover, but stressed that coordination at home would determine whether the country could turn pledges into real outcomes. He pointed to ongoing engagements with global funds and agencies, saying Jamaica had already secured pathways to new grants and concessional financing.

The environment minister added that the Jamaican delegation held productive discussions with a range of climate-finance bodies, including the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, the Climate Investment Fund, and the Global Environment Facility.

He described these talks as “highly successful” as several partners had signalled a willingness to fast-track Jamaica’s applications in light of its post-hurricane needs.

“The meetings resulted in potential commitments for grants, concessional loans, and technical assistance. These outcomes position Jamaica to access an additional financing mix of US$93.5 million, outside of the GCF [Green Climate Fund] mechanism. Supporting technical expertise, strengthening the nation’s capacity to address climate change challenges, and accelerate the implementation of its climate agenda,” said Samuda.

Responding to Samuda’s presentation, Opposition spokesperson for environment and climate resilience Omar Newel argued that while the minister outlined a wide range of meetings and financial possibilities, the Government still lacks the fundamental framework needed to manage reconstruction at scale.

“I acknowledge the minister’s efforts and the engagement held at COP30, but with the scale of destruction we face, the country needs clarity, not just contact. We need measurable outcomes, not only meetings. We need a plan to ensure we can properly maximise the possibilities,” said Newell.

He pointed out that Jamaica’s National Adaptation Plan — required under the Global Goal on Adaptation — remains overdue.

According to Newell, without a plan in place Jamaica’s access to global climate funds and the coordination of reconstruction will be weakened.

He further argued that the scale of devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, combined with what he described as patchy coordination, leaves Jamaica at a critical crossroads.

Newell said that with billions in reconstruction envelopes available, Parliament must ensure that funds are spent on properly prioritised, climate-resilient projects.

“Where is the national roadmap for climate-resilient reconstruction? The minister referenced a proposed Climate Finance Committee [which] is welcome, but it is not sufficient. Jamaica needs a national roadmap for a phased move to climate-resilient infrastructure,” added Newell.

The Opposition spokesman suggested that the country cannot rebuild effectively without clear leadership, firm timelines, and a structured project pipeline.

Newell argued that Jamaica needs to identify which agency will lead climate-resilient investment across Government; outline and cost priority projects such as roads, schools, water systems, and coastal defences; and publish a financing schedule tied to the billions available for reconstruction.

He added that project appraisal must follow a transparent criteria rooted in existing climate policy, and that Parliament should receive regular reports on progress and measurable resilience outcomes.

Newell told the House that these steps are essential if Jamaica is to ensure that COP30 commitments translate into “tangible outcomes felt by every Jamaican household” rather than missed opportunities.

Opposition spokesperson for environment and climate resilience Omar Newel responding to a statement on the outcome of COP30 from his Government counterpart Matthew Samuda in Parliament on Tuesday. Llewellyn Wynter