Climate Week Comes to a Close

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Solid Waste Management held the final panel discussion for its annual Climate Week event at the Caribbean Motors showroom. The event, held under the theme “Adapting Today, Sustaining Tomorrow: Resilient Roots, Greener Future,” concludes a four-day series of activities focused on addressing climate change.  The week’s agenda included various panel discussions and showcases. Day four, which is the final day, focused on policy, youth, and the important role of Indigenous leadership in climate decision-making. The event aimed to raise public awareness about the global Conference of Parties (COP) process and highlight Belize’s national climate efforts. While the week’s main activities end today, a separate National Climate Finance Forum will conclude the week on August 29.  This inclusive engagement is a key pillar of climate resilience, as emphasized by Chief Climate Change Officer Edalmi Pinelo moderated this morning’s panel discussion.  One of the panelists, Charles Hamilton, The Bahamas National Article 6 Representative, spoke on the role energy plays in climate change as well as the inclusion of youth.  

Charles Hamilton, The Bahamas National Article 6 Representative: “Well I think there is a lot of opportunities that can come out from Caribbean SIDS participating in markets. As I have said and I’ve said it among CARICOM negotiators we are not the ones that are putting out the green house gas emissions however we’re at the forefront of the climate crisis. SEA Article sits as an opportunity to be able to shape the economy. All of us as SIDS have high energy costs as a challenge and if we can manage to leverage article 6 projects in the energy sector yes we’ll bring down our greenhouse gas emissions marginally compared to what we may normally emit but now our citizens will have access to increased renewable energy and reliable energy provision, energy that is cheaper and that helps to reduce our fuel importation bills and redirect that funding into education, into agriculture, into our youth, into helping to address any type of social challenges. And so when you utilize markets in tha way helping to yes bring down your emissions but you also help to change your economy. Additionally by participating in markets you provide an opportunity for new jobs to be generated within your economy. We have students back home who are participating in areas as researchers, persons who are going out on boats and learning and be able to just show how we can protect our sea grass and our mangroves and our salt marshes because they were jobs that didn’t necessarily have the type of it didn’t seem like a job that people wanted to do but when you see that now by me doing this job and helping to bring more funding into the country it becomes a new area to operate in.”

The opening ceremony held on Monday was inaugurated with a keynote address by Prime Minister John Briceño, set a powerful tone, highlighting the existential crisis climate change poses for Belize and the government’s full commitment to tackling these challenges.  The past week saw contributions from the Forestry and Agriculture with discussions on ecosystem restoration, wildlife conservation, and innovative fire management techniques underscored the government’s dedication to protecting Belize’s natural resources.  It also focused on Energy, Water, and Biodiversity which showcases solutions for ecosystem and water resilience, including a video on biodiversity, demonstrated the integrated approach to sustainable development. The Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy and Logistics, led by Minister Michel Chebat, also provided updates on powering resiliency through distributed generation.  In the area of Policy, Youth, and Indigenous Communities, the panels focused on enhancing climate governance and amplifying the voices of youth, indigenous peoples, and women at the frontlines of climate action. The government’s dedication was further demonstrated by the presentation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) video and the unveiling of the climate week logo, which featured a toucan, jaguar, and other Belizean wildlife, symbolizing the nation’s natural heritage and the importance of conservation.