The world is at a turning point. Ecosystems, communities, nations and even economies are threatened by climate change and collaborative global response is needed. Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change Simon Steill said it best in his April 2024 speech at Chatham House – “Every citizen of every country has an opportunity to be part of this transition. Every voice makes a difference.” In this context, RCC Caribbean engages with local communities and academics in the region to bring their voices to the table and encourage climate action.
Credit: UN Climate Change
The virtual lecture in St. Lucia
Engaging Communities
RCC Caribbean engages with local communities and academia in the region to inform on the work of UN Climate Change and recent decisions agreed by countries of the world. The RCC is based in Grenada and partners with the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF) at St. George’s University to support to sixteen Caribbean countries in efforts to the objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement. This includes stakeholder engagement and action to accelerate the transition to lower emissions and increased resilience.
In February, the Partnering for the Planet course offered by St. George's University in Grenada featured RCC Caribbean as a guest lecturer. RCC Caribbean NDC/LT-LEDS expert Jason Williams provided a brief overview of the climate crisis, an introduction to UN Climate Change and supported agreements, the Regional Collaboration Centres, and our workstreams and engagement. It also included an explanation of national climate commitments, highlighting the Nationally Determined Contributions and the call for countries to submit new NDCs as more ambitious climate action plans by 2025.
In early April 2024, RCC Caribbean built further engagement with academia as a guest lecturer on climate change at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St. Lucia. The Centre engaged with the local community and Jason Williams presented information on UN Climate Change work by the regional team. The opportunity allowed discussion on mitigation strategies and how they address the impacts of climate change. During this lecture, information was also on the upcoming 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) at the end of May 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda, highlighting the importance of non-Party stakeholder participation at such events.
Credit: UN Climate Change
Elaine Henry-McQueen, Odran Edwards and Feona Sandy at TAMCC Library
In Grenada in April 2024, RCC Caribbean was invited to speak at the T. A. Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) ‘Conversation on the SDGs’ as part of the TAMCC Library information literacy drive. TAMCC Librarian Donna Chanderpaul-Singh informed UN colleagues that the students would take a quiz following the activity. Feona Sandy, Country Coordination Officer for Grenada, gave a brief overview of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SDGs and the role of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office to engage stakeholders and help close gaps in implementation. RCC Caribbean representative Odran Edwards and the Programme Coordinator for the Grenada Spotlight Initiative, Elaine Henry-McQueen, both discussed how various UN initiatives and interventions under their purview, have been supporting the achievement of specific SDGs. The TAMCC was presented with a small SDG token as part of the first prize for the quiz competition.
Moving Forward
RCC Caribbean continues to engage around the work of UN Climate Change and educate the public on the current and ongoing efforts to respond to the threats of climate change. For more information on RCC Caribbean, visit the About RCC Caribbean page or contact Mayra Santaella, RCC Caribbean Regional Lead at RCCCaribbean@unfccc.int.
