Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC)- Colin Young, PhD, Executive Director
Hurricane Melissa, the strongest Category 5 hurricane to land in the Atlantic Basin, caused widespread devastation in Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas, resulting in loss of lives, livelihoods, and cultural heritage. Vulnerable groups—elderly, children, women—are hardest hit, highlighting the moral and human rights breach of those most responsible for the climate crisis. Despite the urgency, only a third of State Parties have submitted revised NDCs on the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, and these are not yet aligned with the 1.5°C target. Progress is slow, and commitments are regressing—emission reduction targets, financial support, and reliance on science are all falling short. This raises urgent questions about how much more suffering is needed before the responsible nations act decisively.
COP30 in Belém is a critical juncture; the increasing severity of climate events—hurricanes, droughts, coral bleaching, and heatwaves—serves as a stark warning. The conference must be a turning point, turning words into action. This includes rapid emission cuts, scaled-up climate finance, and adequate loss and damage funding to aid vulnerable communities. Small Island Developing States and CARICOM nations must demand bold, transformative measures, prioritizing human lives and livelihoods. The world’s inaction cannot continue; immediate, ambitious, and equitable climate action is imperative. SIDS must be prepared to take bold, unprecedented actions to protect the lives and livelihoods of our people.
Caribbean Development Bank – Mr. Daniel Best, President
Every year, climate change hits the Caribbean harder, eroding what our countries work so hard to build. The recent devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, which struck some of the same communities still rebuilding from Hurricane Beryl, is a stark reminder that recovery in our region is often interrupted before it can be completed. Each disaster deepens fiscal strain and delays sustainable growth.
For the Caribbean, access to affordable, predictable financing is no longer a development aspiration; it is a lifeline. Without it, countries cannot recover, adapt, or plan for a future beyond rebuilding.
At COP30, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will continue to champion this cause. As the region’s only indigenous development finance institution, CDB is driving creative and practical solutions to unlock climate funds, help countries build stronger infrastructure, and finance initiatives that protect livelihoods and safeguard the future.
We have earmarked up to 40% of our financing for climate resilience and secured expanded accreditation from the Green Climate Fund, enabling us to deliver transformative, region-wide interventions. Through our Climate Change Project Preparation Fund and the Regional Platform for Catalysing Climate Action in the Caribbean, we are helping countries design and finance concrete climate projects faster and more effectively.
However, our work can only go as far as the resources available. Without adequate and predictable financing, the region cannot keep pace with the accelerating impacts of climate change. With the right partnerships and resources, the Caribbean can move from vulnerability to strength, but the time to act is now.
Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator (CCSA) – Raquel Moses, Executive Director
COP30 has been dubbed the implementation COP, and we fully endorse that focus. As a Global South COP, it is vital that we not only champion this agenda but also ensure it is delivered. For the CCSA, COP is a platform for collaboration, execution, and advocacy. We meet new sources of funding, promote regional solutions like our Climate Smart Map and Innovation Fund. Chief among our current advocacy priorities are climate finance specificity, increased grant funding for the Caribbean, and NDC ambition and delivery. We will showcase our Innovation Fund, with the first cohort set to graduate in December. This fund offers Caribbean climate entrepreneurs free self-service resources, structured support for promising projects, and financial support to close investment gaps. Key among our COP initiatives is the fifth Caribbean CoLab, an authentic networking space with fun and innovation that plays to our strengths. This year, we are delighted to partner with Goals House, providing a fresh opportunity to expand our reach and showcase Caribbean excellence to accelerate climate action.
Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREE) – Dr. Mohammad Rafik M.S. Nagdee, Executive Director
As we prepare for COP30, the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) is focused on transforming vulnerability into resilience and ambition into action. For Small Island Developing States, climate priorities are clear: advancing energy sovereignty, scaling renewable energy, and building clean energy systems that safeguard our future.
At COP30, we expect commitments that unlock climate finance, accelerate sustainable energy investments, and forge partnerships that deliver real impact. CCREEE remains committed to driving evidence-based solutions, breaking down barriers to affordability and access, and developing local capacity to ensure sustainability.
Together, let us chart a path where the Caribbean does not merely endure climate change but leads the charge with resilience, courage, and vision.
Climate Analytics – Ruenna Haynes, Director
For Climate Analytics Caribbean, advancing collaboration to help build regional resilience while supporting 1.5 aligned action is at the core of our work.
Climate Analytics Caribbean’s Re-Energise Caribbean workshop brought together key regional stakeholders to share knowledge and strategize practical pathways for an inclusive clean energy transition. Our work on a Regional Goal on Adaptation for the Caribbean, analysis on debt and Loss and Damage, and the landmark Flood Adapt project, aims to enhance the regional knowledge base and support policies our countries urgently need. We support a Just Transition for the Caribbean region, including via work on our Reducing Emissions through Global Stocktake Implementation (REGI) project and our participation in the Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance.
We see COP30 as crucial for supporting regional resilience and advancing 1.5 aligned ambition. We look forward to working with all partners to build a strong, sustainable path forward for all.
Caribbean Biodiversity Fund – Karen McDonald-Gayle, CEO
As a regional Conservation Trust Fund, the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) is dedicated to safeguarding the region’s precious natural resources through innovative programs and partnerships.
Through our Climate Change program, which is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and KfW, the CBF distributes grants directly to local, national, and regional projects tackling climate change through ecosystem-based adaptation. We are building resilience on the ground – protecting and restoring our vital mangroves, coral reefs, and forests.
Looking ahead to COP30, we must leverage this pivotal global moment to ensure tangible and ambitious progress on climate finance. It is absolutely critical that this finance is genuinely accessible for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). We stand ready to play our part in supporting the Caribbean as a frontline region to unlock significant and appropriate finance for nature-positive, resilient development. This means channelling funds into projects that simultaneously address climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods, creating a virtuous cycle of ecological and economic well-being.
Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and the Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance (CCJ)
We urge governments and delegates at COP30 to focus on five key priorities:
- Set clear and ambitious targets to curb emissions and limit global temperature increase to 1.5˚C
- Scale up locally led and nature-based solutions for adaptation and resilience
- Improve access to and delivery of climate finance for frontline communities, small and micro-enterprises and civil society organisations.
- Enhance focus on and address loss and damage, including economic and non-economic impacts
- Advance a rights-based approach for just, gender-responsive, and inclusive climate action
2025 must be a turning point. We need bold leadership, innovation, and full recognition of the voices and needs of frontline communities and wider civil society to ensure a just, sustainable, and resilient future. For the full online statement, see: https://bit.ly/CCJACOP30
To learn more about the Alliance, see: https://canari.org/projects/caribbean-climate-justice-alliance/ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9l0J8Bi02s
