United Nation’s Climate Change Conference

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convened a climate change conference from September 1^st - 9^th, 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand to further negotiations under its constituted bodies, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical Advice (SBSTA), and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA). Preparatory meetings for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Group of 77 and China (G77 and China) met on August 30^th - 31^st, 2018 consecutively.

The three (3) subsidiary bodies which previously convened in Bonn in May, 2018 decided that an additional session was necessary to ensure the timely conclusion of negotiations towards achieving the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP). The negotiations at this session were largely focused on advancing work on the PAWP, a set of decisions that will operationalise the Paris Agreement and facilitate its implementation. The Paris Agreement entered into force on November 4^th, 2016. The deadline set for the completion of negotiations for the PAWP is the Twenty Fourth Conference of Parties (COP 24) to be convened in Katowice, Poland in December 2018. 

The key focus of these meetings was to advance discussions on several items under the subsidiary bodies as well as all issues under the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement. These include: mitigation, adaptation, finance, transparency, the global stock take, response measures, market and non-market approaches, compliance with, and implementation of the Paris Agreement; and possible additional PAWP items, including matters related to the Adaptation Fund, loss and damage and preparation for the convening of the Twenty Fourth Conference of Parties (COP 24) of the UNFCCC and its various related meetings. At the end of the session, a compilation of documents was published known as the “Bangkok Outcome” which reflects the status of negotiations on the PAWP at the Bangkok session.

Approximately 1,600 participants including nearly 1,200 government delegates and 400 representatives from United Nations (UN) bodies and agencies, intergovernmental organisations, civil society organisations and media representatives attended these meetings. Trinidad and Tobago was represented at these meetings by Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh, Head, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit (MEAU), Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) and Ms. Sindy Singh, Climate Change Specialist, MEAU, MPD.

T&T Representative - Ms. Sindy Singh

Ms. Sindy Singh participates at the G77 and China Huddle on
Climate Change Adaptation Communications

Global Environment Facility (GEF 7) Project Development for Chemicals and Waste Management in the Caribbean Region

Cognisant of the challenges faced with environmentally sound waste management in the Caribbean region, and as a mechanism to augment and streamline the ongoing activities in this area, the Basel Convention Regional Centre for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean), in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) initiated the preliminary phases of development of a project under the Global Environment Facility seventh allocation (GEF 7), for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

In this regard, a meeting to develop project ideas for the Caribbean for onward submission to the GEF was held on July 17^th -18^th, 2018 at the Hyatt Hotel, Port of Spain.  An overview was provided on the GEF 7 replenishment and on the proposed GEF ISLANDs (Implementing Sustainable, Low and Non-chemicals Development in Small Island Developing States) Programme. The latter is being developed in the Caribbean and Pacific regions through the GEF-7 Chemical and Waste focal area, and aims to prevent the build-up of materials and chemicals in the environment that contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury and other harmful chemicals in SIDS, and to manage and dispose of existing harmful chemicals and materials in SIDS.

On the first day, presentations were delivered by the representatives from a range of regional entities including the Caribbean Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the UN Environment Caribbean Sub-Regional Office. The country representatives from the various delegations around the region also provided a synopsis of the chemicals and waste profiles in their respective territories, inclusive of relevant legislation, policies and projects, as well as the priority areas on a national level. Ms. Keima Gardiner, Waste Management Specialist, presented on Trinidad and Tobago’s priorities. 

The second day of meetings commenced with a panel discussion consisting of technicians engaged in chemicals and waste management throughout the region. This was followed by break-out group discussions amongst the countries on the possible interventions to achieve the programme’s goals, based on commonalities of national priorities and waste streams, targets with respect to modernisation and identification and filling of existing gaps. The outcomes of this meeting were used as the basis for development of the Project Framework Document for the Caribbean region for the GEF ISLANDS Programme.

Participants at the Meeting

Enforcement Officers Workshop (2018)

Over the period June - August 2018, three one-day workshops were undertaken as a joint initiative of the Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago project and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) which were geared towards building knowledge of the legal framework for environmental management among senior enforcement officers.  The workshops were attended by 114 persons, including representatives of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, Game Wardens of the Wildlife Division, Forestry Officers, Environmental Police Unit, Police of Regional Corporations and the Customs and Excise Division (Tobago).

Key presentations were delivered on the Environmental Management Act 2000 Chapter 35:05 and rules, the Conservation of Wildlife Act Chapter 67:01, the Forest Act Chapter 66:01, the State Lands Act Chapter 57:01 an the Town and Country Planning Act Chapter 35:01.  A report on the workshops is provided at this link.

December issue of ProtectEd is here

The latest issue of the Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago project newsletter, ProtectEd is here!  This latest issue reports on project activities that took place over the last six-month period.  Enjoy catching up with news on the development of protected area management plans, the project's observance of World Food Day 2018 in October, a wide range of communication activities undertaken in Tobago and much, much more.  Read the latest issue of ProtectEd at this link.