Regional Technical Dialogue on INDCs for Latin American and the Caribbean

The second Regional Technical Dialogue on Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to the 2015 Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for Latin America and the Caribbean took place during the period November 10-12, 2014 in Mexico City. Trinidad and Tobago participated in this Dialogue and was represented by  Ms. Sindy Singh, Research Analyst, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. 

The objectives of the second dialogue were to:

• Share country experiences with the design and preparation of their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)
• Share information on challenges being faced and identify lessons learned and best practices to address these challenges 
• Address issues related to the underlying technical basis required to prepare robust, realistic and achievable contributions 
• Identify support needed to reach domestic agreement on contributions and follow-up actions
•  Provide an update on the process of preparing iNDCs and share newly identified challenges. 

 

Various institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UNFCCC, the World Resources Institute (WRI), GIZ  Germany, the New Climate Institute, The European Commission, the United States of  America and  the  Caribbean  Community  Climate  Change  Centre  (CCCCC) were  present and pledged to provide technical and/or financial assistance to the region towards the development of their INDCs. 

There was apprehension in the region regarding the elaboration of the elements of an INDC and it is expected that the decisions from the Conference of the Parties to UNFCCC Lima would address these. At present, most countries are preparing INDCs with mostly mitigation actions. The inclusion of adaptation is a prospect for some but the modalities of this inclusion have not yet been expounded.   However, overall, it was concluded that though the time to prepare the INDCs is very limited, countries do not need to start from the very beginning but can build upon existing policies and actions.

 

 

LECB Caribbean Regional Workshop

A regional workshop entitled “Low-Emission Capacity Building (LECB) Programme - Engaging the Private Sector to Contribute to Climate Change - Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Workshop” was held in Santiago, Chile during the period May 14-16, 2014.

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was represented at the Workshop by Ms. Sindy Singh, Environmental Policy and Planning Division,  Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) and Mr. Ryan Assiu, Environmental Management Authority (EMA). 

 

The Workshop aimed to build capacities to design and implement Low Emission Development through national mitigation actions in public and/ or private sectors among LECB participating countries in the Latin  America and Caribbean region. The workshop had four objectives: 

• Initiate a public-private dialogue on stimulating involvement of the private sector in climate change mitigation; 
•  Discuss experiences in private sector participation on mitigation activities and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs); 
•  Engage various actors in a discussion on policy objectives and  innovative approaches to support mitigation activities and  NAMAs; 
•  Exchange lessons learned on improving market conditions to enhance private investment.

 

Ms. Sindy Singh (MEWR) at the LECB - Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Workshop (May 14 –16, 2014).

Overall, it was concluded that there is a significant need to leverage private sector finance for climate change mitigation as public sector funds are not sufficient for the required levels of greenhouse gas abatement to avoid the dangerous anthropogenic climate change as committed to in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  Therefore, in order to leverage such funds, it was decided that there was a need for appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks, incentives and measurement, reporting and verification systems for the implementation of NAMAs.