In a landmark moment for climate resilience across the region, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) officially broke ground this week on its new state-of-the-art headquarters, to be constructed at the University of Belize’s (UB) Belmopan campus.
The event, held Wednesday, coincided with the CCCCC’s 20th anniversary and underscored a deepening partnership between the Centre and UB. The new facility will serve not only as the CCCCC’s permanent home but also as a central hub for regional climate action across Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states.
“This event showcases the essential role of strategic partnerships in the delivery of our mandates,” said CCCCC Executive Director Dr. Colin Young. “With this partnership, climate resilience, sustainability and adaptation in the Caribbean will take precedence. And while it may seem as though it has taken us 20 years to get to this point, nothing happens before its time.”
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together top regional officials, including CARICOM Deputy Secretary General Armstrong Alexis, Belize Prime Minister John Briceño, and Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip Pierre, who also serves as CARICOM’s Lead Head of Government for Sustainable Development. Ministers from Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Grenada were also in attendance.
The Centre, which started out in a single room at the university two decades ago, is being warmly welcomed “back home.”
“The University of Belize has allocated five acres of its campus to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre because we understand that education must engage directly with national development,” said UB President Dr. Vincent Palacio. “Climate change is not an abstract issue—it is here, and our response must be rooted in institutions that serve.”
The new facility comes as part of a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between UB and the CCCCC, aimed at enhancing research collaboration, technical training, and academic engagement across the region.
Prime Minister Briceño reflected on the long path to this milestone, noting that Belize’s bid to host the CCCCC began as early as 1998, when he served as Minister of Natural Resources under then Prime Minister Said Musa.
“Twenty years later, we are finally here at the University of Belize, breaking ground for its headquarters,” Briceño said. He expressed gratitude to regional leaders who supported Belize’s vision, singling out the late former Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, for graciously stepping aside and allowing Belize to become the Centre’s permanent home.
The construction of the new headquarters marks a significant step forward in advancing climate resilience, sustainable development, and regional cooperation in the face of mounting climate threats to the Caribbean.
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