The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has named new Ministerial Leads to represent the region at the 30th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Belém, Brazil. The appointments aim to reinforce CARICOM’s unified stance on climate justice and resilience, backed by a regional strategy coordinated by the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC).
The move comes amid intensifying climate threats to Caribbean small island and low-lying coastal states, which face disproportionate impacts despite contributing minimally to global emissions. The Ministerial Leads will collaborate closely with the CCCCC, which will host the CARICOM Pavilion in Belém—a hub for coordination meetings, showcasing regional innovation, and amplifying the voices of vulnerable communities.
These efforts are guided by CARICOM’s strategic vision and the recently adopted CARICOM Declaration on the Tenth Anniversary of the Paris Agreement, which underscores the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C and calls for urgent international support for adaptation and mitigation. At COP30, the Ministerial Leads will engage global stakeholders, advocate for climate finance, and highlight both regional progress and ongoing challenges.
The appointed Ministerial Leads are:
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Loss and Damage: Dr. the Hon. Shantal Munro-Knight, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Barbados
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Climate Finance: Hon. Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Belize
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Global Stocktake: Hon. Kerryne James, Minister of Climate Resilience, Environment and Renewable Energy, Grenada
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Adaptation: Hon. Cozier Frederick, Minister of the Environment, Rural Modernisation and Kalinago Upliftment, Dominica
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Adaptation: Hon. Matthew Samuda, Minister of Water and the Environment, Jamaica
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Just Transition: Sen. the Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment, St. Kitts and Nevis
Supporting the delegation will be CARICOM Climate Change Envoy Dr. James Fletcher; Assistant Secretary-General (ag) Economic Integration, Innovation and Development Dr. Wendell Samuel; and Amrikha Singh, Programme Manager for Sustainable Development at the CARICOM Secretariat.
Through this coordinated approach, CARICOM aims to ensure that Caribbean realities and the urgent needs of its communities are central to global climate negotiations.
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