News

Fighting Climate Change in Cayman

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - December 30, 2015

A new framework

By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Earlier this month, 195 countries at COP21 came together to form the Paris Agreement, a treaty to combat climate change and target actions and investment towards a low carbon, resilient, and sustainable future.

The agreement seeks to offer protection to small, low-lying islands such as the Cayman Islands, by delineating plans to keep global warming “well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Cayman Minister of Environment Wayne Panton says the Paris agreement will provide a guiding framework for the British Overseas Territory in attempts to reduce its carbon footprint.

“The treaty calls for a special report in 2018 on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C and that report could provide some important information for Cayman in terms of the measures needed to address the effects of climate change,” he said. “Prior to the Agreement, the Cayman Islands Government had planned a review of its National Energy Policy. The treaty will impact our efforts to refine the local framework and enable more avenues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Cabinet recently made the decision to request that the United Kingdom include Cayman in its ratification of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which runs until December 31, 2020.

Under KP2, the U.K. has a reduction goal of 16 percent by 2020, compared with 2005 emissions levels.

Cayman is obligated to provide information to the U.K. on local measures to reduce its own emissions and adapt to climate change.

In addition to energy policies, the Government has developed a draft national climate change policy.

Both will prove instrumental in helping to guide the establishment of greenhouse gas reduction targets and the methods of reaching the agreed reductions.

The draft National Climate Change Policy and National Energy Policy will undergo a review and update in early 2016.

“Policies relating to energy security and climate change are intimately linked as they both seek to reduce our current reliance on carbon-based energy production and for the Cayman Islands, one is as essential as the other,” Panton said.

Both the Minister and the Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie are hopeful that the Paris Agreement will encourage Cayman to make greater strides in reducing its carbon footprint.

“To date, actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change have not been a focus of national policy. This will need to change if we are to make any meaningful progress on the issues surrounding climate change,” she said.

Popular Posts caribbean island united dominica

United Airlines Has a New Nonstop Flight to an Adventure-Filled Caribbean Island With a Different Kind of Vibe

There’s a different kind of energy on this Caribbean island. Maybe it’s the waterfalls, or the geothermal energy pulsing beneath your feet. Perhaps it’s the serenity of the rainforest; or the allure of a far-off waterfall, the daunt of an […]


Hyatt Is Closing This Riviera Maya Resort, With Plans for a Rebranding

riviera maya resort closing

Hyatt is closing one of its top luxury resorts in the Mexican Caribbean in a few months, with plans for a rebranding, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, one of a trio of properties in the […]


Frontier Airlines Is Adding Another New Nonstop Flight to the Dominican Republic’s Most Popular Destination: Punta Cana

punta cana golf dominican republic

The beaches, the all-inclusives, the nightclubs, the beach bars. Punta Cana is the spot when it comes to Dominican Republic travel, and now it’s getting another nonstop route from one of the fastest-growing airlines in the Caribbean.  Low-cost carrier Frontier […]


Related Posts spacex

SpaceX’s First International Rocket Landing Will Be in The Bahamas 

SpaceX is making history next week with the first-ever international landing of one of its rockets.  The Falcon 9 rocket will be launching from Cape Canaveral on Feb. 18, before taking an eight-minute trip over Atlantic to The Bahamas, where […]


Nassau’s Airport Keeps Seeing Strong Growth 

nassau airport trees and green spaces

It was another very strong year for Nassau’s Lynden Pindling International Airport, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The Bahamas’ main air hub totaled 3 million departure seats in 2024, a 7 percent jump over the previous year.  Nassau was served by […]


Barbados' Patricia Affonso-Dass on the Art of the Boutique All-Inclusive Resort

patricia affonso dass

Since its inception roughly 16 years ago, the Ocean Hotels Group has made significant strides in transforming the South Coast of Barbados into an area of the country that is synonymous with high-end all-inclusive resorts. Patricia Affonso-Dass, group general manager of […]