PM Holness reaffirms Jamaica’s commitment to climate action at UNGA

Kingston, Jamaica: Prime Minister Andrew Holness made an announcement during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that is currently being held in New York, that Jamaica had submitted its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Monday, September 22.

Holness has reaffirmed the nation's commitment to addressing climate change, as he stressed that this move underscores Jamaica's determination to tackle the growing impacts of climate change.

Further he stated that Jamaica's NDC 3.0 is based on a plan with Vision 2030 goals, the Climate Change Policy Framework, and the long-term strategy to lower emissions. He described the plan as both comprehensive and realistic, adding that it is practical and well-rounded. The targets, he highlighted, are backed by current policies and have strong political support.

Highlighting the key programmes of Jamaica's NDC 3.0, the PM stated that we will use a broader way to push renewable energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels as it will become renewable electricity. Then we will improve the energy efficiency in the water sector to minimize the wastage and optimize the resources.

Additionally, he stated that the nation will target 12% of private fleets and 16% of public fleets to adopt electric vehicles by 2030. And with that we will get into the Decarbonization in the Cement Industry which will reduce projected emissions by 40 kilotons of CO₂ through sustainable practices.

Along with this he also emphasised the Emission Reduction targets as he mentioned that  Jamaica will move forward and aims to reduce emissions by 26% to 41.7% compared to the level of 2012, contingent on international support. He also mentioned that these efforts  are expected to improve the quality of the air, to reduce healthcare costs, to increase energy security, and lastly to enhance the resilience against climate impacts.

Andrew Holness stated that the nation is developing an implementation plan for NDC 3.0, which outlines a clear roadmap with sector-specific targets, stakeholder responsibilities, and costing to guide investment and partnerships. And with that this plan will also serve as a practical strategy for achieving a low-emissions, climate-resilient future.

At the end of the announcement the prime minister said that we the people of Jamaica welcome any support from the international communities as it will help them to pursue their goals.