News item | 13-05-2023 | 09:32
From May 10-12, the Netherlands and Aruba organized the first Caribbean Climate and Energy Conference (CCEC). The conference took place in Aruba and aimed to bring (is)countries together to stimulate cooperation between islands and to exchange knowledge and best practices about the problems that occur on islands as a result of climate change. The conference produced concrete results, such as cooperation agreements for more sustainable and affordable energy in Aruba, Sint Maarten and Curaçao, a new four-country consultation to be set up and a roadmap for the transition within the Kingdom. Bottlenecks have also been identified that will be tackled in the run-up to the next CCEC.
Minister Jetten (Climate and Energy): “Islands are on the front line of climate change and rightly feel let down by a lack of aid and climate action from larger and more prosperous countries. It is therefore high time that there is more attention and support for islands in tackling problems caused by climate change. However, the time left is too short to reinvent the wheel on each island. That is why I wanted to seek cooperation between islands with the organization of the first-ever Caribbean Climate and Energy Conference and strengthen. Only in this way can we tackle the climate problems on islands quickly enough.”
Cooperation for a strong and sustainable Kingdom
The first day of the CCEC was devoted to the (island) countries within the Kingdom, including a round table discussion with the six islands, chaired by Minister Jetten and Prime Minister Wever Croes of Aruba. It has been agreed that there will be a roadmap for the entire Kingdom for the transitions in the area of climate and energy. In addition, the four countries within the Kingdom (the Netherlands, Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten) will cooperate more closely within a new four-country climate and energy consultation to be set up. In doing so, they are building on the cooperation that started in the run-up to the previous United Nations climate conference in Egypt (COP27) with a joint Kingdom commitment to United Nations (UN) climate conferences.
More sustainable and affordable energy on Aruba, Sint Maarten and Curaçao
Minister Jetten signed cooperation agreements in the field of sustainable energy with Prime Minister Wever-Croes of Aruba and Prime Minister Jacobs of Sint Maarten. The ambition is to quickly realize more sustainable energy projects on the islands with the help of Dutch knowledge and expertise so that Arubans and Sint Maarteners can benefit from clean, affordable energy. A solid cooperation agreement will also be signed with Curaçao during the visit of Minister Jetten to the island on Monday 15 May.
International cooperation for island climate action
Days two and three of the conference were internationally oriented. Representatives of islands from the Caribbean region and Pacific Island States engaged with relevant parties such as UN agencies, knowledge institutes and financial institutions on justice in the climate transition, climate resilient ecosystems and the financing of climate action – themes of particular relevance to Islands. During these conversations, a number of issues emerged that form an obstacle to climate action on islands. This concerns a lack of capacity to make and implement climate plans, no or insufficient access to current and reliable data and the lack of capacity and expertise to go through complicated procedures that provide access to financing. The government wants to tackle these points in the coming period in collaboration with the islands, in the run-up to the next CCEC.