Bahamas' Updated Nationally Determined Contribution.

The Bahamas' Updated Nationally Determined Contribution sets out two overarching goals towards 2030 that will contribute to the fulfilment of the carbon neutrality international goal by 2050: (I) reducing its GHG emission by 30% compared to its BaU scenario, and (II) having at least 30% of renewables in the country’s energy mix. This policy lays down mitigation and adaptation targets for reducing greenhouse gases emissions and increasing its resilience to climate change impacts through a sustainable development and economy-wide approach. The Government of the Bahamas recognizes its vulnerability to climate change-related impacts, and the need for planned adaptation to achieve long-term sustainable development, and lays down concrete actions to integrate climate change into economic, social and environmental policies.
The five priority sectors for mitigation action: energy; transportation; industrial processes and produce use; land-use, land-use change and forestry; and waste. Energy efficiency and sustainable practices across sectors will be promoted and carbon capture will be enhanced through energy audits, public awareness campaign for energy efficiency and energy conservation, energy labelling, energy efficient standards, introduction of a National Recycling Program, sustainable waste management, energy efficiency in the water sector, sustainable agroforestry practices, conservation and sustainable management practices and the establishment of a forest estate with 20% land cover, and reestablishment and rehabilitation of ecosystems. Renewable energy generation will be promoted and incentive mechanism will be set up.
Climate change adaptation actions will be carried out to reduce the country’s vulnerability and improve its ability to prepare and respond to climate change, while ensuring equitable, sustainable, and resilient growth. These actions include: (I) improve planning, preparedness, and response to climate emergencies, (II) strengthen the national regulatory framework and leverage adaptation funding, (III) protect human health and ensure population’s food and water security, (IV) improve management and conservation of ecosystems, (V) increase the resiliency of energy infrastructure and diversify the Bahamian energy matrix with a focus on renewable, (VI) improve education and awareness on climate change impacts, and (VII) enhance climate change information and monitoring. New technological solutions will be explored for ensuring population’s access to drinking water. Measures will be taken against the impacts of climate change on water utility systems and availability of groundwater resources. Investments in desalination plants will be increased to ensure water availability, particularly on the islands with fewer freshwater resources. Farmers will be provided with relevant meteorological information regularly, as well as weather forecasts, to foster climate-sensitive farming. Climate-smart sustainable agriculture measures and agroforestry practices will be promoted. Climate change risk and impacts on the agriculture and fisheries sectors, particularly on productivity and food security, will be assessed. Investment will be increased in research on climate-resilient crops. Climate monitoring systems will be established for farms. The payments for ecosystem services and other sustainable financing options will be established to enhance protection of habitats for climate resilient communities. The Nature-Based Solutions approaches will be promoted to sustain ecosystems that ensure resilience against climate-related threats, involving local communities. National standards will be established for collecting geospatial data particularly for coral reefs, fisheries, forests, agriculture, health, public works, water resources and supply, economics, and climate change awareness.
The mitigation and adaptation targets presented in the updated NDC are contingent upon receiving international support for technology transfer, capacity-building and financial resources, including through the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Adaptation Fund (AF), multilateral and bilateral agreements and the local private sector. The Department of Environmental Planning and Protection requires substantial financial and human resources to achieve its mandate, cooperate effectively with national partners, implement capacity building programs, and establish robust information systems to address the challenges of climate change. To sustain these efforts and scale up the implementation of mitigation and adaptation measures across The Bahamas, a Monitoring, Reporting and Verification system will be institutionalized. The Department of Environmental Planning and Protection will establish a Climate Change Unit to strengthen climate data collection.