Intended Nationally Determined Contribution of Jamaica.

This Intended Nationally Determined Contribution is a nationwide sectoral document developed by the Government of Jamaica under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol with the aim of reducing its GHG emissions through ‘no regrets’ mitigation actions, which can lead to reduced emissions as well as cost savings and social and environmental benefits. The objective is to achieve the goal of the Vision Statement of growth and prosperity for its people while meeting the challenges of climate change as a country with enhanced resilience and capacity to adapt to the impacts and to mitigate the causes in a coordinated, effective and sustainable manner. Specific objective of the document are (i) conservation and efficiency in the use of energy; (ii) create a modernized and expanded energy infrastructure, ensuring that energy supplies are safely, reliably, and affordably transported to homes, communities and the productive sectors on a sustainable basis; (iii) increased share of renewable energy sources to 20% by 2030; (iv) an energy supply secure, environmentally sustainable, and able to withstand economic and social development; (v) a well-defined and established governance, institutional, legal and regulatory framework for the energy sector; and (vi) an ecological private industry to advance international competitiveness and to move towards a green economy. The purpose is a reduction of 7.8% of emissions versus BAU.
The proposed adaptation measure are those included in both Jamaica's Vision 2030 and Jamaica’s Climate Change Policy Framework related to community-based initiatives to raise the awareness of the public in general, and vulnerable groups in particular, on the impacts of climate change and how it can be addressed, in particular (i) mainstream climate change considerations into national policies and development plans to build the country’s capacity to develop and implement climate change adaptation and mitigation activities; (ii) support the institutions responsible for research, data collection, analysis and projections on climate change to facilitate informed decision-making and strategic actions at all levels; (iii) facilitate and coordinate the national response to the impacts of climate change and promote low carbon development; (iv) improve communication at all levels on climate change impacts and also adaptation and mitigation related opportunities; and (v) mobilize climate financing for adaptation and mitigation initiatives.
To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, this INDC envisages (i) to integrate climate change considerations in national policies and sectoral and local development plans and programs; (ii) to invest in the installation and maintenance of automatic weather stations at strategic locations across the island; (iii) to strengthen the human and technical capacities for real time monitoring of climatic variations; and (iv) to implement high priority adaptation projects with cross-cutting and national impact in the water, agriculture, tourism, heath, human settlement and coastal resources sectors.
As for the Governance, the Government that, given the cross-cutting nature of climate change, there is an urgent need to develop an integrated approach in order to effectively build resilience at all levels and to have the required enabling policies in place.