EU, Latin America and the Caribbean lead the charge for a Green and Just Transition
Media Release Courtesy the European Union
May 16, 2023 — In commemorating Europe Day, the European Union (EU) officially launched its €35-million climate action programme Euroclima in the Caribbean region. Today’s launch follows October’s Ministerial meeting, where EU Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen and Caribbean Ministers agreed to put just green transition at the core of the partnership between the EU and the Caribbean region. The launch took place at Walkers Reserve, an eco-forest located on the east coast of the country, which is also a centre for regenerative agriculture, further highlighting the focus and commitments of Euroclima.
Euroclima is the EU’s flagship programme for green action to all 33 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and will contribute to the implementation of the Global Gateway Investment Agenda in the region. Global Gateway is the EU’s offer to bridge the infrastructure investment gap by using public financing to leverage private capital and investment for projects that contribute to the green and digital twin transition.
European Commission Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans said: “Tackling the climate crisis starts and ends with emissions reductions. But to support the climate transition across the world, we also need to make finance flow towards low-emission investments, climate-resilient development and environmental sustainability. With financial needs running into the trillions, we cannot rely on public finance alone. We need to mobilize and enable private finance as well, show investors that it pays off to invest in the energy transition and climate adaptation. Euroclima helps to do just that.”
European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said “Euroclima embodies Global Gateway, the EU’s positive offer to deliver sustainable investments in our partner countries. The programme will increase partners’ resilience against climate change, help protect the most vulnerable populations and build future-proof services in the region. As agreed with Caribbean Ministers in Barbados last October, with this extension of Euroclima we are making sure that just green transition is at the heart of the partnership between our regions. We will strengthen our climate cooperation in view of the upcoming EU-CELAC summit this July.”
Hon. Carlos James, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Sustainable Development and Culture of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, holding the pro-tempore presidency of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC), said: “The EU and Latin America and the Caribbean are natural partners in the fight against the climate and biodiversity crises, and the extension of Euroclima to the Caribbean will offer new concrete avenues to strengthen this partnership”.
EU Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, and CARICOM/CARIFORUM, Malgorzata Wasilewska, said: “Euroclima provides a unique opportunity to support ongoing efforts towards a green and just transition and to strengthen intra-regional collaboration and as such advance the Partnership on the Green Deal with the Caribbean and the Global Gateway Investment Agenda in the region”.
After over a decade of successful implementation in Latin America, Euroclima evolves into a stronger and modernised version of the EU and LAC partnership. The Programme will also strategically strengthen the long-standing EU-LAC relationship, by implementing flexible and tailored actions involving a broader range of thematic and stakeholders´ scopes from both sides of the Atlantic. This includes a greater emphasis on addressing biodiversity loss and adoption of circular economy principles.
The Programme aims at increasing resilience to climate change of ecosystems and vulnerable communities, including women, youth, and indigenous populations through the implementation of demand-driven actions. Dialogues with the partner countries are ongoing and is the first step in the process of co-creating concrete actions to tackle key development areas that are identified.
To support this work, Euroclima welcomes the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as a new Implementing Agency (IA) that along with Agence Francaise de Developpement (French Development Agency), Expertise France, and co-financed by the The German Development Agency (GIZ), will continue to support climate action in the Caribbean. The Spanish Agency for International Development Co-operation (AECID), the United Nations Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) complete the list of Implementing Agencies of Euroclima in the region.