Local News

Professor Dale Webber appointed Jamaica’s envoy on climate change

21 January 2025
This content originally appeared on Jamaica News | Loop News.
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University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor, Dale Webber, has been appointed Jamaica’s first special envoy for climate change, the environment, matters of the ocean, and the blue economy.

The appointment has received Cabinet approval.

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, (MEGJC), Matthew Samuda made the announcement Tuesday in the House of Representatives. He said Webber will hold the title of Ambassador while serving in this role.

“The need for this role has arisen from the significant demands being placed on all nations in the multilateral space to participate in fora that focus on new climate, environment, and ocean agreements, as well as the stocktaking and evaluation of the implementation of existing agreements, and numerous technical negotiations,” Samuda said.

He highlighted that the portfolio was not simply a local one. “It dominates much of the multilateral bandwidth as the issues of climate change and environmental degradation are the defining challenges of our generation,” he said.

The minister noted that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has articulated the concept of the triple planetary crisis, which encapsulates three interconnected and urgent challenges:

1. Climate Change – with rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting climate patterns affecting millions, particularly Small Island Developing States like Jamaica.

2. Biodiversity Loss – where ecosystems critical to life on Earth are being degraded, leading to the extinction of species and the disruption of natural cycles.

3. Pollution and Waste – including the alarming levels of plastic pollution, air contamination, and untreated waste impacting both human health and the environment.

"This triple crisis underscores the urgent need for global cooperation and local action to mitigate these threats and to ensure sustainable development for current and future generations," Samuda said.

“The increasing demand for high-level participation in not just political negotiations but also technical meetings means that for Jamaica to maintain its powerful voice in these spaces, we must increase our capacity to contribute significantly. These negotiations are far from a mere talk shop. The agreements arrived at in these fora have had and will continue to have profound impacts on Jamaica,” Samuda added.

Webber is a former principal of the UWI, Mona and has an exemplary career as a marine biologist, conservationist, and climate change advocate Samuda noted.

“His academic specialisation in Coastal and Environmental Management, coupled with his distinguished contributions in academia and public service, makes him exceptionally qualified for this ambassadorship,” the minister said.

Webber will report directly to the prime minister, collaborating closely with MEGJC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Jamaica's interests on the global stage.