Jamaica to complete climate change framework legislation this year

Jamaica will officially complete its first climate change framework legislation later this year.

Minister of Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, made the announcement at a high-level, cross-government workshop in Kingston yesterday.

The proposed legislation aims to address the “implementation gap” identified in the Auditor General’s climate scan assessment, which was tabled in parliament on Tuesday.

Mr. Samuda said he has no objection to the findings.

He positioned the new legislation as the “anchor” for Jamaica’s international climate leadership, transitioning the nation’s response from policy commitments, to a comprehensive regulatory framework.

The workshop, supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, marked the beginning of a national consultative process.

These sessions aim to gather input from the public and private sectors, academia and civil society, to draft a concept note that will serve as the foundation for the new law.

The ministry will continue stakeholder consultations over the coming months.