The Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), has convened more than 50 climate professionals—including government officials, climate finance experts, and regional development partners—for two major regional initiatives aimed at accelerating climate action across the Caribbean.
The twin initiatives consist of a geospatial data applications training—focusing on Earth observation, satellite data, and artificial intelligence (AI)—and a regional stocktake by the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) to evaluate progress and set priorities for securing international climate finance.
Supported by the Government of Azerbaijan through the COP29 Presidency Commonwealth Fund for SIDS under the AI and Space Data for Climate Solutions project, the geospatial training equips regional stakeholders with location-specific data tools to plan and execute climate strategies.
Addressing participants during the opening session, Ms. Uzoamaka Nwamarah, Head of the Climate Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat, emphasized the practical value of data technology:
“The value of climate data lies not simply in what it reveals about the risks we face, but in how effectively we use it to protect our people, strengthen our economies and unlock investments for climate action.”
Parallel to the geospatial training, the CCFAH Regional Stocktake provides a forum for regional partners to review national experiences and strengthen access to climate funds. To date, CCFAH initiatives have helped Caribbean nations mobilize more than US$58 million for climate adaptation and mitigation projects.
Through the deployment of Climate Finance Advisers, the Hub directly assists eight Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia. Advisers work alongside national governments to build institutional capacity, formulate investment-ready project pipelines, and advance local climate objectives.
To extend assistance across the wider region, the CCCCC hosts the Commonwealth Regional Climate Finance Adviser, providing technical assistance and project coordination to countries without embedded national advisers.
