Update and Implement the Climate Change Policy Framework (JM0006)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address? Global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities have grown since pre-industrial times (1750), resulting in global warming of approximately 1°C above pre-industrial levels by 2017. As a small-island developing state, Jamaica is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, increased threats to human health, and increased frequency of extreme weather events such as storms, droughts and hurricanes. Jamaica‟s vulnerability to climate change impacts is further compounded by social issues such as poverty, environmental degradation, and the location of human settlements and critical infrastructure in high-risk coastal areas. Jamaica‟s existing Climate Change Policy Framework was developed over a period from 2012- 2014 and adopted in September 2015. It therefore does not reflect important developments that have taken place since its adoption, including the Paris Agreement of December 2015, and accelerating trends in climate change impacts.

What is the commitment? To update the Climate Change Policy Framework and commence implementation of key actions under the updated Framework.

How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem? The updating of the Climate Change Policy Framework for Jamaica will take into consideration the provisions of the Paris Agreement and other relevant international, regional and national developments in sectors, including the energy and transport sectors, as well as the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other relevant United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reports and material. Extensive consultations with stakeholders and the public will be conducted on the Green Paper which has been prepared for the updating of the Climate Change Policy Framework, which will serve as the basis for preparation of the White Paper for the updating of the Climate Change Policy Framework, to be submitted for Cabinet approval and subsequent tabling in Parliament. The updated Climate Change Policy Framework will advance the strengthening of Jamaica‟s adaptive capacity and resilience to reduce its vulnerability to climate change, pursuit of low carbon development and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, enhancement of access to and mobilization of climate finance, and promotion of public education and awareness raising, research and technology transfer towards ambitious climate action. Key actions to be undertaken under the Implementation Plan for the updated Climate Change Policy Framework will also include preparation of climate change legislation; development of the National Adaptation Plan, with funding support from the Green Climate Fund; vulnerability assessments at the national, sectoral and community levels; and a Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), to strengthen Jamaica‟s institutional and technical capacity to meet its reporting requirements under the Paris Agreement and UNFCCC.

Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values? The updating and implementation of the Climate Change Policy Framework is relevant to the following OGP values: 1. Access to Information: The overall implementation of the updated Climate Change Policy Framework will facilitate improved capacity for monitoring and reporting on information on emissions and climate change impacts. 2. Civic Participation: The development of the White Paper for the updating of the Climate Change Policy Framework and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) will include extensive consultations with stakeholders and the public. 3. Public Accountability: Effective implementation of the updated Climate Change Policy Framework will facilitate the strengthening of the capacity to prepare and regularly publish national reports on the assessment of climate change impacts, projects, programmes and activities including National Communications, Adaptation Communications, Biennial Update Reports (BURs), Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and State of the Jamaican Climate Reports.

Additional information The updating and implementation of the Climate Change Policy Framework is aligned with:  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 1992  The Paris Agreement 2015  The SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway 2014  The Forest Policy of Jamaica 2017  Jamaica‟s National Energy Policy 2009-2030  National Water Sector Policy and Implementation Plan, 2019  The National Strategy and Action Plan on Biological Diversity in Jamaica 2016 – 2021  The Disaster Risk Management Act 2015  Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Plan – National Outcome No. 10 Energy Security and Efficiency; National Outcome No. 13 Sustainable Management and Use of Environmental and Natural Resources; National Outcome No. 14 Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change; and National Outcome No. 15 Sustainable Urban and Rural Development  Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework (MTF) for the relevant three-year period  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 13 Climate Action; SDG 14 Life Below Water; and SDG 15 Life On Land

Milestone Activity with a Verifiable Deliverable Start Date: End Date: Complete stakeholder and public consultations on the Green Paper for the updating of the Climate Change Policy Framework November 2021 February 2022 Prepare White Paper for the updating of the Climate Change Policy Framework and submit to Cabinet March 2022 June 2022 Appoint Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) focal point20 June 2022 November 2022 Complete stakeholder and public consultations on the preparation of draft climate change legislation July 2022 September 2022 Prepare Cabinet submission on preparation of draft climate change legislation and submit to Cabinet October 2022 December 2022 Prepare drafting instructions for preparation of draft climate change legislation January 2023 July 2023

Action Plan Review

Commitment 6. Update and Implement the Climate Change Policy Framework

● Verifiable: Yes

● Does it have an open government lens? Yes

● Potential for results: Modest

Results Report

Commitment 6. Updating and Implementing the Climate Change Policy Framework

Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation

Context and objectives

This commitment aimed to improve the practices, policies, and norms that govern Jamaica's Climate Change Policy Framework by incorporating stakeholder and public consultation activities in its drafting and implementation. The initial version of the policy framework, which defined Jamaica's goals, principles, and strategies to address the impacts and challenges of climate change, was adopted in 2015. [11] Through this commitment, a new iteration of the framework and its implementing legislation would benefit from the adoption of a consultative and collaborative approach. This participatory approach would inform their prospective alignment with “new realities”—notably the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). [12]

Early results:Moderate

The completion of stakeholder and public consultations and the adoption of the updated Climate Change Policy Framework was delayed, but signals a positive step towards inclusive policy development. Through this commitment, the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) was able to deliver on the crucial and highly relevant issue of climate change, which was also one of the key thematic areas identified as a priority by the multistakeholder forum (MSF) during the co-creation phase. In this sense, although it was not assessed as promising in the Action Plan Review, the commitment provided an updated policy framework that consulted those who are disproportionately affected by the impact of climate change—indicating moderate early results. In order to move beyond these initial results, the implementing authority needs to address staffing constraints in key executive areas to be able to deliver delayed activities.

This commitment achieved limited completion. Stakeholder and public consultations on the Green Paper for updating the Climate Change Policy Framework (Milestone 1) were successfully completed. Online sessions between November 2021 and February 2022 were joined by public sector agencies, civil society groups (including youth representatives), private sector actors, and the general public. [13] Prior to the latest session, the Green Paper was circulated to all parish libraries and municipal corporations, and was extensively posted on relevant agency websites, while notifications were sent to civil society organizations, including youth groups and community-based organizations. After that, the websites of the MEGJC and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) posted the consultation reports to facilitate access to the general public. [14] Despite some delays, the preparation of the White Paper for updating the policy framework (Milestone 2) was also successfully completed. The Cabinet approved the updated Climate Change Policy Framework [15] at the end of March 2023 and circulated it to key stakeholders to commence implementation activities.

The remaining activities foreseen in the commitment were reported as delayed. The appointment of an Action for Climate Empowerment focal point (Milestone 3) did not commence, while the preparation of a draft legislation on climate change—stakeholder consultations under Milestone 4, submission of the draft the cabinet under Milestone 5, and preparation of drafting instructions under Milestone 6 were delayed, pending on the engagement by the MEGJC of a legal consultant to assist in the preparation of a Concept Note and of the preliminary drafting instructions. Despite this, the successful completion of the White Paper on the Climate Change Policy Framework and its subsequent approval by the Cabinet are in line with the commitment's stated objectives. The initiation of consultations, along with the dissemination of the final document to key stakeholders for implementation, reflects progress toward the intended outcome. As outlined in the policy framework document, “the policy development process involved a number of consultations [...] and was subject to extensive review in accordance with government guidelines, before receiving the approval of the Cabinet.” The commitment effectively employed open government mechanisms, particularly through online consultations and transparency initiatives.

Although these mechanisms for public participation in policymaking represent an opportunity for change, human resource constraints impacted the ability of the implementing authority to meet the planned implementation timeline negatively. However, formal institutionalization of these changes, as seen in the consultations and subsequent approval of the policy framework, could be a positive step to set a path for future reforms.

Looking ahead

The commitment would benefit from future initiatives that do not only address existing institutional capacity constraints, but also draw on lessons from the implementation process to improve its efficiency. The delayed activities, particularly those related to legal consultations and legislation drafting, underscore the need to address human resource constraints to ensure timely progress. Despite these challenges, the commitment has successfully applied open government mechanisms, highlighting the importance of refining these approaches to enhance citizen participation and transparency. This helped lay the groundwork for participatory climate policy reform in Jamaica to build on in future action plan cycles.