November 15, 2017, BONN, Germany – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has joined a coalition of developing and developed countries and international institutions, which have committed to combatting climate change and adapting to its effects. On November 14, on the margins of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23), the Bank was announced as one of the newest members of the NDC Partnership.
Admission to the Partnership comes as CDB intensifies its effort to scale up climate action in its borrowing member countries. Speaking at the event, “Champions for Climate Action: The NDC Partnership”, President of the Bank, Dr. Wm. Warren Smith, said that CDB’s decision to join was a “no-brainer.”
“The principles that underpin this Partnership coincide very nicely with the approach of the Caribbean Development Bank. We, as a small institution, have learnt over the years that there is very little that we can do on our own. We have to work with several different countries and institutions in order for us to mobilise the resources that we need for our borrowing member countries. And we also need to gather the information and the experiences of our larger partners, in particular, for us to be able to get it right,” said Smith.
The NDC Partnership is a platform for the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) – the targets countries around the world are working to achieve, to stop global temperatures from rising 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The Partnership promotes long-term climate action; advancing adaptation and mitigation; and aligning development and climate change. Partners work together to identify the capacity needs of developing countries and determine the appropriate means to address those needs.
The NDC Partnership was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Marrakesh, Morocco last year. Since then, it has grown to almost 80 members that are engaging jointly to help 15 developing countries and emerging economies reach their NDC targets under the Paris Agreement and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Brazil; Canada; Colombia; Germany; Haiti; Italy; Mexico; Saint Lucia; and the United Kingdom are CDB member countries that have joined the NDC Partnership
