Jamaica
Core analysis conducted and presented by Mario Galbert of Jamaica and Chandelle O’Neil of Trinidad and Tobago in November, 2022.
Executive Summary
On youth and gender inclusion, Jamaica is rated as: poor.
Jamaica and other Small Island Developing States (SIDs) are vocal about climate change due to the impacts on local livelihoods. Despite a lack of resources, the country is not excused from fulfilling its commitments under the Paris Agreement. Even as a Small Island Developing State, Jamaica's 2020 NDC is ambitious and calls for an unconditional commitment to emissions reduction of 60% by 2030 across two main sectors- Energy, Land Use Change and Forestry.
On gender mainstreaming, Jamaica failed to address the issue of gender responsiveness in the planning process. However, under the National Gender Equity Policy requires the Government to “involve women actively in environmental decision-making at all levels and integrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for sustainable development (National Policy on Gender Equity, 2011). As such, though the NDC recognised that the policies do exist to support the inclusion of women in environmental policy discussions, it did not state clearly whether or how women and girls were included in the process. There are several gender focal points across ministries and the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport should have also played a role in ensuring that the plan of action and NDCs were more inclusive.
On youth inclusion, the NDC fails to mention young people or future generations even once.
Top recommendations:
Strengthen transparency in reporting on the different types of civil society groups and stakeholders that participated in the co-designing.
The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport must advocate for the inclusion of women and young people in NDC design and implementation.
Quick Links:
NDC Mentor Chandelle O'Neil (they/them) is a sustainable energy specialist and human rights, advocate. They received a Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering, with a specialization in sustainable energy systems design. Along with volunteering with CAISO Sex and Gender Justice, they have their own startup, Mawu Energy, that supports energy efficiency, sustainable design, and resource management in residential and commercial buildings and properties. They were a Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) Young Caribbean Water Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition Finalist in December 2020. Additionally, they are a Climate Reality Leader, Youth Climate Expert with Unite for Climate Action, an ambassador with the HEY (Healthy and Environmentally-Friendly Youth) Campaign, volunteer with the Fondes Amandes Reforestation project, member of YOUNGO, and volunteer with Care About Climate. They are also pursuing a Global Leadership Diploma with the UN Mandated University for Peace.
NDC Ambassador Mario Galbert is a graduate student at the University of the West Indies, Mona in Jamaica, where he is pursuing a Master of Science degree in International Public and Development Management. He is the Founder and Executive Director of The Global Sustainable Development Network, a youth-led organization established in 2017, the organisation is focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through his role as Executive Director, he has implemented several sub bodies to assist with the operations of the entity. He is a member of YOUNGO's NDC Working Group, ACE Working Group and the Policy Coordination Group, Environmental Law Working Group and Finance Working Group of the Major Group for Children and Youth to UNEP (MGCY-UNEP). He was recently appointed to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Youth Task Force (for a two-year tenure from December 2021 to December 2023). All his interactions give a platform for young people to be involved in policy, climate advocacy, environmental governance, and the promotion of the human rights components of sustainable development.