Ministry of Planning and Development plans implementing Paris Agreement

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago signed the Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on April 22, 2016, and ratification is receiving the active attention of the Cabinet, a release said.

In this regard, Trinidad and Tobago has submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, which is a commitment to reduce overall cumulative greenhouse gas emissions from the major emitting sectors of the economy - power generation, transportation and industrial sectors - by 15% by 2030 from Business as Usual (BAU), which in absolute terms amounts to one hundred and three million tonnes (103,000,000) of carbon dioxide equivalent.

To this end, the Ministry of Planning and Development is in the process of developing an implementation plan for the NDC, including a framework for monitoring, verifying and reporting, which is scheduled to be completed in January 2017.

In addition, the Ministry of Planning and Development is currently engaged in the formulation of a Climate Change Action Plan for Trinidad and Tobago involving, inter alia: • revision of the 2011 National Climate Change Policy • development of strategies for mainstreaming climate change into national development • building capacity at the institutional and community levels in terms of mitigation and adaptation strategies and increasing public awareness Trinidad and Tobago will be represented at the Twenty-Second Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22); the Twelfth Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12) and First Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1) taking place in Marrakesh, Morocco over the period November toda to 18 November, 2016 by a delegation of officials from the Ministries of Planning and Development and Foreign and CARICOM Affairs.