After Eight-Year Delay, Climate Policy Review Set to Transform the BVI: What You Need to Know

After several false starts and eight years of waiting, the government is finally reviewing the 2012 Virgin Islands Climate Change Adaptation Policy. This moment comes with high hopes, but also echoes of past disappointments.

When it began, the policy seemed revolutionary. It set clear goals to protect the territory from the growing effects of climate change. Sadly, the reality has often fallen short. Many deadlines have been missed, and the trust fund designed to support these initiatives has yet to take shape.

Now, officials are promising to move forward. They plan to introduce a climate fund at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil this November. Before that, they are holding discussions to update the original policy. These consultations are private for now, but plans for public meetings are on the horizon, as provided by Angela Burnett Penn, a director in the Ministry of Environment.

The 2012 policy demanded a public review five years after its launch to check its effectiveness. This review started in 2016 but was disrupted by Hurricane Irma. It faced more delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, consultations with various sectors have restarted, focusing on areas like tourism, agriculture, and marine ecosystems.

Yet, public input is still limited. While discussions have been conducted in sectors like tourism and insurance, no open public meetings have been scheduled. Ms. Burnett Penn assured that wider community consultations are planned for the future.

The upcoming review aims to produce three key documents: a report showing how the 2012 policy was implemented, the updated policy itself, and an implementation strategy detailing future projects.

The climate fund, established in 2015, has also faced challenges. Although it was created, it sat empty for years as governments failed to use tourism taxes meant to support it. Now, with a fresh commitment, officials anticipate about $6 million will finally be available, gathering funds that were supposed to be allocated years ago.

Many targets from the original policy have either been met or missed. For instance, the expected National Sustainable Tourism Development Policy was not developed in time, leaving many in the community waiting for promised strategies. Additionally, an Environmental Management Bill that has been discussed for over 20 years has yet to be tabled.

On a positive note, some goals have been achieved. New policies for beach management, recycling programs, and a national energy policy pushing for greener energy sources are strides in the right direction.

As we look ahead, the urgency for effective climate action remains. Without decisive steps and accountability, the promise of a sustainable future could slip away once more.



Source link

30th UN Climate Change Conference,angela burnett,angela burnett penn,Beacon,BVI,BVI Beacon,bvi climate change,BVI Climate Change Adaptation Policy,Caribbean,Caribbean climate justice,climate,Climate change,Climate Change Adaptation Policy,climate change board,climate change committee,climate change policy,climate change policy review,climate change policy update,Climate Change Trust Fund,climate crisis,climate finance,climate fund,climate resilience,delay,environment,environmental policy,Ministry of Environment,Ministry of Environment Natural Resources and Climate Change,National Climate Change Committee,Natural Resources and Climate Change,policy review,policy update,private consultation,private consultations,private sector,private sector meetings,public consultation,public consultations,public sector,stakeholder consultation,stakeholder consultations,stakeholder meetings,tourism,tourism consultation,tourism consultations,tourism meeting,transparency,VI,VI Climate Change Adaptation Policy,Virgin Islands,Virgin Islands Climate Change Adaptation Policy.