More than 50 senior policymakers from the Commonwealth Caribbean met at a two-day seminar in Barbados to learn more about how to plan for the impact of climate change in the region.

Caribbean policymakers who recently participated in a planning seminar on climate change are pictured, from left: The CCCCC’s Dr Ulric Trotz, Barbados Minister of Family, Youth, Sport and the Environment Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo, Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson, British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Duncan Taylor, Dr Leonard Nurse of CERMES UWI and CCCCC’s Dr Kenrick Leslie.

According to a press release permanent secretaries from ministries of tourism, finance, water and energy heard from experts from the Caribbean and the UK. Dr Leonard Nurse from CERMES, University of the West Indies led a team of speakers from the Caribbean Community Climate Chance Centre (CCCCC), the Hadley Centre in the UK and UN ECLAC in Trinidad.

Participants including Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Works Balraj Balram, Co-ordinator of the Works Services Group at the ministry Rickford Lowe and Secretary at the National Climate Change Committee Rasheta Dewnath heard about weather and climate; the global heat balance; greenhouse gas emissions and their effects and the evidence for global climate change. Policymakers were told that the impact of climate change on regional economies and societies makes the Caribbean particularly vulnerable.

The release said specialist sessions were hosted on each expert’s area in order to teach participants how to incorporate climate change considerations into policy planning. International initiatives for example the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and regional studies and programmes were also presented.

The seminar was hosted at the Accra Beach Hotel.