Pristine beaches infested with invasive seaweed, vicious hurricanes destroying whole islands, and shrinking coastlines due to rising sea levels. Despite being some of the lowest greenhouse gas-emitting countries in the world, Caribbean islands are heavily affected by climate change. But they do not have enough financial resources and skills to address the issue.
“We’re feeling the brunt of climate change,” Damie Sinanan, manager of competitiveness and export production at the Caribbean Export Development Agency, told Devex. “Whenever there’s a natural disaster, our businesses are hit very hard and it’s very hard to rebound.”
To attract investments across many sectors to the region, the agency organized the second Caribbean Investment Forum, in Nassau, the Bahamas, last month. This year, the summit, developed in collaboration with the European Union, regional governments, and the Caribbean Development Bank, had a heavy focus on climate-friendly initiatives. According to Sinanan, over 500 private sector representatives attended, including 50 potential investors and 200 businesses.
About the author
Stéphanie Fillion
Stéphanie Fillion is a New York-based reporter specializing in foreign affairs and human rights and a United Nations resident correspondent. Her work has been featured in outlets such as Forbes Magazine, Foreign Policy, CNN, among others. She has a master's degree in Journalism, Politics, and Global Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from McGill University. In recent years, her U.N. coverage received two U.N. Correspondent Association awards as well as a Gracie award from the Alliance for Women in Media.
