MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica - Over 500 participants including climate innovators, policy makers, entrepreneurs, financiers, social advocates, and researchers will convene for a two-day international Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Partnership Forum beginning today, June 23 to 24, 2014 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Co-hosted by the CIF Administrative Unit and the Inter-American Development Bank and under the auspice of the Government of Jamaica, this will be the fifth staging of the event.
CIF, which is an $8 billion pilot will bring together donor and recipient countries, Multilateral Development Banks, private sector, civil society, and other entities in a concerted effort to trigger climate smart investments. Its primary objective is to highlight emerging knowledge and learning on low carbon, climate resilient development. According to Patricia Bliss-Guest, Program Manager, CIF, “We are delighted to welcome so many climate practitioners and thought-leaders to the Partnership Forum. I look forward to an enriching and inspiring two days.”
Co-host of the event and the implementing agency for CIF-funded projects (totaling US$757.22 million in 2013), in Latin America and the Caribbean the IDB, operates as a strategic ally of governments and the private sector in Latin America and the Caribbean in their efforts to tackle the effects of climate change with cost-effective, sustainable solutions. “It is a pleasure for us to co-host this event in Jamaica, a champion in climate change adaptation” says Hans Schulz, Vice President for the Private Sector and Non-Sovereign Guaranteed Operations of the IDB.
The forum will provide the GOJ an opportunity to highlight what has been achieved through the CIF within the broader context of the country’s climate change strategy and objectives. Portfolio Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Robert Pickersgill outlined that “As a Small Island Developing State that is extremely vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change, Jamaica is pleased to host this Climate Investment Fund Partnership Forum”. The Minister added that “the forum is an opportunity for the building of partnerships to generate investment and foster strong, programmatic action on climate change”.
Some 48 pilot countries and 14 contributing countries from CIF will participate in the discussions. The Partnership Forum takes place every two years and provides governments, stakeholders and others with the opportunity to learn, share and network.
Visit the Climate Invesment Funds Parnership Forum site:
Follow us on Twitter: @BIDcambioclima