ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA ELECTED TO CHAIR KEY UNITED NATIONS BODY AT COP27 IN EGYPT

Ambassador Black Layne was elected as co-chair of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI). She is chairing with Eva Schreuder from the Netherlands. In that capacity, Ambassador Black-Layne is co-facilitating the discussions on “Matters relating to the Adaptation Fund”.

The Adaptation Fund is an international fund that finances projects and programmes of developing countries to help them adapt to the harmful effects of climate change. It was established under the Kyoto Protocol of the UNFCCC.

Antigua and Barbuda has benefitted from grant-based financing from the Adaptation Fund, which funded the construction of the culverts (bridges) in communities along the McKinnon’s Waterway. The international Fund has provided the funding to improve the drainage in the area.

Households and businesses within communities along the McKinnon’s Waterway have benefitted from the Fund’s low-interest concessional loans. The loan programme supports them in managing the cost of sound environmental practices in their homes and businesses. The Department has further received funding from the Adaptation Fund on behalf of the country to test a new solar funded reverse osmosis plant that can produce desalinated water from internal wells.

“The country is set to apply for additional funding from the Adaptation Fund,” said Ambassador Black-Layne. “We are confident that our project will get approved. This project will be designed to expand our revolving loan programme by providing low interest loans to households across the country.”

These loans are to make homes safer against extreme weather events such as hurricanes and to move towards more affordable insurance. The additional funds will be used to support community-based and faith-based organisations to equip their facilities as shelters. This will lead to an expansion of the network of shelters from a few facilities in communities to other locations countrywide.

The negotiations for the Adaptation Fund will focus on significantly increasing the amount of funds pledged to the funding institution.

“If funds are increased, then Antigua and Barbuda can apply for this very important additional funding,” said Ambassador Black-Layne.

The Adaptation Fund has been financing concrete, scalable interventions in Antigua and Barbuda since the country’s Department of Environment acquired accreditation in 2015 as a National Implementing Entity to the Fund. As National Implementing Entity, the Department can receive money from the Fund to carry out projects and programmes.

Antigua and Barbuda was reaccredited to the Adaptation Fund in 2020. Its accreditation has enabled Antigua and Barbuda to directly access financing, manage, monitor, and report on climate adaptation and resilience projects.