Jamaica’s climate resilience plan sets example to other countries, says UN Climate Change
UN Climate Change is encouraging governments around the world to learn from Jamaica’s climate resilience and adaptation plans as the country works to protect itself from future shocks.
In a case study published on 7 July, UN Climate Change set out Jamaica’s ‘2050 Long-Term Emission Reduction and Climate-Resilient Strategy’ and its development through a focus on stakeholder engagement and international support and partnership.
Key to shaping its strategy – which takes a “whole-of-economy, whole-of-society approach” – was the realisation that the estimated cost of implementing the country’s adaptation measures was roughly comparable to the losses caused by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, which caused an estimated US$8.8bn in economic losses – or around 41% of the country’s GDP.
“For those involved in Jamaica’s climate planning efforts, the comparison reinforced a clear message: investing in resilience before disaster strikes can cost far less than rebuilding afterwards,” UN Climate Change said.
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Jamaica’s climate strategy goals and lessons for other countries
The strategy outlines Jamaica’s aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 73% by 2050 while pursuing a development pathway aligned with the Paris Agreement and the ambition to limit global warming to 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels.
As UN Climate Change highlighted, the goals set out in the strategy are also designed to support sustainable national development, which meant answering questions such as: How can communities be protected from increasingly severe climate impacts? How can economic growth continue while reducing emissions? And how can climate resilience become part of everyday development planning?
The strategy relies on cross-government and stakeholder engagement – with various people and groups contributing to answering these questions – and is accompanied by an updated operationalisation plan, in-depth economic assessments, and investment plans.
In the case study, UN Climate Change sets out the lessons for other countries, including strong institutional coordination; “early and continuous” stakeholder engagement; reliable data systems and technical capacity; the integration of climate resilience and emissions reduction into broader development planning; and the creation of international partnerships that can “provide valuable technical expertise and support implementation efforts”.
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Stakeholder engagement
The strategy was developed through consultation involving government institutions, academia, civil society, development partners and the private sector.
Taneque Heslop, Jamaica’s NDC partnership in-country facilitator, underscored the approach: “We don’t think about climate action in Jamaica as something that happens in silos. We take a whole-of-economy, whole-of-society approach, bringing together different voices to help shape the country’s future.”
UN Climate Change said that the consultations “were not limited to reviewing draft documents”. Instead, through bilateral meetings, workshops and “validation sessions”, feedback from diverse stakeholders “helped refine technical modelling, identify sector priorities and strengthen implementation considerations… [ensuring] that the strategy reflected both national ambitions and practical realities on the ground”.
The Jamaican government also created a Cabinet-mandated multi-stakeholder committee to guide the process, and sectorial working groups were set up “to examine mitigation and adaptation opportunities across key areas of the economy”, including water, agriculture, tourism, health, and coastal and human settlements, as well as energy, transport, forestry, and waste management.
Stakeholders also “integrated cross-cutting issues, including culture and social inclusion” throughout the process, UN Climate Change said.
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Challenges and international support
The case study notes that like many countries developing long-term climate strategies, Jamaica faced several challenges in the development of its 2050 strategy including financial constraints and data gaps and limited technical capability.
“In addition, coordination across ministries and sectors required sustained effort, particularly in areas where climate considerations had not previously been fully integrated into policy planning. These experiences reinforced the importance of strong institutional coordination, reliable data systems and continued investment in technical capacity,” UN Climate Change said.
To help plug the gaps, institutions such as the World Bank, the Climate Technology Centre and Network, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Rocky Mountain Institute provided technical assistance in the development of the strategy, while the 2050 Pathways Platform – which was launched at COP22 in Marrakesh – also helped to refine it by “strengthening the analytical framework, integrating technical inputs and ensuring coherence across different workstreams”.
“Together, these contributions, combined with strong national leadership and international collaboration, helped ensure that the final strategy was both technically robust and aligned with global climate goals,” the UN said.
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Implementation, not just preparation
To support the implementation of its plans, the Jamaican government has updated its operationalisation plan, which serves as a technical guide for implementing its long-term climate objectives, and has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis and macroeconomic assessment of the strategy.
The assessment was carried out through partnership with the University of the West Indies, the International Centre for Research on Environment and Development and other organisations, and evaluates the economic viability of Jamaica’s pathway towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
The investment plan behind the strategy and operationalisation plan is also supported by the United Nations Development Programme and delivered by Deloitte, to “help estimate implementation costs and identify potential sources of financing”.
“Together, these assessments help demonstrate that investing in climate resilience and low-emission development can generate long-term economic benefits while reducing the costs associated with climate-related disasters and other climate impacts,” the case study said.
“Jamaica’s experience offers valuable lessons for countries across the Caribbean and beyond. By investing in resilience, strengthening partnerships and planning for the long term, the country is showing how climate ambition can be transformed into practical climate action,” it concluded.
About Luke Barisonek
Luke is a student at Boston University pursuing a degree in international relations with a focus on environment and development. As part of the Boston University London Summer Internship Program, Luke is interning with Global Government Forum where he primarily works in the editorial department. Luke is active in Boston-based political organising and is a member of the Boston University Snowboard Team.
