TT co-chair in UN climate change negotiations

TT has been named as the co-chair of negotiations on climate-linked loss and damage at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25).

The Planning Ministry in a media release said TT continued to play a leadership role globally regarding climate change related matters.

The co-chair announcement was made on Monday at COP25, which is being held from December 2-13 in Madrid, Spain.

The negotiations hope to review the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage Associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM), with a view to making recommendations. Agreed to in Warsaw, Poland in 2013 (COP19), the WIM aims to address climate-linked loss and damage by building knowledge and understanding, strengthening dialogue and coordination and enhancing action and support.

Planning Ministry head of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit Kishan Kumarsingh is part of the delegation representing TT at COP25, and has been appointed by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (advisory bodies to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) to be the co-chair on behalf of TT. Kumarsingh was selected due to his vast experience and success in contributing to climate change matters at the global level, the ministry said. This country, through Kumarsingh, played a key role in drafting and securing support for the Paris Agreement on climate change in its preparatory stages.

Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis said TT also has the key role of negotiating on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and, as a small island developing state, TT must continue to ensure that its interests are well represented and elucidated at this fora along with other like-minded parties such as AOSIS and the Group of 77 and China.

The delegation from the Planning Ministry representing TT also includes Deputy Permanent Secretary Ric Javed Ali and ministry climate change specialist Sindy Singh.