KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Government has indicated that Jamaica is well on its way to achieving and exceeding its emission reduction target by 2030.
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda, responding to questions at Wednesday’s sitting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House, underscored that the sectors with individual targets to help achieve this feat are land use, waste management, and energy.
He pointed out that in 2020, Jamaica, for the first time, included land use in its nationally determined contributions (NDCs), making this one of how the country will increase carbon capture and reduce emissions.
He said that currently, more than 25 percent of the country’s land mass is being protected, and the expectation is to exceed the 30 percent target agreed on by the rest of the world for 2030 by the end of 2025.
In addition, he noted that Jamaica’s forest cover has increased in the last six years.
“With our land-use policies, we have seen significant secondary forests go back to primary forests, lands that were previously mined out, and agricultural lands returned to secondary forests. So, Jamaica is increasing its forest cover,” Samuda said.
“On the land use side, we are not just on track; we are actually ahead of target. In the marine environment, we are between 13 and 15 percent. We are part of a LiDAR mapping initiative being undertaken by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). After this mapping initiative, we expect to get to that 30 percent target by 2030,” he added.
Regarding waste management, Samuda said that the planned closure of dumps and establishing a new method of managing waste will benefit the country significantly.
“We know the emissions that come from improperly managed waste management facilities. With the closure before 2030 and the transition away from our current facilities starting long before 2030, our waste management will align with our NDCs.
Regarding energy, the Minister reminded us that the national fleet is being electrified to reduce emissions.
He recalled that the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) had started this process by purchasing five electric buses to move from heavy fuel oil to compressed natural gas (CNG).
In addition, electric vehicles are to be bought for the National Water Commission this year, and the entity has a five-year plan to cut energy usage.
“Climate change is an all-of-government issue. Any one single cost center does not achieve the ambition as listed [in] Vision 2030. It is not consolidated under a single budget heading. Still, I can assure you that we are well on the way, not just to achieve our 2030 targets but to 9supersede those,” Samuda underscored.
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