Climate Change Centre receives funding

Almost one year after it opened its doors in Belmopan, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre has reached a major milestone towards sustainability. The Government of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi last week pledged four hundred thousand U.S. dollars to cover the Centre’s operational budget for 2005/2006, with an option for extension to five years based on the institution’s performance. The Italian government has also pledged an additional one hundred thousand U.S. dollars for a pilot project on renewable energy to be carried out in St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Dominica. The CCCCC, which became operational in January of this year, was established by CARICOM leaders in July 2002. Its main goal is to help people living in communities at risk of climate change related phenomena, like global warming and rising sea levels, to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. The work of the Centre is heavily supported by the World Bank/CARICOM Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change Project. At an international conference in Argentina on Friday, the Centre’s director, Dr. Kenrick Leslie, said that the support from Italy will now allow the Centre to proceed with its mission of helping the people of the region address the impact of climate change on all aspects of social and economic development.