U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030

Dominican Republic Accelerating Clean Energy Transition: The United States’ concessional loan of almost $1 billion to the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) can help support the Dominican Republic’s transition to clean energy.  The Clean Technology Fund invited the Dominican Republic to prepare an investment plan to access $85 million in concessional finance to support transition to clean energy through the Accelerating Coal Transition program (ACT).  On average every $1 of CTF concessional finance attracts over $10 in co-financing from MDBs, other public sources and the private sector. 

Barbados and Jamaica’s IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) support: The U.S. Executive Office at the IMF supported Barbados and Jamaica to secure almost a $1 billion of affordable financing to address longer-term challenges, including climate change and pandemic preparedness.  The Biden Administration continues to work with the U.S. Congress to lend up to $21 billion to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) and the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST), 

Barbados Blue-Green Investment Corporation: In January 2023, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced financial and technical support to help Barbados set up the Blue-Green Investment Corporation, which, when established, will be the first green bank in the Caribbean to finance climate change mitigation and adaptation, including resilient housing, renewable energy, green transportation, and water conservation.  

Guyana-U.S. EXIM Investment Framework: The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the Government of Guyana signed a MOU in July 2022 to explore options for utilizing EXIM financing, which include direct loans, loan guarantees, and insurance products totaling up to $2 billion for energy, water treatment, sanitation, among other sectors.  

Dominican Republic-U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and USAID to Support Energy Transition: DFC and USAID are working with domestic financial institutions to expand financing for small businesses with a focus on energy security, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate solutions.

Antigua and Barbuda Renewable Energy: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is leading the State Department’s Global Climate Action Partnership supporting Antigua and Barbuda with clean energy and energy resilience initiatives. These projects provide backup power for critical facilities. NREL is also supporting capacity building and workforce development in Antigua and Barbuda for the installation and maintenance of clean and resilient energy technologies such as: solar and battery energy storage systems, hurricane resistant wind turbines, electric vehicle charging stations, and energy efficiency improvements in buildings.  

Dominica Geothermal Development: The State Department’s Power Sector Program technical assistance is facilitating the development of commercial geothermal power projects in both countries.  

Barbados, Jamaica and Suriname: The State Department’s Power Sector Program technical assistance is promoting electric vehicle deployment and capacity building on power systems management.  

Dominican Republic Energy Storage Regulatory Roadmap: U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) technical assistance for the Dominican Republic’s Superintendent of Electricity (SIE) supports the development of battery storage regulations. The technical assistance assesses gaps in existing regulations and will create a regulatory roadmap for the deployment of energy storage technologies throughout the power system.  

Dominican Republic Energy Cybersecurity and Jamaica Rooftop Solar: USAID’s Energy Sector Reform (ESR) initiated the first in a series of energy cybersecurity training workshops in the Dominican Republic with the intent to replicate across the region in December 2022. USAID also launched an assessment of the potential for rooftop solar energy expansion in Jamaica in January 2023.  

Saint Lucia Electricity Sector Reform: The State Department’s Power Sector Program is providing legal technical assistance to enhance competition and attract more clean energy investment, while building NURC’s capacity to develop a licenses regime, key performance indicators, and other topics in a regulatory road map.  

Building Technical and Regulatory Capacity: The State Department’s Power Sector Program is delivering trainings and capacity building workshops to promote renewable energy regulation and technical capacity on clean energy and EV grid integration with CARILEC and OOCUR and in coordination with the Caribbean Development Bank and CCREEE.  

Supporting Clean Energy Procurement: The Commercial Law Development Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce is reviewing contract templates and delivering capacity building on Power Purchase Agreements to improve bankability of contracts. 

300 Percent Increase in Energy Transition and Climate Resilience Funding: Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, the State Department has increased climate resilience and clean energy funding in the Caribbean nearly threefold. 

Support on Disaster Policies and Emergency Response: USAID support to countries in the eastern and southern Caribbean to strengthen disaster management policies, and to build capacity in national disaster response organizations in partnership with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).  

Support for the Caribbean Regional Climate Outlook Forum (CARICOF): NOAA is supporting the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) in advancing adaptation and resilience through the development of sustained climate services for risk management.  NOAA recently issued a grant of over $480,000 to CIMH to support engagement-centered research on the use of climate information produced by existing regional climate services efforts, including the Caribbean Regional Climate Outlook Forum (CARICOF). 

Resilience support to three organizations in the Eastern Caribbean: Inter-American Foundation supported three national-level organizations working in disaster mitigation, coral reef restoration, natural resource management,  provided training to approximately 40 community-based organizations on disaster risk reduction techniques, governance and strategic planning, project management, proposal writing, resource management and leadership, leading to increased capacity at the community level and the implementation of projects in communities in Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada.  

Support for Local 2030 Islands Network: The State Department and the U.S. Navy support the Local 2030 Islands Network, the world’s first global, island-led network devoted to advancing the SDGs through locally-driven, culturally-informed solutions.  The Network serves as a peer-to-peer platform of island leaders and experts from across jurisdictions focused on developing innovative solutions in an island context.  In the past year, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, and Trinidad and Tobago have joined the Local 2030 Islands Network, committing to building island resilience to climate change.  

Building Community Resilience in the Eastern & Southern Caribbean: The Inter-American Foundation and USAID have jointly committed $5 million since 2020 to strengthen the capacity of grassroots and civil society organizations to prepare for and recover from natural disasters. 

The U.S. Department of Defense Operationalize Climate Resilience Initiative will assist partners in the Western Hemisphere, particularly in the Caribbean, through efforts:  (1) to provide training to partner nations’ defense leadership to increase their institutional capacity for climate resilience preparation, planning, and regional response capabilities; (2) to fund additional bilateral and multilateral research on climate and defense security in the Western Hemisphere; and (3) to increase the capabilities and analytical tools available to partners to obtain actionable analytical information on climate hazards. 

The U.S. Department of Defense’s annual exercise with Caribbean partners will be hosted by Guyana in July.  The exercise includes multiple training tracks that enhance readiness for humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, climate change disasters, and environmental security.  The purpose of the exercise is to help partners build resiliency in the region so they have the capability and capacity to respond to crisis.

Resilient Agriculture Activity (RAA) in the Dominican Republic:  This $2.7 million, two-year project launched in February will directly address the spike in food prices, crude oil, and commodities—including fertilizers and other common agricultural inputs—due to supply chain disruptions.  The project aims to mobilize funding from the private sector and will benefit 1,500 farmers, 30 percent of them women and youth. 

Fertilizer and Nutrient Management:  USAID and USDA delivered six trainings in the Caribbean – in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent.

In mid-February, the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Assistant Secretary Brian A. Nichols led a U.S. high level government delegation to participate in the CARICOM Intersessional Meetings in The Bahamas.  The U.S. delegation was comprised of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas Chris Dodd, and EXIM President and Chair of the Board of Directors Reta Jo Lewis.  

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro visited The Bahamas on March 1, 2023, to engage the broader Caribbean region.  The Secretary delivered a keynote speech on “Building Resilience and Security in Island Countries Threatened by Climate Change” at the University of The Bahamas, and announced a partnership between the Naval Postgraduate School and the University of The Bahamas.