Jersey hosts pre-COP26 Climate Change Webinar

October 21, 2021

On Wednesday 20^th October 2021, the Government of Jersey hosted an inter-jurisdictional webinar ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.

The webinar, entitled ‘Climate change and small Islands – Leveraging strengths to contribute to global climate objectives’, brought together similar jurisdictions to share policy ideas, identify areas for future co-operation, and discuss ways to overcome challenges to carbon neutrality.

In 2019, the States of Jersey declared a climate emergency, and plans are underway to set Jersey on an ambitious carbon reduction trajectory with an aim to be carbon neutral by 2030. This webinar was part of the Government’s commitment to protecting Jersey’s sustainable economy in the long-term.

The webinar provided an opportunity for Jersey to demonstrate its climate change objectives with a select group of international partners, ensuring that the Island was engaged in a positive international narrative ahead of the COP26 conference.

There were representatives from five jurisdictions including:

• Jersey: Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young; Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst.
• Antigua and Barbuda: HE Karen-Mae Hill (High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda)
• Bahrain: Layla Sabeel (Senior Environment Specialist of Bahrain’s Supreme Council for Environment); Salman Rashed Al Abbasi (Third Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Isle of Man: Daphne Caine (Climate Change Minister ‘Chair of the Isle of Man Climate Change Transformation Board’ and Member of the House of Keys)
• Madeira: Pedro Miguel Correia Sepulveda Monteiro (Senior Advisor at the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change, Regional Government of Madeira)

The webinar, moderated by Dr. Louise Magris, Head of Sustainability and Foresight for the Government of Jersey, focused on three themes: Nature, Adaptation and Finance. ‘Nature’ included discussions on nature-based solutions and carbon sequestration, including Jersey’s commitment to land protection; ‘Adaptation’ addressed the impact of climate change, including rising sea levels and biosecurity; and ‘Finance’ allowed Jersey to share progress made in its effort to ‘green’ its finance industry and to mobilise capital towards global sustainable development. A recording of the Webinar can be found on the Government of Jersey YouTube channel.

Post-webinar, there was much appetite to issue a joint communique among the participating jurisdictions, as well as Guernsey and the British Overseas Territories who, whilst unable to attend the webinar, offered their support throughout. As such, the Government of Jersey – in agreement with said parties – issued a Communique, which can be found on the Government of Jersey website.