In a bold regional move to confront the escalating climate crisis, the Caribbean officially launched its first-ever Regional Platform for Catalysing Resilience and Climate Action on Friday. The initiative aims to accelerate climate finance, strengthen collective resilience, and unlock transformative investment opportunities across the region.
Spearheaded by Barbados Prime Minister and CARICOM Chair Mia Mottley, the platform represents what she called a “bold collective response” to the climate emergency threatening the livelihoods and futures of Caribbean nations.
“For too long, the Caribbean has been sounding the alarm and calling for greater action to build the resilience of our people,” Mottley said at the launch. “We must not invest in band-aids for the moment, but in game-changing, future-defining solutions.”
So far, seven Caribbean governments—Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Grenada, Belize, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines—have signed Letters of Support to participate. More nations are expected to join in the coming months.
The platform will operate under a Regional Steering Committee and Secretariat housed at the Caribbean Development Bank, with input from technical working groups and development partners. It aims to attract both public and private financing to support initiatives like:
A sustainable energy transition
Resilient transport and infrastructure
Water and food security solutions
Innovative financial tools that reduce debt pressure while absorbing excess liquidity
Education system alignment to address regional demographic and skills challenges
Mafalda Duarte, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), praised the initiative as a model of climate leadership. “This first-of-its-kind platform is a powerful example of leadership,” Duarte said, noting its potential to transform regional assets like renewable energy into strategic investment programmes.
The platform’s initial work will be supported by the GCF’s flagship Readiness Programme, which offers grants of up to US$7 million per developing country over four years. Participating governments have committed to using portions of their allocations to fund the platform’s activities.
“With one voice, we are saying clearly that the Caribbean will not wait. We will lead. We will innovate. And we will act together,” Mottley declared.