[Kingston, 28 September 2019] — Local Climate Action innovators tackling Climate Change with creative solutions will be on show at Social Good Summit – the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) annual global event highlighting technology and innovation in advancing sustainable development.
The local event – UNDP Jamaica’s first digital edition of the Summit – will be livestreamed on UNDP Jamaica’s Facebook account on Wednesday, 2 October starting 10 a.m., and will be addressed by UNDP Resident Representative, Denise E Antonio.
“The annual Social Good Summit provides an excellent opportunity to champion innovation and entrepreneurship in addressing the impacts of Climate Change, that can be upscaled and replicated for the benefit of affected communities in Jamaica and across the world. We aim to shed light on Jamaica’s bold and bright innovators as we seek the best solutions for supporting Climate Change adaptation and mitigation,” Ms. Antonio said.
Local innovators of a solar powered outdoor cooling system, a sargassum seaweed conversion innovation and an energy monitoring and reporting device will participate in a Panel Discussion and showcase their innovations under the theme: Jamaica’s Climate Action Innovators – on the Frontline of Climate Change. The innovators – Kevin Harris of LumiTech International; Yekini Wallen-Bryan of PreeLabs Ltd and Daveian Morrison of Integral Recyclers Ltd. are drawn from a pool of entrepreneurs from the Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre (CCIC), an arm of Jamaica’s Scientific Research Council.
Also, on show will be UNDP-implemented Climate Action projects addressing Climate Change in partnership with communities and the government of Jamaica, including the UNDP-implemented Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (JCCCP) and assorted projects under the UNDP-implemented Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP).
Panelists include Una May Gordon, Principal Director of the Climate Change Division in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation; Carlinton Burrell, Chief Executive Officer of the CCIC and the team of CCIC entrepreneurs. They will also be joined by Eltha Brown, National Focal Point of the UNDP implemented JCCCP project and Hyacinth Douglas, National Coordinator of the UNDP-implemented GEF SGP. Moderator is Jhannel Tomlinson, one of Jamaica’s delegates to the recent United Nations Youth Climate Action Summit.
This year, UNDP partnered with Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre and the Climate Change Division in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation for this Social Good Summit.
In the Social Good Summit’s landmark 10th year, UNDP and partners are tackling arguably the most important issue of our time: Climate Change: The local edition of the summit is just one of dozens staged by country offices across the world and at UNDP headquarters.