18 April 2011: The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) has recently published two issues of its weekly newsletter, “Climate Change News Update.”

The fifth issue includes an update from the UNFCCC Ad hoc Working Group meetings held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 3-8 April 2011. The newsletter highlights the agreement reached on the agenda and roadmap for negotiations for 2011. The issue also provides updates on national and regional issues and events, such as: the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) Caribbean Regional Conference, held in Belize City, Belize, from 28-29 March 2011; and China’s plans to raise US$100 million through a 250MW biomass venture, expected to yield 1.5 million carbon offsets a year.

The sixth issue focuses on international news relating to climate change and a green economy. It notes that UNFCCC Parties have selected the 40 members of the Transitional Committee to be in charge of designing the Green Climate Fund, the new institution established to manage long-term finance mobilized to enable developing countries to address climate change. The issue also reports on a speech given by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, in which she highlighted the desire to increase the number of energy efficiency projects within the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), as well as the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions. On the issue of a green economy, the sixth newsletter provided an update from the Business and Industry Global Dialogue, held from 11-12 April 2011, in Paris, France, organized by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the French postal service Le Groupe La Poste. The aim of the dialogue was to discuss the role of the private sector in the global transition towards a low carbon, resource-efficient green economy. [Publication: Climate Change News Update, Issue 5] [Publication: Climate Change News Update, Issue 6]