(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The CARICOM Task Force on Climate Change and Development welcomes the views of President-elect Barack Obama for a cap and trade system approach to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and further supports the targets to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and another 80% by 2050.

The Region’s support for Mr. Obama’s proposals was indicated at the First Meeting of the Caribbean Task Force on Climate Change and Development held in Saint Lucia from 21-22 November 2008.

Assistant Secretary-General of CARICOM, Dr. Edward Greene, Chairman of the inaugural meeting, said that “this indication of a change in U.S. policy on climate change augurs well for the Caribbean’s strategic agenda in particular and more generally for small island developing states.”

The Regional Body also reinforced the importance of advocating regional priorities within key international forums such as the Group of 77 and the Alliance of Small Island States.

Given the vast renewable energy resources of the Region, the Task Force is of the view that there are potentially significant social, economic and environmental benefits to be derived through a partnership with the US and others for the development of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels.