Climate and Disaster Resilience

Financing SIDS’ Blue Development: An Assessment of Regional Delivery Frameworks is a report produced under the Back to Blue initiative, led by Economist Impact and The Nippon Foundation. The report was authored by Jessica Brown, with editorial and project management support from Naka Kondo and Katrina Howell, under the overall editorial leadership of Charles Goddard.

The analysis benefited significantly from collaboration with regional partners, particularly the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Pacific Community (SPC). Special recognition is given to Safiya Sawney and Lemalu Karena Lyons for providing valuable data and insights related to the OECS 30×30 initiative and the UBPP framework much of which was previously unpublished.

Additional contributions came from Karthik Iyer of The Blue Bonds Accelerator and Elizabeth Holloway of UNSW Sydney Centre for Sustainable Development Reform, who supported the development of key analytical components of the report.

The Back to Blue team also conducted site visits to several blue economy and ocean conservation projects across Small Island Developing States (SIDS), incorporating firsthand observations and stakeholder interviews. Numerous experts and practitioners contributed insights, and several reviewed draft versions of the report, strengthening its analytical depth and credibility.

The Global Carbon Market (GCM) project, launched by GIZ on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), is supporting Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in harnessing carbon pricing and market-based tools to combat climate change. Despite being among the least responsible for global emissions, OECS Member States are among the most vulnerable. Since 2021, the GCM has worked closely with Grenada, Saint Lucia, and the OECS Commission to build capacity, transfer knowledge, and lay the groundwork for a Caribbean Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance. This alliance will help align regional efforts under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, unlock climate finance, and harmonize carbon market frameworks—strengthening the region’s resilience and role in global climate action.

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Preface
At the Third Meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Environment Policy Committee (EPC) in September 1999, OECS Ministers of the Environment requested that the OECS Secretariat prepare an “OECS Charter for Environmental Management” and “a regional strategy... that will become the framework for environmental management” in the region. In accordance with the Ministers’ request, the OECS Natural Resources Management Unit (now the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit, ESDU) developed the St. George’s Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability in the OECS (SGD), which was signed by the OECS Ministers of the Environment. In accordance with the Ministers’ request, the OECS Natural Resources Management Unit (now the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit, ESDU) developed the St. George’s Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability in the OECS (SGD), which was signed by the OECS Ministers of the Environment in April 2001. The Declaration sets out the broad framework to be pursued for environmental management in the OECS region.

Concept note, Agenda and Speakers for the Caribbean NDC Revision - Where are We?