Canada shares expertise on climate-smart policy regulation

Senator Matthew Samuda, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, has urged more engagement on climate action, commenting that “the discussion around cleantech and around energy is tied to Jamaica’s prospects for prosperity”.

He was part of the panel of guests at the Canada High Commission in Jamaica’s high-level Policy and Regulatory Masterclass on March 30 titled, ‘The Climate Approach’.

Commending the initiative, Samuda noted that “the most important take-away is the need for continued stakeholder engagement, engaging other partners in the sector, citizens, our bilateral partners from Canada with the expertise they bring. We have a lot to do in a short period of time and it is going to require a lot of conversations such as this, and it will have to involve all stakeholders”.

The event brought together a panel of experts who discussed the policy and regulatory dynamics necessary to develop a climate-smart economy, and was attended by key stakeholders from the Jamaican government, finance and energy sectors.

The panel included Canadian experts, Jacob Irving, president and chief executive officer at the Energy Council of Canada; Canadian Jamaican Howard Shearer, chair of the board and first non-Japanese president of Hitachi Canada; and Ian Mondrow, partner in Gowling WLG’s Toronto office, and a legal luminary in the area of energy regulation and policy. The session was moderated by Dionne Jackson Miller, renowned journalist and broadcaster.

The discussions covered a range of topics including policy development, regulatory frameworks, grid stability and best practices for promoting sustainable economic growth while mitigating climate change.The session prompted questions on renewable and sustainable energy including nuclear energy.

Canada’s high commissioner Emina Tudakovic extended gratitude to the panellists and special guests joining the discussion, as she looked forward to the innovative ideas emerging to help realise the respective climate goals and timelines. “Canada and Jamaica are partner countries with strong traditional ties and economic development assistance programmes, which consistently support global climate action. We remain committed to working with our Jamaican partners to promote sustainable economic growth and mitigate the effects of climate change.” She further noted that “the government of Canada is taking strong action to fight climate change while accelerating our path to a 100-per-cent net-zero electricity future. To this end, and since 2015, Canada has invested over $100 billion in climate action and clean growth”.

The organisation of the masterclass comes as part of the high commission’s continuous efforts to connect the Jamaican Government with experts from Canada to promote knowledge sharing and highlight the latest insights and trends on topics across various domains.

This aligns with Canada’s commitment to build on its long time support for climate action in developing countries. The visiting Canadian energy experts also engaged in a series of sector meetings with key Jamaican counterparts earlier in the day.

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