The One Hundred and Twenty-Third Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) – Environment and Sustainable Development was convened via videoconference on 30 January 2026. Under the chairmanship of the Honorable Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management, Ministers addressed debriefed key international environmental negotiating processes from 2025 focused on climate change, global environmental governance, and the urgent international efforts to eliminate plastic pollution.
Climate Change: Reflections on COP30 and the Road to COP31
Ministers reviewed the outcomes of the Thirtieth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025. While the adoption of the “Mutirão” decision and a package of 56 other decisions was noted, the Council expressed concern regarding the increasing evidence of an impending overshoot of the 1.5 degree temperature goal. To ensure a robust regional response for COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, the Council agreed to strengthen technical leads within CARICOM delegations to fill gaps in high-level priority areas. Furthermore, the Council called for greater alignment across the multilateral environmental and diplomatic agendas, including calling for a joint meeting between COTED – Environment and Sustainable Development and the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) to boost high level coordination.
