Jamaican Architects Encouraged to Submit Designs for Low Cost Housing Competition

WRITTEN BY: AINSWORTH MORRIS – JAMAICA INFORMATION SERVICE

The Government is calling on Jamaican architects to submit creative, original, resilient and low-cost housing designs, through the Low Cost Housing Design Competition, which can be used as a model for the nation’s social housing programme.

The competition was launched virtually on Friday (May 7) by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
It forms part of the social housing aspect of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme.

“The genesis of this project was indeed the success of the competition that was launched for the design of our [new] Parliament [building],” the Prime Minister said.
“What we are trying to do is to get the architectural community, the planning community, and the environmental community to take the vast knowledge that exists, both globally and of local circumstance, and infuse it into practice to solve real world problems,” he added.

The Prime Minister said solutions that do not win will help the Government with having knowledge of solutions that are there from research and academia.
“The Government will take that application and put it through our bureaucracy and then have it implemented,” Mr. Holness said.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Audrey Sewell, gave an overview of the competition and its requirement.
“Given the high demand, there is need to optimise our limited financial resources to get the best value at the least cost. It is against this background that at the inception of the programme, the Prime Minister gave the directive for the Low Cost Housing Competition to be launched,” Mrs. Sewell said.

“It is open to all Jamaicans, whether they live here or overseas. Of course, those who are residing overseas will have to prove that they are Jamaicans. We are especially targeting engineers, architects, builders and students from the built environment, but we are not limiting the competition to those categories, so once you feel that you meet the requirements, we are encouraging you to enter,” she added.

Submissions may be done individually or in teams with a maximum of five persons. Competitors are encouraged to conceive new and original design concepts that are low cost and sustainable.
Designs should accommodate persons who are disabled, should demonstrate climate resilience and be adaptable to the various terrains to be found islandwide.

Entries will be accepted in four categories: one, two and three bedroom units and multi-family unit.
The Government will offer a prize of $1 million for the winner, $500,000 for the second place, and $250,000 for the third place in each of the four categories.

The planet’s environmental crisis can only be addressed with Unity of purpose and collective bold action – Samuda

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Senator the Honourable Matthew Samuda has stated that triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution can only be addressed with unity of purpose and collective bold action.

As such, Minister Samuda noted that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is uniquely positioned and has a crucial role to play to reinvigorate international cooperation and spur collective action.

Minister Samuda, was addressing representatives of Member States of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya on Friday March 4, 2022 during the special session to commemorate the 50th anniversary of that body’s creation (UNEP@50).

In extending congratulations to UNEP on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, the Minister lauded its efforts as “the major pillar of the UN Multilateral System’s case for society in harmony with nature”, adding that it has co-ordinated the worldwide effort to confront the planet’s biggest environmental challenges.

“For 50 years, UNEP has provided the necessary science-policy interface to allow for interdisciplinary exchanges, with the ultimate objective of enhancing decision-making on the global environment agenda” the Minister said, adding that there have been significant successes.

However, he argued that there have also been a number of critical targets that have been missed, that the global community had previously committed to, and suggested three (3) crucial actions as part of the process of transformation and renewal for the next 50 years.

“Firstly, there must be all inclusive representation, including strong engagement from highly vulnerable  economies.  Engagement processes, particularly at the national and local levels, have proven to be inadequate to meet the goals originally established for the organization. Secondly, there is need to simplify funding mechanisms that target scaled- up interventions at the regional and sub-regional levels.     This modality requires the strengthening of existing regional coordinating bodies such as the UNEP Sub-regional office for the Caribbean; and the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programmes Regional Coordination Unit (CAR RCU), Secretariat to the Cartagena Convention.

“Jamaica hosts both entities which have played a significant role in regional environmental governance,  but could be more rigorous in effecting change at the policy level”, the Minister noted.

The third point put forward by Minister Samuda was what he termed “strong evidence” pointing to a gap between policy acceptance and implementation at the national, regional and international levels.

“The strategic approach must therefore be focused on how the Science-Policy Interfaces can be more solution-driven, implementable and equitable”, he added.

Minister Samuda invited the international community to continue its support to UNEP, beyond this golden jubilee year.

The NDC Partnership Launches Its Finance Strategy Stepping Up Finance for Climate Action

The Prime Minister of Jamaica together with NDC Partnership leadership announces the launch of its Finance Strategy to mobilize finance for NDC action

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – 4 April 2022 – The Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness will launch the NDC Partnership’s Finance Strategy on Wednesday, 6 April, together with NDC Partnership Co-Chairs, Senator the Honorable Matthew Samuda of Jamaica, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, and The Right Honorable Alok Sharma of the United Kingdom, Member of Parliament and COP President. The announcement signals that the leadership of the NDC Partnership, member countries and international partners stand committed to mobilize finance at scale for climate and development action as never before.

Jamaica, along with the United Kingdom, is a Co-Chair of the NDC Partnership, a country-driven and member-led global coalition that brings together more than 200 members, including more than 115 countries, developed and developing, and more than 80 institutions, to create and deliver ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that help achieve the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In five years, the Partnership has mobilized around USD1 billion to support developing countries with climate action, but much more is needed to finance the economy-wide transitions that countries are working towards. The Finance Strategy demonstrates how the NDC Partnership will accelerate access to urgently needed climate finance for developing countries to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement by:

• Supporting the development of regulatory frameworks to attract domestic and international investment, including through central banks,
• Integrating climate plans into national budgets and post COVID-19 economic recovery plans, and,
• Identifying and developing bankable projects with member and private sector investment.

During the first enhancement cycle of the Paris Agreement, most developing countries brought forward more ambitious climate commitments. Following COP26 in Glasgow, countries are now turning their attention towards implementation. Yet, implementing climate commitments requires the mobilization of finance at a scale yet unseen. In its World Energy Transition Outlook, NDC Partnership Member, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that USD51 trillion will be needed in cumulative energy investments between 2021 and 2030 alone to achieve the 1.5°C scenario.

“Developing countries have shown that we are ready to take ambitious action to limit emissions and protect our people from climate impacts. But delivering on that commitment will mean unlocking finance faster and at greater scale than ever before,” said Prime Minister Holness. “Working with the NDC Partnership, Jamaica has developed a framework for action that will bring benefits both to our people and to the global fight against climate change. This is the time to bring international finance to bear.”

Added Senator Samuda: “Jamaica has elaborated a well-defined NDC Partnership Plan with bold and ambitious actions and we invite our partners to meaningfully coalesce their support and financing around this plan so that we can march forward together towards 2050”.

About the NDC Partnership

The NDC Partnership brings together more than 200 members, including more than 115 countries, developed and developing, and more than 80 institutions to create and deliver on ambitious climate action that help achieve the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Governments identify their NDC implementation priorities and the type of support that is needed to translate them into actionable policies and programs. Based on these requests, the membership offers a tailored package of expertise, technical assistance, and funding. This collaborative response provides developing countries with efficient access to a wide range of resources to adapt to and mitigate climate change and foster more equitable and sustainable development.

United States To Invest US $30 Million In Jamaica

Jamaica is set to benefit from investments of US$30 million from the United States (US). The development follows a meeting between US Vice President, Kamala Harris, and Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, at the White House on Wednesday (March 30)…

Jamaica’s prosperity paradox can only be solved by protecting its natural assets – Samuda

Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, has stated that the prosperity paradox which has faced Jamaica for the better part of 50 years can only truly be solved by ensuring the appropriate use, management and protection of the island’s Natural Assets.

Making his contribution to the Debate on the Appropriations Act in the Senate recently, Minister Samuda highlighted some of the work being done in the Environment Portfolio and shared plans for the upcoming fiscal year, among them Jamaica’s membership in the thirty by thirty (30×30) Coalition.

“This means that Jamaica is actively pursuing both the protection of 30% of its landmass and 30% of its fresh and sea water (within its EEZ) by 2030. This work is being undertaken by the teams at NEPA, and the Forestry Department while being coordinated by the Environment team at MEGJC. These targets reflect Jamaica’s articulated ambition to double the targets currently agreed on by UNEP of 15%”, Minister Samuda shared.

Minister Samuda added that the Convention on Biological Diversity, to which Jamaica is a party, defines a protected area as ‘a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.’

In furtherance of this, the Minister noted, two major achievements of the Government over the last fiscal year were the Black River Protected Area in St. Elizabeth, which he noted will preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the area including swamp forest, mangroves, beaches and coral reefs, which support wildlife and sustainable livelihoods.

The second area he mentioned, was the completion of the work to declare the Cockpit country a protected area.

“78,024 hectares are now protected. This represents the second largest protected area in Jamaica, and is approximately 3292 hectares larger than the announced 74,726 hectares which was announced in 2017.  Now that it has been declared, the CCPA is the island’s largest terrestrial protected area and overall, the second largest protected area after the Portland Bight Protected Area which is located in the south-central part of the island spanning 187,615 hectares of both terrestrial and marine areas.   We did not stop there. We have further included an additional 841 hectares of the “clawed back” area of mining lease within the boundary of the CCPA. That is how we have arrived at the final protected area of 78,024 hectares”, the Minister noted.

Minister Samuda also disclosed that with the assistance of the Global Environment Fund, work is advanced to invest US$49 million over the course of the next 5 years into the sustainable management of the protected area.

As the Government moves to actualize Jamaica’s 30 x 30 ambition over the next financial year, the Minister advised that one of the major areas of focus in the next financial year will be protection of the Pedro Cays and the surrounding waters, adding that work in this area is far advanced, and will result in the protection of some 88,200 hectares of land and sea.  He also disclosed that the Government will move to create a Designation under the NRCA act for “Ecologically Sensitive Areas”.

“This will provide a greater level of protection for areas with particular environmental sensitivities. The Government has already identified 16 such areas, 9 of which will be in the coastal zone. I think it useful to advise the Senate, and indeed the country that the first such area will be the Great Bay Area in South-West St Elizabeth. The Dry Harbour area will be another such area. This will mean that Activities such as mining will not be permissible”, he said.

Turning to plastic pollution, Minister Samuda noted that a resolution was passed recently in Nairobi, Kenya, by the UN Environment Assembly with 175 Nations supporting the establishment of an International Negotiating Committee to help develop a globally binding treaty on the issue.

“Mr. President, this treaty could have major implications to our manufacturing sector as it seeks to re-order our consumption patterns and change our management of plastic waste. As such, I’ve been directed to formally engage the Private Sector to ensure that they are properly advised and prepared for the changes to come” the Minister stated.

Minister Samuda added that in the interim, the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation along with NEPA will take steps to maintain Jamaica’s leadership in this area.  This he said, includes a full review of the measures already in place; a recommittal to enforcement of these measures; a full review of the current recycling capacity in partnership with the NSWMA with the aim of moving plastic recycling targets to 50% of monthly consumption, up from the current 12% being achieved.

The government, the Minister said, would also move apace to tighten loopholes in the current phased ban with a view to adding other items to the prohibition list this year, including the banning of personal care products which contain micro-plastics. He noted that government would also work with the Bureau of Standards to ensure completion of the standards for Biodegradability.