Dr James Fletcher, former Saint Lucian Minister for Public Service, Information, Broadcasting, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science, and Technology, has been named CARICOM Climate Envoy.
The appointment, which took effect January 1, reflects the region’s efforts to ensure its climate priorities are effectively addressed at the highest diplomatic levels.
The decision to establish the role of a climate envoy was made by the CARICOM Heads of Government in 2024 as part of a broader strategy to advocate for ambitious global climate action.
In a statement on the appointment, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett highlighted the region’s longstanding commitment to combating climate change.
“CARICOM has long recognised the existential threat posed by climate change to the region’s social, economic, and environmental sustainability, and there is increasing urgency to take action to ensure that limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius remains viable,” she said.
Dr Fletcher has earned widespread recognition as a dedicated climate change advocate. During his tenure as a minister, he played a pivotal role in the Caribbean’s ‘1.5 to Stay Alive’ civil society campaign, which was focused on the critical need to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius to protect vulnerable regions like the Caribbean.
His leadership extended to the global stage when he was invited by the President of COP 21 to join the ministerial team that helped forge the landmark Paris Agreement.
Dr Fletcher’s contributions to that historic consensus earned him recognition from the climate advocacy group, Global Optimism.
In addition to his diplomatic and advocacy efforts, Dr Fletcher has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge on climate change in the Caribbean. His works include the publication Where is the Justice? An Anthology of Caribbean Youth Perspectives on the Climate Crisis.
