The twenty sixth RedLAC Congress offered by the Sandals Basis concluded final week in Saint Lucia, marking a historic first for the Caribbean island as host of the premier annual gathering of environmental funds from Latin America and the Caribbean. Over 200 delegates, representing 34 conservation belief funds and 25 nations, convened from October 7 to 10 on the Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Seashore Resort, the place they shared methods, explored new alternatives, and strengthened their dedication to reaching the 30x30x30 world conservation targets.
Held beneath the theme “30x30x30: The Path to 2030,” the congress targeted on advancing the area’s collective efforts towards defending 30% of terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030. This landmark aim, set in the course of the 2022 UN Biodiversity Convention (COP15), stays a focus within the Caribbean’s response to local weather change, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss.
Karen McDonald Gayle, CEO of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), mirrored on the importance of the occasion, stating, “Bringing many RedLAC delegates to the Caribbean, notably to a small island like Saint Lucia, has been an enriching expertise for all. The discussions we’ve had over the previous few days spotlight each the progress we’ve made and the steps we have to take as we work collectively to fulfill the 30×30 targets.”
Key Highlights of RedLAC 2024:
Keynote Addresses: Notable speeches included a gap keynote by Professor Dale Webber, a number one Caribbean coastal ecologist, and a closing tackle by former Saint Lucian Sustainable Improvement Minister, Dr. James Fletcher, who emphasised the important hyperlinks between the 30×30 conservation aim and the worldwide local weather aim of preserving temperature rises beneath 1.5°C.
Marine Well being Alliance (MHA) Launch: The Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Affiliation (SLHTA) and the Saint Lucia Nationwide Conservation Fund (SLUNCF) launched the Marine Well being Alliance—a collaborative effort to safeguard Saint Lucia’s coastal ecosystems via sustainable tourism practices and environmental safety.
Ecosystem-Based mostly Adaptation (EbA) Grants: The CBF introduced its fifth spherical of ecosystem-based adaptation grants, totaling USD 15.5 million, aimed toward enhancing coastal and marine resilience throughout the Caribbean.
Partnership Constructing: Panels and workshops in the course of the congress targeted on fostering collaboration between conservation funds, native communities, non-public sector entities, and worldwide organizations. These discussions highlighted the significance of aligning monetary mechanisms with sustainable growth and conservation priorities.
In his closing keynote, Dr. Fletcher delivered a name to motion, drawing consideration to the “twin crises” of biodiversity loss and local weather change. He urged contributors to include local weather motion into their conservation methods, emphasizing the position of group training and engagement in driving profitable outcomes.
Trying Forward to COP16 and RedLAC 2025
With the UN Biodiversity Convention (COP16) set to happen later this month in Colombia, the RedLAC Congress served as an essential primer for the area’s participation in world biodiversity negotiations. Delegates expressed optimism that the concepts mentioned in Saint Lucia will acquire additional traction at COP16, because the Caribbean and Latin American conservation belief funds push to amplify their influence on the world stage.
Because the congress closed, Chile was formally introduced because the host of RedLAC’s twenty seventh Congress in 2025. Representatives from the Chile Nature Fund shared their pleasure for subsequent yr’s occasion, which is able to happen towards the backdrop of the nation’s wealthy biodiversity and pure magnificence.
The 2024 RedLAC Congress was hosted by the Saint Lucia Nationwide Conservation Fund with assist from the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund and RedLAC in partnership with Sandals Basis. Different occasion companions embrace the BRIDGE Challenge, Enduring Earth, Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future, The Nature Conservancy, Go to Saint Lucia, Conservation Worldwide, Blue Nature Alliance, the PEW Charitable Trusts and Heineken Saint Lucia.
