December 2025 Message from Ms. Rueanna Haynes, Director, Climate Analytics Caribbean

Season's greetings colleagues and friends,

Congratulations! Despite rising pressures and challenges, we have made it through 2025 and any contribution you made this year has advanced a path for us all to continue the essential pursuit of climate justice and sustainability for our vulnerable communities.

Just one month ago, many of our team members supported small island developing states at COP30. The UN climate change summits are always arduous, and this COP30 was no different. Small island developing states were again tasked with a disproportionate burden, expected to shore up our limited resources to stand firm as the stalwart defenders of the 1.5°C goal. This we continue to do, out of necessity to help safeguard our people and homes.

At COP30, multilateralism was truly put to the test. It is a testament to the mettle and perseverance of our SIDS leaders and negotiators, that at the final hour an outcome was reached.

The COP30 decision yielded key outcomes such as:

• A Mutirão Decision which establishes a Global Implementation Accelerator and Belem Mission to 1.5°C for NAPs and NDCs.
• A landmark new mechanism for Just Transition Work Programme to be established.
• Mutirao Decision establishes a goal to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035.
• Global Goal on Adaptation Indicators were adopted with promise of further work starting in June 2026 and Belem - Addis Vision for 2027.
• Mutirão decision establishes work programme on finance and roundtables on Climate and Trade.
• A new regular Report on the State of Loss and Damage has been agreed.
• The COP30 Presidency will lead a process on Fossil Fuel and Nature Roadmaps to be concluded next year.

While progress creeps forward, we know that our world is plunging into a point of no return. Climate impacts are accelerating, we are approaching critical tipping points, and the likelihood of 1.5°C overshoot looms larger.

So, there is no room for hesitation and no time for our resolve to falter.

This year, our Climate Analytics Caribbean team put this sentiment into action.

Our ECF Re-Energise Caribbean workshop brought together key regional stakeholders to share knowledge and strategize practical pathways for an inclusive clean energy transition. Our work on an updated Regional Goal on Adaptation for the Caribbean, analysis on debt and Loss and Damage, and  landmark FloodAdapTT project, aim to enhance the regional knowledge base and support policies our countries urgently need.

We continued to support a Just Transition for the Caribbean region, including via work on our Reducing Emissions through Global Stocktake Implementation (REGI) project and our participation in the Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance. And our final event for 2025, the German-Caribbean Climate Talks in collaboration with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany furthered our mission of advancing collaboration to help build regional resilience.

As we step into the new year, I hope we can all take heart in the fact that we are not alone. There are so many inspiring climate champions throughout our region doing essential work, bolstering the fight for a resilient future. Let us draw strength from our unity and uplift each other as we pursue our shared goals.

Dear reader, I wish you all the best for this special season. May this new year bring a rejuvenated sense of purpose for us all. There is much to be done.