This project aimed to create a capacity building hub on the island of Hispaniola, or as it is known in the Taino language, Quisqueya. In doing so, it simultaneously increased capacity in the Dominican Republic (one of the most ambitious countries in the Caribbean and LAC in terms of climate change) and Haiti; the poorest and most vulnerable country in the western hemisphere. This work built on the work already undertaken as part of the Acting Together for Bold Outcomes project that CDKN also supported.

From this binational focus, the project has built capacity through Caribbean cooperation with other developing and developed country parties. The Project addressed the need to enhance local capacity in relation to the evolving Durban Platform, within the context of ambitious low carbon development and in an environment conducive to a consensual and ambitious implementation regime, dealing with negotiation issues as ambitious collective development opportunities.

This initiative encouraged high ambition in negotiations, contributing political momentum to an ambitious middle ground within the UNFCCC negotiations, and created capacity for high ambition in both domestic action and international climate negotiations.

The project achieved this through 1) creating capacity within the LDC and vulnerable countries in LAC through alliances with the Energeia network and existing ATBO work, as well as with middle income and developed countries, civil society, and business; 2) ensuring negotiations progress towards middle ground solutions side by side with high ambition coalitions; and 3) by enhancing LDC and LAC domestic efforts and capacity within the Durban Platform process in the context of ambitious action by all, exploring the articulation of low carbon and climate resilient societies in these countries and expanding the research base required for this.

Altogether, this project has helped to enhance a 2 to 1.5 degree compatible collective ambition within a consensual multilateral process, contributing to enhance action by all while reducing the main costs of impacts for LDCs and vulnerable countries.

Key outputs of this project include:

• Two in situ roundtable meetings in Quisqueya, outlining themes, groups and interests within the UNFCCC, and focused on the Dominican and Haitian authorities and negotiators.
• A technical roundtable discussion with lead LDC and SIDS negotiators from the region focused on components and approaches to the Doha work programs on accounting.
• A policy paper examining the conceptual understanding of the relation between international action and domestic climate responses and mitigation action.
• Policy paper analysing and describing the evolution of climate change diplomacy within the Latin America and the Caribbean countries (LAC) that eventually formed the Cartagena Dialogue, and contrast it with recent analysis advanced for other regions, including those comprising Europe, LDCS, and SIDS.
  • Policy paper discussing lessons learned from the exercise between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

CDKN funding: £72,000 (as part of the Acting Together for Bold Outcomes project)