Minister Miller speaks at PACC 2030 conference on the significant impacts of climate change on the Bahamas

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(L-R) The Honorable Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Installations and the Environment, and Deborah Loomis, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy on Climate Change; (11th from L-R) Stephenique Channon-Davis, Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Directorate. Capt. Stephen Russell, Senior Advisor to the DRM Directorate, also appears in this photo. Photo by Samantha Black.

PUERTO RICO – At the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Combat the Climate Crisis 2030 (PACC 2030) conference held in Puerto Rico on June 25-26, 2024, the Honourable Vaughn P. Miller, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR), spoke about the devastating impacts of climate change on The Bahamas.

PACC 2030 is the U.S. government’s flagship partnership with the Caribbean to advance climate adaptation and resilience, and clean energy collaboration to achieve the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Due to its unique geographical location and constant changes, The Bahamas has been exposed to natural disasters and threats such as hurricanes, droughts, fires, storm surges, sea level rise, etc. Minister Miller told PACC 2030 that it is the responsibility of the government, stakeholders and investors to learn from the past, develop plans for the future and work together to mitigate these threats.

Bahamian government officials had the opportunity to brainstorm and connect with industry professionals in the fields of energy and water resources, infrastructure, human health, and environmental and natural services during PACC Puerto Rico 2030. This important event was made possible by a special partnership with the U.S. Navy, the MENR Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP), the Disaster Risk Management Authority, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF), and the Disaster Risk Management Unit (DRMU).

Regional partners from the United States and several Caribbean countries are participating in a roundtable discussion on the impacts of climate change to help build capacity and increase countries’ resilience to environmental challenges.

PACC 2030 was launched by US Vice President Kamala Harris during the Summit of the Americas in June 2022, and its objectives are based on four pillars: improving access to development finance; promoting clean energy project development and investment; food security and enhancing local capacity for climate adaptation and resilience; and deepening cooperation with Caribbean partners.