We Planted Trees in Trinidad, February 2025
In collaboration with the Carbon Zero Institute of Trinidad and Tobago (CZITT), CCRIF team members were invited to visit the Tucker Valley Arboretum in
Chaguaramas. CZITT Patron, former President of Trinidad and Tobago, Justice Anthony Carmona, and members of the CCRIF team accompanied CZITT for a “tree planting” at the Arboretum. The Arboretum is devoted to planting specimens of a diverse array of trees and shrubs to enhance biodiversity within the country. Justice Carmona and the CCRIF team planted “lucky seed trees”, which are beneficial pollinators and complement the existing moringa, soursop, caimito and other trees at the site. These trees were registered in CZITT’s “I Planted a Tree for the Climate” app, which records the trees’ contribution to climate change mitigation (through absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas contributing to the warming of the planet and plays a significant role in climate change).
CCRIF CEO Meets with Former President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, February 2025
CCRIF CEO Mr. Isaac Anthony met with Former President of Trinidad and Tobago, Justice Anthony Carmona, patron of the Carbon Zero Institute of Trinidad and Tobago (CZITT), and CZITT founder Donald Baldeosingh on the margins of the Caribbean CCRIF Members’ Workshop held in Port of Spain in February 2025. They discussed the Government’s CCRIF parametric insurance as well as CCRIF’s support to CZITT and potential future collaboration. CCRIF has provided 2 grants totalling US$50,000 to CZITT to enhance climate-smart agriculture and improve farmers’ livelihoods.
CCRIF Provides US$25,000 for Construction of Greenhouse at Papine High School, Jamaica
Through the small grants programme, CCRIF provided US$25,000 to the Papine High School in Jamaica for their Greenhouse and Hydroponics Project. The grant from CCRIF supported the construction of a greenhouse and hydroponics system at the school. CCRIF SPC and Papine High School hosted an Opening Ceremony for the greenhouse on February 5th. The main speakers at the opening ceremony were: Hon. Fayval Williams, Member of Parliament for the St. Andrew Eastern Constituency and Minister of Finance and the Public Service; Hon. Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining; Mrs. Saundra Bailey, Deputy Chairperson of CCRIF SPC; and, Mrs. Mariame McIntosh Robinson, Board Member, CCRIF and Chairperson of the CCRIF Technical Assistance Committee. The greenhouse will support teaching and learning of agriculture and agri-adjacent subjects. Papine High School aims to be a Centre of Excellence in agriculture education and an example for other schools.
Science Diplomacy Summit, Washington DC, April 2025
Elizabeth Emanuel, Head of the CCRIF Technical Assistance Manager and Head of the Development and Corporate Communications Manager Teams of CCRIF 
delivered a presentation on the panel Early Warning and Insurance | Climate Change Innovation" at the the Science Diplomacy Summit 2025 at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. The event focused on key developments in different aspects of science diplomacy, including Research Security, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Information Science and Technology, Climate Change Innovation, Health, Space Diplomacy, International Partnerships, Polar Diplomacy, among others. It allowed for the exchange of knowledge and insights on scientific topics
Other panelists were: Torsten Thiele, Strategic Advisor, IUCN Ocean, & Senior Advisor, Blue Finance, Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA); and Pepukaye Bardouille, Director, Bridgetown Initiative and Special Advisor on Climate Resilience, to the Prime Minister of Barbados. CCRIF’s presentation focused on the positioning and complementary of the various disaster risk financing instruments and the role of risk layering within the context of debt and fiscal sustainability. Focus was also placed on how parametric insurance could be viewed as a strategy for loss and damage, especially in the context of the increasing frequency and intensity of hydrometeorological events caused by climate change allowing for it to help countries and key sectors better manage growing risks and losses. Highlights were also presented on how parametric insurance can address more than physical damage to assets and infrastructure and provide solutions for economic exposure.
Pepukaye Bardouille focused on outlining and describing the pillars of the Bridgetown Initiative for Climate Financing and Sustainable Development. She placed attention on the importance of concessional financing for climate spending and financing on development projects in developing countries as well as the temporary pausing of countries’ outstanding loan repayments (whether these loans are held by the government or private creditors) following climate related disasters, thereby making the financial system more responsive to exogenous shocks. This would be facilitated by introducing natural disaster clauses in lending instruments, including that of the multilateral development banks. The complementarity of disaster risk financing instruments with emphasis on parametric insurance and the Bridgetown Initiative, with emphasis on debt clauses were collectively discussed by both speakers.
CCRIF CEO meets with 2024 CCRIF Interns from Trinidad & Tobago
During a February visit to Trinidad and Tobago, members of the CCRIF team met with some of the 2024 CCRIF Interns currently based in Trinidad and Tobago. In 2024, CCRIF placed 27 young persons as interns at national and regional host organizations across the region.
Spotlight on One of CCRIF’s 2024/25 Master’s Level Scholars
2025/26 Policy Renewal Meetings, March to May 2025
During March – May, CCRIF held in-country and virtual meetings with its members in the Caribbean and Central America to present updates on CCRIF policy pricing and endorsements and discuss proposed policy options for 2025/26. CCRIF also met with potential governments and electric and water utilities to encourage them to join the Facility and purchase coverage. CCRIF looks forward to new members joining in the upcoming policy year, which begins on June 1, 2025.
Currently, CCRIF has 30 members: 19 Caribbean governments, 4 Central American governments, 3 electric utility companies, 3 water utilities and 1 tourist attraction.
