51吃瓜

An UNDEF project in the Caribbean is raising public awareness on the negative impacts of climate change and stimulating public engagement around solutions in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Implemented by IAMovement, the project is developing a digital climate platform called WEClimate to create democratic engagement to combat climate challenges. The platform will increase knowledge among voters on the importance of engaging politicians on climate and other local environmental issues. Jonathan Barcant, Managing Director of IAMMovement, stressed the extraordinary nature of this project by stating:

鈥淧eople are more aware of the need for climate action than ever before, but often  think, 鈥榃hat can I possibly do to make a difference?鈥� The WEClimate platform aims to make climate knowledge and the ability to get involved more accessible, relatable and socially connective. We realize that if people can feel that their actions really are contributing to change - and can find ways to connect on this - this could grow into the unstoppable force of people working together on our common home in ways that we haven鈥檛 seen before.鈥�

This platform will educate voters on local, sustainable solutions and their socio-economic benefits. Through online and community organizing, it will use growing public demand to spur not only policy change but also consumer and business behavior. The platform is also experimenting with new forms of digital governance, by allowing citizens to review policy developed through working groups under the project, and enabling local community members to raise awareness around environmental issues, such as water waste. The project held its second milestone event, a Climate Talk for students and partners, in April 2022 in northern Trinidad. The talk introduced key concepts of climate mitigation and adaptation and invited participants to test the WeClimate platform. The platform will soon be launched to the wider population to encourage and facilitate public engagement in climate action.