The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will take a solutions-focused agenda to the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) scheduled for November 9 to 20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye. The Bank will call for greater investment in resilience, easier access to climate finance, and stronger recognition of the vulnerabilities facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

CDB will urge the international community to treat financing for adaptation and resilience as a productive investment in economic stability and growth, rather than a cost incurred once disaster has struck.

“Climate-vulnerable countries are paying for climate change twice: first through the losses we suffer, then through the high cost of the capital we need to rebuild. That is neither fair nor sustainable,” CDB President, Mr. Daniel M. Best explained. “The Caribbean needs finance that arrives before climate shocks occur, on terms that reflect our vulnerability, and CDB is determined to help deliver it.”  

The Bank will press for a climate finance architecture that treats vulnerability, not income, as a key factor in determining access to financing. It will also advocate for simpler processes that reduce administrative barriers, and a stronger role for regional institutions that understand the circumstances of small states and can speed up implementation.

COP30 established a mechanism to support just transitions for workers and vulnerable groups, but CDB is arguing that these transitions must create opportunities for Caribbean economies and communities.

“Climate action is not only about responding to disasters. It must also improve lives and create jobs,” Mr. Best said. “For the Caribbean and other small island developing states, the energy transition is only a success if workers, households and businesses share in its benefits. When skills, enterprise finance, clean energy and social protection are built together, climate investment becomes an investment in jobs, productivity and human dignity.”

Once again, CDB has provided financing to support the CARICOM Pavilion, the Caribbean’s hub at COP31. There, governments, negotiators, development partners, civil society, and the private sector will coordinate positions, showcase solutions, and amplify a unified regional voice.

The Bank will also host four high-level events at the Pavilion focused on turning climate commitments into results.

On November 10, “Financing Caribbean Climate, Energy and Transport Transformation: From Ambition to Implementation” will spotlight the Regional Investment Platform and opportunities to scale investment in renewable energy, sustainable transport, and climate-resilient infrastructure.

On November 12, “Financing a Resilient Caribbean: Scaling Climate Action, Investment and Delivery in the Blue Economy” will explore investment in sustainable fisheries, coastal and marine ecosystem restoration, blue carbon, and nature-positive development.

On November 13, “MDB and Development Partner Collaboration to Scale Caribbean Climate and Resilience Finance” will bring together multilateral development banks, climate funds, and development partners to align financing and accelerate investment across the region. That same day, “Investing in Resilience: How Planning and Coordination can Help Caribbean SIDS Respond More Effectively to Major Climate Change Impacts” will examine how countries can plan and coordinate finance before and after major climate shocks to speed recovery and resilient reconstruction.