CIG prepares to join Paris Climate Agreement

The Cayman Islands Government is preparing to request that the United Kingdom Government extend the Paris Agreement to the Cayman Islands. This planned step represents a deepening of our national commitment to address climate change and to align our efforts with the United Kingdom’s global climate commitments.

If approved, the Cayman Islands would become the second British Overseas Territory, following Gibraltar, which received the extension in 2022, to be covered by the Agreement. This move would continue our record of early and active participation in international climate treaties.

Extending the Paris Agreement to the Cayman Islands would bring practical and strategic benefits. It would connect us to global systems for technical advice, knowledge sharing, and cooperation on climate solutions. It would also strengthen our partnerships that can support the goals set out in the Climate Change Policy 2024–2050 and the National Energy Policy 2024–2045.

The Paris Agreement provides a framework that supports all countries and territories, large and small, in strengthening resilience to the impacts of climate change. For the Cayman Islands, participation would reinforce our efforts to manage coastal risks, promote clean energy, and encourage investment in sustainable and climate-resilient industries.

Seeking this extension is a logical next step in the Cayman Islands’ long-standing leadership among the Overseas Territories on climate action. We were among the first to have the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol extended in 2007, and we continue to view cooperation under international climate policy as essential to safeguarding our islands’ future.

The next phase will involve working closely with the UK Government to complete the necessary assessments and formal request process.

Though small in scale, the Cayman Islands understands that global challenges demand shared responsibility. Joining the Paris Agreement would demonstrate that we are ready to contribute meaningfully to the collective effort for a more sustainable and climate-resilient world.