The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5Cs) broke ground on its permanent headquarters at the University of Belize’s Belmopan campus this morning. Belize rolled out the red carpet and welcomed key figures from across the region, including Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Phillip Pierre.
The groundbreaking takes place on its 20th anniversary as a major milestone for regional climate action.
During his address, Prime Minister John Briceño reflected on the origins of the 5Cs, which date back to the late 1990s under the Musa administration. He said the new headquarters is a culmination of years of regional cooperation and advocacy to establish a central hub for climate action in the Caribbean.
Briceño pointed out Belize’s unique environmental assets. “Belize is a living laboratory… we have the second-largest barrier reef and quite likely the largest living barrier reef in the world. In the western hemisphere, we have four atolls, and Belize has three of them.”
Briceño invited his Saint Lucian counterpart to explore Belize’s natural beauty to “see why it is that the 5Cs is best situated here in Belize.”