The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) has selected Christianna Paul of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Tristan Ward of Barbados as fellows of the Caribbean Climate Leaders Fellowship, a fully funded professional development opportunity supported by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
The two fellows will join the CCCCC delegation at the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026.
Their selection follows a regional call for applications that ran from 10 to 21 August 2026 and was open to nationals of CARICOM Member States between the ages of 18 and 30. The CCCCC received a high calibre of applications, reflecting the depth of interest and talent among young Caribbean professionals working on climate change and sustainable development.
Through a combination of capacity building, mentorship, knowledge exchange and practical engagement, the Caribbean Climate Leadership Fellowship will help participants deepen their understanding of climate change and its implications for the Caribbean, strengthen their leadership, communication and advocacy capabilities, and build connections with climate practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders from across the region and internationally.
CCCCC Director of Business Strategy and Regional Coordination, Dr. Mark Bynoe said:
“We were very encouraged by the quality of the applications we received from across the region. It confirms that the Caribbean has a strong pool of emerging professionals ready to engage with the issues that will shape our future. We look forward to supporting Christianna and Tristan as they gain first-hand experience of the COP process and bring that knowledge back to their communities and the wider region.”
The Fellowship aims to deepen participants’ understanding of climate change and its implications for the Caribbean, strengthen their leadership, communication, and advocacy capabilities, and connect them with climate practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders from across the region and internationally.
About the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC)
The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre is an intergovernmental organisation established by the Heads of Governments of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to coordinate the region's response to managing and adapting to climate change. The CCCCC also serves as a delivery partner for climate finance for the region, a repository for regional climate change information and data provider of climate change-related policy advice and guidelines to the CARICOM Member States.
