Topic: climate change
Cayman pilots tool to measure readiness for climate threat
A new resilience index aims to help Cayman make better long term choices about policies and projects amid the rising threat posed by climate change.
Regional bank president identifies Cayman as climate resilience priority
Caribbean Development Bank President Daniel Best says Cayman remains firmly on the bank’s radar for climate resilience and other development projects.
Cayman quietly emerging on the global environmental scene
As global leaders gather in Belém, Brazil, for COP30, the Cayman Islands is asserting its role as a regional environmental leader.
Cayman apiary highlights role of honeybees in climate resilience
Jamaal Solomon, founder and head beekeeper at Reagan’s Honey, highlights the vital role of bees in climate resilience and improving Cayman's food security.
Cayman’s future development rests on fragile foundations
The Compass takes a look at some of the most pressing issues a development plan - and a co-ordinated package of policies to support it - could help resolve.
Premier meets King Charles and Commonwealth leaders at Samoa summit
Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly finished off a busy week at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa by holding talks with key counterparts, including the Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, Lord Collins of Highbury.
Cayman reveals 26-year climate change action plan
A long-term policy to protect Cayman from the devastating effects of climate change was unveiled on Wednesday.
Oly Rush on Sydne Didier’s epic swim: ‘Amazing’
Weeks after Sydne Didier journeyed 24 miles around Little Cayman, Oly Rush, someone who understands what it takes to accomplish such a feat, showed...
Conquering jellyfish and sharks: Historic swim around Little Cayman highlights urgency of climate change
After swimming 24 miles, nearing dehydration in the waters off Little Cayman, Sydne Didier said the experience was all worth it.
Open letter on climate change from Sustainable Cayman
In an open letter to UK and Cayman officials, Cayman youth call for government action on climate change.
Exile to Scotland? Climate report contemplates a future exodus from Cayman
A Noah’s Ark-style project has been proposed to facilitate a modern-day exodus from Cayman in the event of catastrophic flooding caused by climate change.
Caribbean advocate: Cayman voiceless in international climate-change talks
The Cayman Islands has no voice at the international table on climate-change impacts on small island nations, according to a leading Caribbean climate advocate.
Blue carbon offset: How the ocean can combat climate change
Researchers from Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) are investigating how Cayman’s tropical marine habitat can help in the fight against climate change.
Rising sea-levels threaten Cayman’s coastline
Newly published data predicts that the Cayman Islands will lose 32 square kilometres of coastal land due to climate change-induced sea-level rise before the end of the century.
Sea-level data a ‘wake-up call’ for Cayman’s COP28 delegation
As the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 takes place in Dubai, Connor Childs, Bella Rooney and Rickeem Lashley, representing Cayman, spoke to the Compass about what the sea-level rise data means for the islands' sustainability efforts.
Opinion: COP28 and Caribbean interests
With low-lying areas that are increasingly susceptible to erratic weather patterns brought on by the climate crisis, the topic of climate change is one the Caribbean knows all too well.
Cayman records hottest September ever
On 1 Sept. the temperature in the Cayman Islands reached a sweltering 34.7°C – making it the hottest September day in recorded history.
Dejea Lyons selected for regional climate justice programme
Caymanian environmental activist Dejea Lyons is among 35 young people from around the region participating in a newly launched Caribbean Climate Justice Leaders Academy programme aimed at building knowledge on issues impacting the Caribbean.
National Trust moves forward with climate-change project for schools
The National Trust for the Cayman Islands has hired a project manager to help create a climate-change curriculum for schools in Cayman.
Premier hopes to rid Cayman of ‘expensive, polluting fossil fuels’
Cayman must shift away from its reliance on “expensive polluting fossil fuels” and move to reliable, clean, affordable renewable energy, Premier Wayne Panton said this week.
World marks hottest week on record as Cayman temperatures soar
The world has just experienced the hottest week on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
How hurricanes and US wildfires impact your bottom line
A significant rise in home insurance premiums is proving to be both a cost-of-living challenge and a climate crisis in the making for the Cayman Islands.
Rare glow-in-the-dark shark discovered in Cayman’s waters
Glow-in-the dark sharks and schooling scalloped hammerheads are among the mind-bending discoveries of Cayman’s first serious effort to explore its deep seas.
Climate Change Policy expected to be passed in July
Officials say a draft Climate Change Policy is expected to be approved by Cabinet next month, after all feedback from the public has been considered.
Public views sought on draft climate-change policy
The Cayman Islands is a step closer to safeguarding against climate change, following the release of a draft copy of a long-awaited government policy this week.
Cayman strengthens storm modelling in the face of growing surge risk
The Cayman Islands has been bumped up to a priority consideration for advanced storm surge modelling which will help to predict risk across the territory.
Climate-change education to be introduced to 4 schools
Four schools in the Cayman Islands will soon be taking part in a pilot project to introduce climate-change education to their curricula.
New report outlines ‘severe’ climate-change risks for Cayman
A new report by UK experts highlights some of the biggest threats the Cayman Islands face from climate change.
Local survey: Measures can be taken to tackle man-made climate change
The vast majority of Cayman residents believe that climate change is the result of human activity, will impact them in their lifetime and that measures can be taken to tackle its effects.
Could Cayman’s financial sector help save the planet?
Cayman’s role as a major financial centre gives the territory the chance to play a significant role in changing the planet’s future for the better, according to a sustainable finance expert.
Ten solutions for a ‘climate proof’ Cayman
The Compass has outlined some of the core threats Cayman faces from climate change in an in-depth series over the past six weeks. Today we look at what action the island can take to protect itself.
Big interview: Premier seeks to tackle ‘existential threat’ of climate change
In an in-depth interview, Premier Wayne Panton talks to the Compass about the existential threat the islands face from climate change and his ambitions to set Cayman on a more sustainable path.
Small force protects Cayman’s waters from man-made threats
A growing body of research suggests that protecting reefs from man-made pressures, particularly overfishing and pollution, is the best way to ensure their survival in a climate-altered world. Cayman’s expanded marine protected areas are policed by a small team of committed conservation officers. The Compass joined them on patrol.
Should you eat local Cayman fish?
Eating local seafood is often considered a noble choice and the preferred option of many visitors. But in Cayman’s case, DoE chief conservation officer Mark Orr says environmentally-conscious consumers are better off asking restaurants for seafood that was caught overseas.
Organised poaching gangs threaten survival of key species
Organised criminal gangs represent the biggest current threat to Cayman’s marine life, conservation officers believe.
Development plan will factor in sea-level rise projections
Richard Mileham, of the PlanCayman project – which seeks to update the islands’ 50-year-old Development Plan – talked to the Compass about how the process will seek to make Cayman more climate-resilient.
Cayman 2050: ‘We must change how and where we build’
As surging seas threaten to redraw the map, concern is growing that the islands’ development rush is not adequately contemplating what Cayman’s future could look like in a climate-altered world. Changing how and where we build must be part of the solution, say experts.
Cayman 2050? How surging seas could redraw the map
Sea-water laps at the southern shore of West Bay island. Waves wash over the sunken remnants of Seven Mile Beach. To the east, a vast wetland stretches from Savannah to Gun Bay. Could this be Grand Cayman in 2050? A chain of multiple tiny islands, separated by shallow waterways carved by surging seas.
Protect Our Future activists call for action on climate change
Just over 100 youth environment activists joined in a climate march Friday afternoon at Government House calling on local leaders to take action on climate change.
Special report: Rethinking Rush Hour
Traffic is a climate problem, a quality of life problem, a resource drain and a catalyst for development. In a special report, the Compass, examines one of the island's most persistent issues.
Opinion: Congestion charges could change commuter habits
Guest columnist Julian Morris argues that charging to use the roads during peak times could be one of the only ways to make a serious impact on traffic in Cayman.
Sustainable Cayman seeks rethink of road building plans
As the Cayman Islands looks for solutions to escalating traffic challenges, Sustainable Cayman is urging government to prioritise quality of life and environmental protection.
Increased 2021 storm activity, climate change hurting turtle population
Increased storm activity reaching local shores resulted in the loss of just over a quarter of the turtle nests tagged on Cayman's beaches, according to Department of Environment figures.
The issue explained: Putting a price on nature
Cayman’s new system of natural capital accounts will attempt to elevate environmental considerations in national decisions. Here we look at how it works.
The multi-billion dollar question: What does Cayman’s environment contribute to the economy?
Cayman’s natural assets have been assessed as having a partial value of more than $3 billion to the islands and its people, according to a groundbreaking analysis that demonstrates the economic value of protecting beaches, coral reefs, mangroves and public open spaces.
Expert: ‘Climate threats already impacting Cayman’
The Cayman Islands could face sea-level rise of more than a foot by the middle of the century as well as the threat of extreme hurricanes, intense rainfall events and unprecedented flooding, according to climate consultant Lisa-Ann Hurlston.
Climate change’s biggest threat may be to Cayman’s economy
One of the greatest climate-associated risks facing the islands is the threat that insurers could pull out of Cayman, a global risk specialist has warned.
Special report: Cayman braces for impact as ‘climate catastrophe’ looms
Rising seas, monster storms and disappearing coral reefs: Scientists, risk analysts, energy leaders and climate analysts, who spoke to the Cayman Compass for this special report, are sounding the alarm over the intensifying threat from climate change.
Challenge deadline nears for young people to highlight climate change actions
The deadline is nearing for a challenge that will highlight the efforts of young people in Cayman to support climate change action.
Panton: ‘Sustainability is everybody’s business’
Climate change is an existential risk and countries, including Cayman, must do more to halt the rise in global average temperatures, Premier Wayne Panton said during the virtual Caribbean ESG Financing Summit on Wednesday, 17 Nov.
OfReg joins international initiative to accelerate energy transition
Cayman’s utility regulator OfReg has joined an international initiative launched at COP26 to accelerate and improve the regulatory capacity needed to decarbonise energy systems and meet climate change goals.
‘Climate change can no longer be ignored’, Lyons urges at COP26
Caymanian Dejea Lyons, 18, has urged more and immediate action to address the impact of global warming particularly on the world’s oceans at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow on Saturday.
PwC: World must reduce carbon emissions 5 times faster to reach target
An index drawn up by PwC shows that the world needs to cut its carbon emissions five times faster than it is currently doing if it is to reach the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement.
Overseas Territories leaders meet at climate conference
Cayman Islands Premier Wayne Panton has joined delegates from five fellow UK Overseas Territories at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
Cayman youth to have voice at COP26 climate summit
A small delegation of youth ambassadors will represent the Cayman Islands at the upcoming COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
Government helps create green fund to fight climate change
Government has joined global efforts to combat the threat of global warming by adding up to $25 million in seed funding to a new investment fund that will invest in climate change mitigation technologies and businesses.
5 key warnings for Cayman from the UN’s climate change report
As a new UN report on climate change spells out a stark warning over the future of the planet, the Compass looks at the possible impacts for Cayman.
UN sounds ‘deafening’ warning on climate change
The United Nations panel on climate change told the world on Monday that global warming was dangerously close to being out of control – and that humans were "unequivocally" to blame.
JMC tackles climate change, COVID-19
The UK and its Overseas Territories, including Cayman, have committed to work together on climate change with the aim of securing agreement on "ambitious action" to tackle the issue on a global scale at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow next year.
Governor: World is at a ‘tipping point’ on climate change
The UK hopes to play a bigger role in driving global action on climate change in a development that has implications for Cayman, Governor Martyn Roper has said.
Small islands can ‘lead by example’ in climate fight
Low-lying islands like Grand Cayman could become uninhabitable within the next century without “transformative change” in the global approach to climate change.
That’s the verdict of Rueanna Haynes, a climate analyst and guest speaker at the RF Cayman Economic Outlook conference.
Hurricanes and climate change: What the science says
One of the primary concerns for Cayman Islands residents when it comes to climate change, is what impact the phenomenon will have on hurricanes.
Caribbean tourism industry contends with climate change
Across the Caribbean region, tourism stakeholders are grappling with the reality of climate change and the threat it poses to the region’s hospitality sector. From Antigua to Dominica, officials are working on plans to protect their islands and their economies.
The future of climate action
The Cayman Compass interviewed some of the islands’ students about their thoughts on climate change, the environmental policies they’d like to see implemented and the role young people play in the climate-change debate.
Cayman wildlife photographer: We must tell impactful stories
When it comes to understanding the impact of climate change, few in the Cayman Islands have been as close to the source as Ellen Cuylaerts.
Governor: ‘2020 is a critical year for our planet’
Some of the responsibility for helping Cayman prepare for the impacts of climate change falls to the UK. Governor Martyn Roper answered questions from the Cayman Compass about what his office is doing to help.
What the 2011 climate policy set out to achieve
Nearly a decade ago, a never-implemented draft climate change policy set out broad-reaching ambitions for the Cayman Islands.
Cayman’s climate policy plan gathering dust
With the urgency of international projections, where does Cayman stand in preparing for climate change? Recent debate on the floor of the Legislative Assembly sent a reminder that, in fact, Cayman does not have a climate change policy.
Time to take climate change seriously
Cayman has met the topic of climate change with stops and starts. Recent actions by government, however, have hinted at renewed political interest.
‘It is our responsibility to leave a healthy earth for our children’
As one of the lowest-lying places on earth, Cayman could feel the effects of climate change sooner than most. National Trust climate change expert Catherine Childs sat down with the Cayman Compass to discuss what the island needs to do and why we have a responsibility to future generations to act fast.
The Great Rush Hour Race
Four commuters, four different modes of transport, two routes, one race. Car vs. bike, kayak vs. bus. To conclude our month-long series investigating causes of, and potential solutions to, the island’s traffic troubles, we wanted to challenge the assumption that the car is still the best way to travel in Cayman. So we put it to the test in a rush-hour race.
Electric rides help commuters dodge traffic
From electric scooters to one-wheel e-skateboards, new types of battery powered vehicles are helping a growing number of commuters dodge the traffic.
