A very promising start for Unite Caribbean, which has successfully positioned itself on new missions: new clients and new territories on the horizon.
An exciting year ahead
2021 was still heavily marked by the Covid19 pandemic worldwide, and the Caribbean was not spared. Mobility between the Islands was impaired with governments trying to protect the most vulnerable with quarantines, curfews, and lockdowns.
2021 was also the year of the CoP26 in Glasgow, and the well-deserved nomination of PM Mottley of Barbados as a UN Champion of the Earth.
Both these events highlighted the need for more cooperation and integrated sustainable approach to development in the Caribbean.
2021, a pivotal year
For Unite Caribbean, 2021 allowed us to reaffirm our values and to firmly reposition ourselves on our core areas of expertise.
Through our projects, we strengthened civil society organisations in St Martin and helped CSOs of 7 French and English-speaking countries work together on climate resilience. We also created successful public-private collaborations to ensure collection and recycling of plastics in Saint Lucia, bringing together CSOs, municipalities, public utilities, volunteers and corporate partners. We finally co-created the first francophone Gateways to Global Careers, a TVET programme for Saint-Lucian students and young entrepreneurs to access to French markets.
Through our consulting services, we assessed and proposed a training plan for Haitian governmental agencies in terms of climate change adaptation, designed a cooperation strategy for the Collectivité de Saint Martin, and developed a project management training programme in three languages for 37 Caribbean Marine Protected Areas . We additionally assisted the Haitian government for the Cop26, in preparing their Adaptation Communication, building the delegates’ capacity and supporting during the negotiations in Glasgow.
Moving towards 2022
In 2022, Unite Caribbean has several exciting missions ahead. In Haiti, we were awarded a contract with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre to strengthen municipalities’ capacities in terms of access to climate finance, including a gender perspective. We are also analysing citizens’ and women’s participation in local processes and drafting recommendations for improvements. Finally, we are strengthening our public recycling capacity in the OECS with the replication of the RePLAST system in Grenada and the development of medical waste management plans in St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda and Surinam in partnership with UNIDO.
In 2022, we will also increase our investments in our internal processes and human resources to continue deliver premium consulting services and impactful development projects in the Caribbean.
Unite Caribbean’s action to tackle climate change during CoP26
Climate change is the greatest challenge of our times. It knows no borders, no administrative or natural barriers. It affects vulnerable populations the most, and disproportionately impacts Small Islands and Developing States (SIDS) which are among the smallest contributors to CO2 emissions.
As the Cop26 in Glasgow approaches, Unite Caribbean is mobilised across the board.
A dedicated support to Haiti for CoP26
During the lead up to the Conference of the Parties, Unite Caribbean provided targeted consulting services to Haitian delegates. The team worked on preparing and drafting the Haiti Adaptation Communication, one of the key documents required within the framework of the Paris Agreement. Dr Kénel Delusca, Unite Caribbean’s Director for Environment and Climate Change, also acted to strengthen the Haitian delegates’ capacity and will support the negotiators in Glasgow CoP26.
During the months prior, the team also worked with UNDP to develop a training plan for the Ministry of Environment and responsible agencies’ staff in the area of climate adaptation. In the longer term, Unite Caribbean was additionally missioned to support institutional capacity building in Haiti to enhance the country’s readiness to access funding from the Green Climate Fund.
Raising awareness with civil society organisations
Unite Caribbean also works alongside civil society organisations regionally to strengthen climate resilience. Through its PAIRCC project and now Karayib Klima, the team has supported the creation of civil society networks and the implementation of climate resilience projects. 13 projects are currently ongoing in Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, Saint Lucia and Saint Martin, addressing the challenges of water availability, food security, private sector resilience or climate change awareness and education.
During CoP26, Unite Caribbean has planned a virtual meeting to discuss the issues at stake. A whole day webinar will bring Caribbean CSOs together to exchange about the impacts of climate change in the region, and to brainstorm recommendations for adaptation. The virtual meeting will take place on November 4th and will be followed by two face-to-face workshops on November 5th, happening simultaneously in Martinique and Haiti.
Our pledge to Net Zero
As a consulting firm, Unite Caribbean is conscious about its own carbon footprint. The team is committed to limit its emission as much as possible to reach Net Zero in the coming years. A CO2 emission calculator is currently developed to monitor the progress made, and evaluate carbon compensation when reduction is limited.
Meet us at the CoP!
If you would like to meet with us during CoP 26, kindly send us an email.
4 years for regional cooperation
The time is ripe for the Caribbean to collectively face 21st century’s main challenges. For 4 years, Unite Caribbean builds regional cooperation capacity of Caribbean stakeholders in terms of economic, social and environmental development and access to financing.
Unite Caribbean awarded major contracts in Haiti
With these new contracts, Unite Caribbean becomes a major actor in the core sectors of Environment and Climate and Governance.
A new visual identity for Unite Caribbean!
Unite Caribbean celebrates its 4th birthday with a major overhaul of its website and brand new colours! The company’s logo also underwent small changes.
4 years strengthening Caribbean regional cooperation
Since September 2017, Unite Caribbean is on a trailblazing mission: promote cooperation between Caribbean countries. The team now counts 12 permanent staff, including the two co-founders Thomas Chollet and Damien Bauchau. Unite Caribbean’s reach covers the entire region: the firm is headquartered in Guadeloupe, with a fully registered branch in Saint Lucia and representative offices in Haiti, St. Martin/ Sint Maarten and Canada.
In 4 years, Unite Caribbean’s team and 30 associated consultants have delivered around 40 consulting missions and projects, with budgets ranging from 20,000 to more than 1,000,000 d’euros. Unite Caribbean worked on cooperation issues related to sport, waste management, local governance, infrastructures, education and climate change adaptation across the region, from the French West Indies to Haïti, Saint Lucia and OECS countries or Dutch overseas territories.
A unique approach
Over the past 4 years, Unite Caribbean brought its unique expertise to the Caribbean: capacity building to local public actors and civil society, feasibility studies, strategic positionoing with a focus on promoting Caribbean experts. Unite Caribbean also designed and implemented ambitious regional projects like the Projet d’Appui à la Résilience Climat Caraïbe (PAIRCC) or the first plastic collection and recycling management project in the OECS (RePLAST OECS) which pilot phase in saint Lucia is coming to an end.
Unite Caribbean’s unique dual approach is its core strength: its expertise in providing consulting services while conceptualising and managing development projects. With its consulting services, Unite Caribbean develops a high-level analysis capacity. With its project competency, Unite Caribbean gets an in-depth, on the ground knowledge, of the Caribbean.
Colours and Sectors
Changing Unite Caribbean’s colours came from the will to align the company’s visual identity with its core focus sectors: promoting the development of a more sustainable Caribbean. The blue referring to the sea was then replaced by a dark green which refers more closely to Unite Caribbean’s attachment to promote environmental and social issues. A bright green was added to show the firm’s solution-and action oriented approach. The sand colour remains to mark continuity and Unite Caribbean’s strategic roots in the region.
The new visual identity also alllow the firm to re-affirm its focus on its 4 core sectors: Environment and Climate, Water and Waste, Governance and Economic and Social.
To know more about our achievements and our team, visit the About us page and don’t hesitate to contact us!