Prospects and Challenges for Civil Society and Climate Change Engagement in the Caribbean: The Case of Trinidad and Tobago

This article explores the prospects for civil society engagement in the quest for justice in global climate change policy. Using Trinidad and Tobago as a case, in the context of the broader CARICOM framework, the paper examines civil society participation: methods of engagement, challenges and effectiveness. Notwithstanding some engagement in global action, civil society organizations have engaged in the climate change arena mainly in education, awareness building and research and training at the community level; their influence and impact in official spaces have been negligible. We conclude that given the transnational nature of climate change and the market-oriented approach in official climate change discussions at the global level, participation in progressive global/transnational coalitions with the view to attaining climate change justice is imperative. This is particularly important in cases where avenues for active engagement are not available at the national and regional levels and/or where parochial interests dominate the climate change agenda.