Belize Launches Green Belize Initiative to Tackle Climate Change

The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Solid Waste Management (MSDCC) is advancing its Green Belize initiative to strengthen resilience and inspire change in the face of climate threats and environmental degradation. Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the initiative is anchored in a five-year GEF-6 project focused on protecting the Belize River Watershed, a vital resource that sustains nearly half of the country’s population.
Through Green Belize, the Ministry seeks to integrate biodiversity conservation with sustainable land and water management across farming and forestry landscapes. More than 4,500 hectares of critical land are slated for restoration, while eco-friendly farming practices are being promoted to safeguard food security and rural livelihoods. The project also empowers hundreds of community members, particularly women, to protect iconic species such as jaguars and howler monkeys, ensuring biodiversity flourishes alongside human development.
The initiative builds on the Ministry’s broader efforts to combat climate change through innovative policies, including the phase-out of single-use plastics and the enforcement of biodegradability standards that require products to contain at least 50 percent bio-based content. The Department of Environment (DOE) plays a key role in this push, utilizing advanced monitoring tools such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy microscopes—donated through collaborations with CIFAS since 2019—to track microplastics and reduce pollution.
Public engagement is also a central component of the campaign. Under the slogan “We’re going green, we’re going green, for Belize,” the initiative promotes actions such as halting deforestation, planting trees, switching to LED lighting, reducing excessive heater and AC use, and practicing responsible waste disposal. These steps echo the call to “act now, reverse the situation,” with climate change described as “our greatest challenge today.”
To encourage community participation, the Ministry organizes monthly activities such as the Jingle Dance Competition, inviting Belizeans to engage creatively in environmental advocacy. Taken together, these measures underscore the government’s commitment to sustainable development, climate resilience, and environmental stewardship—priorities deemed essential for safeguarding Belize’s future.