The Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA)—scheduled to take place on February 27-28, 2020, in Montego Bay, Jamaica—will focus on “Energy Resilience and Investment Opportunities.” It’s a theme that will resonate across the Americas, said Jamaica’s Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Fayval Williams.

“Our countries are bound by the common pursuit of achieving universal access to safe, clean, and affordable energy. We are also united in the shared vision of prosperity for our peoples,” she said in officially launching the event on November 13 in the Jamaican capital, Kingston.

“ECPA members must see the Fourth Ministerial as a call to deepen the collaborations, strengthen the networks, leverage our resources, scale up actions, and sharpen our focus on creating a better tomorrow for this and future generations,” she said.

When they meet in Montego Bay, energy ministers and other high-level officials from North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean will discuss a range of issues, including financial mechanisms for clean and renewable energy, renewable energy and electric mobility, and strategies to increase private sector engagement in energy infrastructure development.

Williams, who will chair the Fourth Ministerial, said that Jamaica and other countries in the region are “in a race against time” to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, noting that Sustainable Goal 7 specifically aims to ensure access to affordable and clean energy.

Jeanelle van Glaanenweygel, who represents the Organization of American States (OAS) in Jamaica, and Juan Cruz Monticelli, who manages the ECPA Technical Coordination Unit at OAS headquarters, also participated in the launch event in Kingston.