KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) says it has submitted updated recommendations on the proposed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations for Jamaica and is calling for urgent action to finalise the regulatory framework that has been under development for over a decade.

“This submission is about moving the needle forward on a process that has been delayed for far too long,” said Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, chief executive officer of JET in a press release. “We felt it was important to take this step now to consolidate recommendations, respond to gaps in the current system, and provide practical draft regulatory language that can support the finalisation of the regulations.”

Rodriguez-Moodie further stressed that the absence of binding EIA regulations continues to create uncertainty in environmental decision-making and results in inconsistent and non-binding public participation in projects with potentially significant impacts.