Jamaica’s opposition party is ringing alarm bells at what it has labelled stark and concerning inconsistencies between the words of Prime Minister Andrew Holness on the world stage and his actions at home.

In a statement this afternoon, Sophia Frazer-Binns, the People’s National Party shadow minister of land, environment & climate change, said Holness could not participate in the 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in good faith – demanding international climate action and financing – while destroying Jamaica’s vital forest reserves, mature mangroves, overturning the National Environment and Planning Agency’s decisions, and failing to agree on an acceptable mining buffer zone among other things.

“The Government is yet to achieve the delicate balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability even in the face of the unprecedented climate crisis,” stated Frazer-Binns. 

Declaring the country needed more than words from its government, Frazer-Binns said: “We need climate justice for mining communities, many of whom are still displaced and without titles.”

She added: “We need climate action to protect the cockpit country.”

The shadow minister’s comments came the day after CEO of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie said her organisation was “disappointed but not surprised” that Holness—leading the country delegation at the 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow— had failed to include Jamaica in the list of 105 countries that pledged to do more to end deforestation by 2030. 

Rodriguez-Moodie, speaking with Our Today on Tuesday (November 2), had said the island’s glaring omission stood true to policy directions taken by the Holness Administration, which continues to grant mining leases and licences to companies, to the detriment of the people and wider environment.

READ: JET not surprised by Jamaica’s absence from COP26 deforestation pledge

“I’m disappointed but not surprised. If we did make that commitment we would be taking a stance on industries and practices that are responsible for removing a lot of vegetation, namely bauxite mining,” the JET CEO said.

“And let me be clear, the Government is continuing to grant special mining leases and special exclusive prospective licences; these last for 25 years at a time. So, if we were to make those commitments on the global scale it would mean that we would have to see significant changes in what is being allowed here and we haven’t heard the Government say anything in relation to stopping bauxite mining or bauxite exploration,” Rodriguez-Moodie continued.’

Today, however, amid swelling criticisms on social media, Pearnel Charles Jr, the minister of housing, urban renewal, environment and climate change, said Jamaica had been ‘erroneously left off’ of Tuesday’s pledge to do more to end deforestation by 2030.

READ: Happy Jamaica is on the COP26 deforestation pledge, but what about all we’re doing right now?

In a tweet, he noted the public’s concerns following the release of the original list of countries that had Glasgow lmade the deforestation commitment, while saying he was glad to highlight that Jamaica’s absence was a “misunderstanding”.

But in her comments, Frazer-Binns said: “Jamaica requires our prime minister to lead with actions not words. As a small island developing state, our prime minister must lead the charge in preserving one of our greatest economic and social assets: our environment. Even as we support international demands for the worst polluters to move towards NetZero emissions and deliver on the US$100 billion yearly funding promised.”