As part of its ongoing commitment to climate resilience and environmental stewardship in the Caribbean, the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) recently held a groundbreaking Carbon Measurement Training Program for current and former grantees under its Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Facility.
This specialized training—the first of its kind delivered by the CBF—was developed in response to challenges grantees have faced in accurately reporting carbon sequestration and emissions related to their projects. Many EbA-funded initiatives have struggled to quantify carbon impact due to the technical complexity of carbon accounting. This training aimed to close that gap by building both theoretical understanding and practical skills in ecosystem carbon measurement.
Empowering Grantees Across the Caribbean
Delivered by a team of expert consultants, the program brought together 35 participants from 20 organizations and 9 Caribbean countries, including Cuba, Grenada, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
Grantees explored the principles of carbon accounting through a robust curriculum that included:
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Mapping project sites
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Establishing sampling plots
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Identifying carbon pools (e.g., soil, peat, mangroves, seagrasses)
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Collecting and handling samples
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Calculating carbon stocks using allometric equations
Practical, field-based sessions were conducted in Jamaica (English) and the Dominican Republic (Spanish), allowing participants to apply their skills in real-world coastal and marine ecosystems.
Why This Training Matters for the Region
The Caribbean is on the frontlines of climate change. As countries pursue ambitious climate goals and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, accurate carbon accounting has become a necessity—not a luxury.
This training supports the region by:
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Enabling better monitoring and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
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Improving grantees’ ability to secure climate finance
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Strengthening regional collaboration and technical capacity
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Aligning local efforts with global climate and conservation standards
Early Results & Real Impact
The training has already produced tangible outcomes. Grantees can now independently identify and sample various carbon pools, significantly reducing their reliance on external consultants. They also reported improvements in planning data collection strategies, handling samples, and applying standardized methodologies.
Perhaps most notably, the program fostered regional collaboration—participants exchanged experiences and best practices, creating new bonds across islands and strengthening the community of practice around EbA in the Caribbean.
What’s Next?
Participants have since returned to their project sites to collect samples, which will be submitted to certified laboratories for carbon content analysis. Once results are available, they will calculate total carbon stocks in their project areas using the techniques and equations introduced during the training.
As Caribbean countries scale up ecosystem-based solutions to climate change, this training marks an important step in ensuring that grantees are equipped to measure and report on their impact with confidence, precision, and independence.
For more information on the CBF EbA Facility and future capacity-building programs, visit www.caribbeanbiodiversityfund.org.
