BVI to Share Climate Trust Lessons
The BVI Climate Change Trust Fund has attracted international interest after its role in funding the Anegada Hybrid Energy Farm and its presence at COP30 in Belém. Chairman Edward Chiles says the trust has been invited to present to 10 Pacific island states in February 2026 as it moves to establish a secretariat and begin issuing project calls next year.
The British Virgin Islands’ Climate Change Trust Fund is drawing growing international attention, and the territory has been invited to share its experience establishing a dedicated climate financing mechanism, the trust’s chairman Edward Chiles has said. Chiles made the comments at the commissioning of the Anegada Hybrid Energy Farm, a project supported by the trust.
He represented the trust at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where he says donors and regional organisations took particular interest in the BVI model as the trust moves toward full operation and the establishment of its secretariat in 2026. Chiles told attendees that the response at COP30 exceeded expectations and that the trust has secured an invitation to present to 10 Pacific island states in February 2026 on how the fund was set up.
He credited the territory’s independent governance structure and long policy foundation for attracting interest, pointing to the BVI Climate Change Policy published in 2012 and the trust’s statutory establishment in 2015. A distinguishing feature of the BVI model, Chiles said, is its financing mechanism.
Since 2017 a $10 environmental levy charged to overnight visitors has helped seed the trust. Earlier this year the trust received nearly $5.5 million — about 40 percent of total levy collections — and will continue to benefit from regular quarterly allocations. The trust is preparing to issue calls for proposals in 2026 for adaptation and mitigation projects across government, private sector and civil society.
Chiles listed potential priorities: mangrove restoration, coastal road protection, school-based climate education, hurricane-resilient housing upgrades and renewable energy projects. Local organisations, businesses and government agencies will be eligible to apply. Projects like the Anegada microgrid illustrate the dual aims of resilience and energy security, Chiles said, noting that hybrid renewable systems can reduce vulnerability to fuel price spikes and supply disruptions.
He also signalled interest in partnering with the BVI Electricity Corporation on future projects to expand resilient, locally managed energy infrastructure. For residents, the trust’s operationalisation means more locally driven opportunities to fund climate-ready infrastructure, protect coastal and marine environments, and strengthen community resilience ahead of storm seasons.
As the trust establishes its secretariat and issues calls for proposals, BVI stakeholders will have a clearer pathway to access dedicated climate finance and shape projects that benefit all Virgin Islanders.
Primary source: BVI News