Hubert Martinie Garcia, Executive sssistant at the National Council for Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism in Dominican Republic has been supported by Impulsouth to attend Bonn climate change conference 2022. He will be supporting the role of Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) coordinator from the Dominican Republic at the G77 (a coalition of 134 developing countries) and China discussions, as well as giving administrative and technical support for the whole Dominican Republic delegation. Meet Hubert through the following interview:

  • My name is Hubert Martinie Garcia and I am from Cabarete, a coastal town in the Dominican Republic.
  • In my country, climate change… represents a threat to national security. This is because my country is an island and it is one of the territories most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.  However, the need to address food, economic and health vulnerabilities represents an opportunity to catalyse development towards a sustainable and resilient society. In my opinion one of the most significant gaps is the lack of a legal and economic regulatory framework to incentivise a more robust and beneficial chain of actions. Another equally important gap is access to financial, human and technical resources to raise the quality of climate action and capacity for monitoring, evaluation and research. Nevertheless, there is a strong willingness to implement change in synergy with the public and private sectors that represents an important potential. Having all this in mind, we must, as a nation, advocate for the inclusion of climate change in the daily discussions of our legislators.
  • When did you start working in climate action?  What motivated you?

Prior to 2021, the biggest climate action I had taken was participating in protests, and in movements to raise environmental awareness at the local level in the province of Puerto Plata. I think I started to become aware of the reality of climate change at the university where I studied political science.

In August 2021, I started working in climate action at the national council for climate change in the Dominican republic. My motivation stems from the fundamental necessity that my country, and the world, has to fight the sources of climate change and prepare for those consequences that are no longer reversible. On a personal level, I have learned of the many ways how our actions affect the earth negatively, whether it’s the amount of meat we eat, brands we choose to consume, or political action we do not take. For this reason, I strive, imperfectly, to tackle climate change in all aspects of my life.

  • What will be your role at Bonn climate change conference?

I will be supporting the role of Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) coordinator from the Dominican Republic at the G77 (a coalition of 134 developing countries) and China discussions, as well as giving administrative and technical support for the whole Dominican Republic delegation.

  • What are your expectations for the Subsidiary Body negotiations meeting in Bonn? What outcomes would you consider important for a successful meeting? 

My expectations are to learn about the dynamics of international climate negotiations and how it translates into national implementation.  I also wish to broaden my understanding of what it takes to reach a consensus during regional, multilateral and bilateral negotiations whilst reaching a goal that is as positive as possible for all stakeholders. 

  • Why is south-south cooperation important to you and your country?

I believe south-south cooperation is important because it allows a  greater sense of unity among countries with similar priorities and creates a pathway for those priorities to be discussed in greater depth, which could result in a better articulation of them.