The Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professionals (JIEP) was launched with twenty-five members in 2000 and now boasts a membership of over one hundred and twenty environmental professionals. On March 30th 2010 we will be celebrating our tenth anniversary and as we approach this milestone it is an opportune time to reflect on the accomplishment of the JIEP and recognize some of the challenges we have faced as a professional organization.

One such challenge has been the JIEP Website but after being inactive for some time it is back online and ready to serve you better. We will be providing you with current information on the programmes and activities of the JIEP as well as updates on relevant environmental issues. I hope that the revitalized website will provide a platform for networking and information exchange among our members and associates and will facilitate the achieving of our mission “to maintain high standards of professionalism among our members in order to improve the environmental management capacity and practices in Jamaica”

The JIEP will be hosting its 4th Conference on the Environment, May 26-27, 2009 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. This year’s theme, “Climate Change – Caribbean Response” is a timely one, particularly as we grapple with the global economic crisis which has become superimposed on our existing social and environmental problems. It has now been generally accepted that climate change cannot be prevented, therefore we must endeavor to protect our future by providing better information, improving our planning process and investing in more climate resistant technologies in such area as infrastructure and agriculture. As intimidating as it may seem, the potential impacts of climate change does provides us all with the opportunity and justification to undergo an eco-friendly transformation in our daily lives, at home, at work and in our communities. This conference hopes to stimulate the dialogue on the solutions that can be undertaken by individuals, households, communities, businesses and government agencies to protect our economies and environment from the future threats of climate change. I hope to see you all there.