NEW YORK, 24 September 2026 – Prime Minister Philip Davis has announced a major new phase in The Bahamas’ climate strategy, with national scientific work now underway that is expected, subject to completion, government review and technical validation, to confirm that The Bahamas removes more greenhouse gases than it emits within the scope of its national inventory.
Speaking in New York at the presentation of The Bahamas Blue Carbon Programme, Prime Minister Davis said the country is incorporating its extensive seagrass biome into its updated Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement for the first time.
“The country you were told is drowning may be helping the world to breathe,” the Prime Minister said.
The finding, once scientifically validated, could significantly change the way The Bahamas is viewed in global climate discussions. For decades, small island states have been presented primarily through the lens of climate vulnerability. The Bahamas is now seeking to demonstrate that its marine ecosystems also provide a measurable climate service to the wider world.
The Government has committed US$25 million to the first phase of the Blue Carbon Programme, funding national-scale seagrass mapping, field verification, sampling, carbon inventories and the systems required for measurement, reporting and verification.
The initiative is also designed to prepare The Bahamas for participation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which allows countries to cooperate on emissions reductions and internationally transferred mitigation outcomes.
Prime Minister Davis said The Bahamas has already established the legislative framework required to govern its carbon assets through the Carbon Credit Trading Act, 2022 and the Climate Change and Carbon Market Initiatives Act, 2022.
The next stage will focus on completing the scientific, technical and sovereign authorisation requirements necessary for future Bahamian mitigation outcomes to enter the international market.
“What lies beneath Bahamian waters belongs to the Bahamian people, and it will remain under sovereign and regulated national control,” Prime Minister Davis said.
The programme is built around one of The Bahamas’ greatest natural assets: its vast seagrass ecosystems.
Research in Bahamian waters has revealed extensive seagrass meadows across the Bahama Banks. These ecosystems capture and store carbon while supporting fisheries, marine biodiversity, coastal protection and water quality.
The Government says the programme will connect conservation with economic development by directing investment toward marine restoration, sustainable fisheries, coastal resilience, pollution control, improved water quality and community-based conservation.
The programme is also expected to create greater opportunities for Bahamian scientists, data professionals, environmental specialists and young people seeking careers in marine and climate-related fields.
Prime Minister Davis used the New York address to invite governments, international institutions, investors and development partners to begin discussions with The Bahamas on Article 6 cooperation, scientific partnerships, investment and future purchase arrangements.
“To prospective partner governments: begin substantive Article 6 discussions with us now,” he said.
He also positioned the Bahamian programme as a model that could eventually be adapted by other ocean states across the Caribbean and Pacific.
The Prime Minister said the programme represents a shift in how The Bahamas intends to engage the international climate system.
“For a generation, the world has looked at small islands and seen the first to fall. Look again. We may be the first to lead.”
The Bahamas Blue Carbon Programme now moves through its scientific and technical implementation phase, with findings to be released following completion, review and validation.