James Fletcher served as Saint Lucia’s Minister for the Public Service, Information, Broadcasting, Sustainable Development, Energy, Science, and Technology from 2011 to 2016. During this period, he played an important role in coordinating the Caribbean’s 1.5-to-Stay-Alive civil society climate change campaign and he led the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) delegation at the Paris Climate Change conference, COP 21 in December 2015. As a member of a select group of ministers appointed by the COP 21 President, he played an important role in the negotiations that led to the adoption of the historic Paris Agreement. In recognition of his work, James Fletcher was featured in ‘Profiles of Paris’ (www.profilesofparis.com) as one of the key contributors to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Throughout his tenure as a minister, James Fletcher spearheaded an aggressive modernization of Saint Lucia's energy sector, with changes to the legislation to allow for competition in the generation of electricity from renewable sources and the establishment of a modern, multi-sector regulator. His ministerial accomplishments also included the establishment of modern information technology centers in several underserved communities, the implementation of an island-wide free Wi-Fi program, the development of a 311-call center to improve access to public service information, and the establishment of an Employee Assistance Programme to provide confidential counseling to public officers.
James Fletcher is the author of ‘Governing in a Small Caribbean Island State’, and he contributed the chapter ‘The Fight for Small Island Developing States’ in the Cambridge University Press publication ‘Negotiating the Paris Agreement: The Insider Stories’. He also curated, edited and produced ‘Where is the Justice? An Anthology of Caribbean Youth Perspectives on the Climate Crisis’ and authored the ‘Regional Strategic Action Plan for Governance and Building Climate Resilience in the Water Sector in the Caribbean’. Most recently, he conceptualized and published ‘Climate Tipping Point’, a graphic novel series aimed at educating young people about the impacts and dangers of the climate crisis.
In 2019, his outstanding work was recognized by the United Kingdom’s Chevening Scholarship Program, which honored him as one of 35 Global Changemakers (www.35.chevening.org).
In 2007, James Fletcher established his consulting firm, SOLORICON. In 2020, he launched The Caribbean Climate Justice Project (www.caribbeanclimatejustice.org), which seeks to enhance awareness and expand advocacy within civil society for a just response to the climate crisis. In 2024, he founded Youth IRIE – Innovators for Renewable and Inclusive Energy (www.youthirie.org), to increase the participation and engagement of Caribbean youth in the region’s transition to renewable energy.
He served as the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) from 2022 to 2025. In November 2024 he was elected as one of the five Expert/Non-State Actor Members on the Council of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) for the 2025-2026 term. In January 2025 he was appointed to the newly created position of CARICOM Climate Envoy.
James Fletcher holds a Ph.D. in Crop Physiology from the University of Cambridge (1991) and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa (1986). He has previously served as a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and in the Office of the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary in the Government of Saint Lucia, and the Director of Social and Sustainable Development in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
