Destinations known | Government payouts, meant to address climate change given to a hotel, chocolate and gelato stores, and even a coal-fired power plant
- The US government claimed a US$19.5 million loan to the Habitation Jouissant hotel, in Haiti, was part of its pledge to help fight climate change
- Such investments suggest that our impending doom is still not being taken completely seriously by the world’s wealthiest governments
Habitation Jouissant is, by most accounts, a perfectly pleasant hotel.
Built on a hillside, it offers views over the North Atlantic and the city of Cap-Haitien, and TripAdvisor ranks as No 1 of 15 hotels in the city, on Haiti’s north coast.
“The staff are professional and hospitable, the view is amazing, and the food is great,” reads the most recent TripAdvisor review, posted in January 2019. “It’s not too far from the hotspots in town but is also pretty quiet if you just want to relax.”
Lovely; and nothing one reads about Habitation Jouissant, a property that is being redeveloped as a Courtyard by Marriott hotel, suggests it is in imminent danger from climate change. It is high enough not to be threatened by rises in sea level or flooding, and has suffered no storm damage to date. However, the United States government appears concerned.
In 2019, according to a recent investigation by Reuters (“Rich nations say they’re spending billions to fight climate change. Some money is going to strange places”), the US agreed to lend US$19.5 million to the owners of Habitation Jouissant for improvements – extra rooms, an infinity pool, a rooftop restaurant, upgraded gym facilities, that sort of thing.
