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‘Enough talking; we need action now’ — Mottley tells CARICOM Energy Conference
“…we recognise that Caribbean SIDS, are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and other external economic shocks, including fuel price variability. Reducing reliance on fossil fuels in the islands is therefore not just about reducing carbon emissions but also, about economic resilience,” Canadian High Commissioner
Kaieteur News – Leaders and technical experts across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have collectively reiterated their lamentations regarding the repeated failure and wavering international financial commitments to the mitigation and adaptation strategies, which the world must adopt in order to stem the effects of Climate Change.
Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley
These were among the sentiments expressed when the Seventh Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum (CSEF) – hosted by the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) – kicked off yesterday, in seeking to address the most pressing sustainable energy challenges and opportunities facing the region.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening of the confab, Barbados’ Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerrie Symmonds used the occasion to remind that failed financial commitments on the part of those in the developed world is compounded by, “our geographical predisposition of being exposed to sudden and disastrous exogenous shocks.”
This, Symmonds said, “places us all on the front line in the fight against climate change.”
To this end, he was adamant, that sustainable development – whether alternative or renewable energy – must be at the forefront of transforming our regional economies.
The forum falls within the annual observance of CARICOM Energy Month, which this year is being held under the theme, “From Dependence to Resilience: Fuelling our Recovery with Sustainable Energy.”
The hybrid Forum is being held after it was deferred last year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and comes on the heels of the just-concluded United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26).
Venued at the Hilton Barbados Resort and streamed globally, the Forum boasted the presence and participation of key regional actors within the energy sector including Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, who in her remarks to the opening admonished, “it is enough talking; we need action now.” She noted, too, that sustainable energy is a key element of the energy transition.
During the activity, Minister Symmonds also used the occasion to highlight Barbados’ commitment to all regional cooperation, intended to wean the region away from an unhealthy dependence on fossil fuels, through support for regional organisations, including hosting CCREEE.
Further recognising the role regional integration plays in advancing the sustainable energy agenda and in building resilience, newly appointed Deputy Secretary General of CARICOM, Dr. Armstrong Alexis, noted that CSEF’s actualization is a lesson in resilience.
“Disruptions serve as reminders of the challenges CARICOM countries continue to face which often stymie progress and expose us to external shocks.”
Ambassador of the European Union to Barbados, the OECS and CARICOM, Malgorzata Wasilewska, echoed sentiments by Prime Minister Mottley, on the need for action and remarked, “I wish that your discussions at this Forum become actions, as soon as possible; we [EU] will do everything in our power to accompany you on that front.”
Canada’s High Commissioner to Barbados and the OECS, Lilian Chatterjee, also present for the confab, expressed her pleasure at being able to partner in this event and to assist CARICOM Member States with the transition to energy independence.
She said, “…we recognise that Caribbean SIDS, are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and other external economic shocks, including fuel price variability. Reducing reliance on fossil fuels in the islands is, therefore, not just about reducing carbon emissions, but also about economic resilience.”
Other notable live and virtual guests included Dr. Gary Jackson, Executive Director of the CCREEE and Dr. Devon Gardner, Head of the Energy Unit, CARICOM Secretariat.
The three-day Forum concluded today with sessions focused on building an enabling environment, enabling implementation, and assessing the energy profiles of CARICOM Member States.
CARICOM Energy Month events and activities continue throughout the remaining days of November.
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