Sustainable energy for all in the Caribbean

Identification of mechanisms for financing of energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives to increase investment in Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia is highly dependent on imported fossil fuels for energy production, which makes the country vulnerable to price volatility and supply shortages. Also, it is well known that the initial cost of investing in renewable technologies can be prohibitive so there is a need to find ways to avert and/or reduce these costs to consumers. In addition, Saint Lucia has substantial natural energy resources with a high potential in geothermal as a reliable energy source, and a smaller scale with solar, wind and hydro power. However, renewable energy contributes less than 1 per cent to the country’…

Identification of mechanisms for financing of energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives to increase investment in the Commonwealth of Dominica

This document identifies mechanisms for financing investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives in the Commonwealth of Dominica. The overall objective of this study is to examine financing opportunities which will provide greater incentives for the development of energy efficiency measures and implementation of renewable energy technologies.…

Energy efficiency policies in the Caribbean: a manual to guide the discussion

This paper was prepared to guide the first session of the training workshop Introduction to Financial Feasibility Assessment of EE and RE Projects in the Caribbean. It explores two potential reasons that might be hindering the adoption of energy efficiency policies in the Caribbean. The first reason is related to the availability of primary infrastructure. Countries with deficits on their primary infrastructure might not consider energy efficiency policies as a priority for a national discussion. The second reason is debt overhang. In this type of scenario, countries might be dissuaded to cond…

Barriers to identification and implementation of energy efficiency mechanisms and enhancing renewable energy technologies in the Caribbean

The objective of this study is to research barriers to the identification and implementation of mechanisms for enhancing energy efficiency and investment in renewable energy in the Caribbean. Specifically the study aims to provide an assessment of the region’s status with respect to energy efficiency and renewable energy and to identify mechanisms for the enhancement of energy initiatives.…

The Hummingbird Vol. 3 No. 4

The Hummingbird Vol. 3 No. 1

Water resource management climate change and sustainable development in the Caribbean

The Hummingbird Vol. 2 No. 12

The Caribbean and the post-2015 development agenda

This paper will contend that the post-2015 development agenda presents a major opportunity for Caribbean countries to reverse decades of lagging economic performance and make the transition to balanced, holistic, and people-centred growth and development. The MDGs, while valuable in promoting gains in poverty reduction, health, education, nutrition, and maternal well-being were not tailored to the growth and development needs of the region. This can now be changed by a post-2015 development agenda which goes beyond improving the welfare of citizens by meeting basic needs and enhancing access t…

The Hummingbird Vol.2 No.9

A new era in Caribbean telecommunications

The Hummingbird Vol.2 No.8

An assessment of mechanisms to improve energy efficiency in the transport sector in Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Like many other Caribbean countries, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are almost entirely dependent on imported petroleum as their primary source of energy. In this regard, many countries in the subregion have taken a strategic approach to long-term planning in the energy sector towards creating higher levels of efficiency on both the demand and supply sides as well as promoting diversification in the energy mix. Within this context, this study was conducted to present mechanisms to improve energy efficiency (EE) in the transport sector in Grenada, Saint Lucia and Sain…

The Hummingbird Vol.1 No.10

Strategies to overcome barriers to the implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy in the Caribbean

Small island developing States (SIDS) are a special case in terms of environmental conservation and development. Many international meetings and conferences assisted SIDS in achieving the much needed recognition of their special circumstances and the severe challenges they face. In 1994, the United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Development of SIDS resulted in the formulation of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPoA) which encompassed specific policies, actions and measures required at the national, regional and international levels over the short, medium and long term to address th…

The case of Small Island Developing States of the Caribbean: the challenge of building resilience

An assessment of fiscal and regulatory barriers to deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in Guyana

Guyana, like many CARICOM countries continues to depend on imported oil that fuels the electricity and transport sectors. Simultaneously, the high level of expenditure on oil reduces the financial resources available to invest in social development, environmental protection, adaptation to climate change and improving food security. The electricity sector in Guyana, in particular, offers significant opportunities for achieving reductions in fossil imports. However, fiscal and regulatory barriers to energy efficiency and renewable energy use are apparent in Guyana. This document seeks to identif…

Progress in implementation of the Mauritius Strategy: Caribbean Regional Synthesis Report

The Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was held in Bridgetown, Barbados, from the 25 April – 6 May 1994. This culminated in the Declaration of Barbados and the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. Ten years later an International Meeting to Review Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States was held in Port Louis, Mauritius, from 10–14 January 2005. This international meeting, in turn, resulted in the Mauritius Declaration and …

Caribbean forum: Shaping a sustainable development agenda to address the Caribbean reality in the twenty-first century

Twelve years into the 21st Century, Caribbean countries continue to face considerable challenges on their path towards sustainable development and the creation of a post-2015 agenda. These include redefining their niche in the global market place in line with significant shifts in global production systems and trade, recovering from burdensome fiscal deficits and coping with climate change and the negative effects of more frequent natural disasters. In some countries poverty levels are increasing after years of decline. Most have defined a vision for development into the next 20 years, but in …