Promoting energy efficiency in government transportation systems: A transition roadmap and criteria for a readiness analysis

The present study explores opportunities and challenges to increase energy efficiency in government vehicle fleets through electrification. It identifies international best practices in relation to fleet electrification, suggests the most suitable comprehensive approach for a fleet transition, and recommends the most immediate actions to deploy. Considering the leading role that the public sector plays in promoting the use of renewable energies and enhancing energy efficiency, the study presents a roadmap for government fleet transitions of vehicles that have equivalent alternatives in the mar…

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.5

Strengthening cooperation between telecommunications operators and national disaster offices in Caribbean countries

In Caribbean countries, modern telecommunications infrastructure is vulnerable to an array of natural disasters, as exemplified by the impacts of Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica, Hurricane Joaquin in the Bahamas, and Hurricane Earl in Belize. At the same time, telecommunications service —especially mobile telephony and data services— can provide invaluable support to disaster management efforts by facilitating communication, coordination, and intelligence collection during emergency situations. Thus, as a matter of public safety, ensuring the resilience of telecommunications infrastructure in…

Assessing opportunities for enhanced integration of the associate members of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

As a preliminary phase of action in response to the ECLAC resolution which calls for greater inclusion of the associate members in the work of the Commission, this study sought to accomplish three outcomes. Firstly, the study explored the common development challenges of the non-sovereign associate members (AMs) of ECLAC which served as impediments to the economic and social development of the AMs, and identified priorities which fostered and advanced their development aspirations. Secondly, in light of the recent incremental changes in the political status that had occurred in many of those t…

Preliminary overview of the economies of the Caribbean 2016-2017

The Preliminary Overview of the Economies of the Caribbean analyzes in its 2016-2017 edition the economic performance of the region throughout 2016, the international context and macroeconomic policies implemented by countries, while also providing an outlook for 2017. The Caribbean recorded economic growth of only 0.8 per cent in 2016 but growth is expected to rebound to 2.4 per cent in 2017. The poor performance observed in 2016 was primarily due to a 3.7 percent contraction in the goods producing economies, which were hard hit by the decline in commodity prices in general and hydrocarbons i…

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.4

Prospects for blockchain-based settlement frameworks as a resolution to the threat of de-risking to Caribbean financial systems

Caribbean countries have been seriously impacted by the trend toward “de-risking” in the global financial system, and this is damaging to their economic security and the ability of Caribbean businesses to innovate. De-risking is the name given to the tendency of banking institutions to turn away from working relationships and lines of business for which the cost of regulatory compliance—and the risk of non-compliance— is deemed to be too high in comparison to the returns. This is a phenomenon that is affecting developing economies around the world, but the small and vulnerable economies of the…

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.3

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.2

The Hummingbird Vol.4 No.1

A framework for Caribbean medium-term development

This paper examines the key elements of a framework for Caribbean growth and development over the medium-term. The paper notes that while the Caribbean has made major adjustments in a challenging global environment, marked by slower demand, it needs to pursue a new sustainable development framework that integrates economic, social and environmental issues in a seamless way.…

Caribbean economies

The Hummingbird Vol.3 No.12

The Hummingbird Vol.3 No.11

The Hummingbird Vol.3 No.10

The Hummingbird Vol.3 No.9

Information and communications technology for people with disabilities

The Hummingbird Vol.3 No.8

The development of population projections for the Turks and Caicos Islands 2012-2027

It is not possible to trace the early demographic development of the Turks and Caicos Islands due to lack of data, but what is evident from the limited historical data is that population developments beginning in 1921 and up to 1970 followed the same path as other Caribbean Islands. The Turks and Caicos Islands have experienced unprecedented population growth over the last twenty years due largely to the immigration of people from neighbouring countries seeking employment created by the development of tourism. Such rapid population changes for the small island group present many social, econo…

The Hummingbird Vol.3 No.7