Dr. Samuel Joseph, Montserrat’s Minister of Communications, Works, Labour, and Energy is part of a panel discussing the enabling environment for making Small Island Developing States (SIDS) ready for energy transition, in Barbados today.
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is hosting Caribbean leaders and energy experts for a three-day conference which runs until June 1 at Hilton, Barbados. IRENA – Caribbean Cooperation for Fostering Energy Transition Investments and Finance has a main objective of assisting stakeholders in the Caribbean region towards accelerating energy transition investments, moving beyond pledges to action and closing the financing gap.
While Montserrat is ineligible to be a member of IRENA because of its British Overseas Territory status it dues benefit from technical support in its drive to become 100% renewable energy sufficient by 2030.
Minister Joseph is attending the conference along with Oswen Carty, Energy Officer in MCWLE’s Energy Department.
Presenting during Day 1’s second session, Minister’s Joseph’s panel will be moderated by Joseph Williams, Coordinator Sustainable Energy at the Caribbean Development Bank.
Creating Enabling Frameworks Conducive to Energy Transition Investments in Caribbean SIDS is the topic. The session seeks to understand the status of the policy and legislative frameworks which mobilise and attract different types of investments in Caribbean SIDS. It will also touch on complementary programmes within the Caribbean community with a purpose of optimizing enabling frameworks to increase investment and financing opportunities.
Other panelists are:
- Grenada’s Minister of Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy, Kerryne James
- USAID/RTI International, Mr Gerald Lindo, Deputy Chief of Party
- HDF Energy Caribbean Holdings Ltd, Mr Aidan Rogers, Strategic Advisor Eastern Caribbean
- Islands Policy Lab, Biden School of Public Policy, University of Delaware, Dr. Kalim Shah, Professor and Director
- Inter-American Development Bank – Mr Carlos Bladimir Echeverria, Senior Energy Specialist
- CCREEE – Dr Devon Gardner, Head of Technical Programmes
The questions to be answered by the energy minister are:
On the adequacy of the enabling framework for the energy transition (policies, legislation, regulations, institutional, and administrative aspects) in Montserrat.
Is the framework adequate/robust to encourage the necessary investment to meet the set energy transition (ET) targets?
If not, what are key needs to be addressed, and what are the steps that Government is taking to this end?
How can partners CDB/IDB, CCREEE, IRENA, RTI, etc, assist?
The conference is a collaboration between the Government of Barbados and IRENA, through the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative, in partnership with the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE).
Watch the Day 1 presentations here ->
