Gros Islet, 3 June 2013 – The Government of St. Lucia is set to host the first-ever Caribbean Green Economy Conference this week at the Rex Resorts, where ministers, decision-makers and civil society will explore how to accelerate a region-wide transition to a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
The Caribbean region is under increasing economic and environmental pressure. Since the international financial crisis in 2008, it has experienced rising unemployment and a decline in key economic sectors, such as tourism and agriculture. In addition, the region is also facing escalating costs from environmental degradation, resulting from sea-level rise and unsustainable resource use.
“Moving towards a green economy is important for addressing the critical environmental concerns in the Caribbean, but it is also fundamental for achieving the region’s social and economic aspirations,” said the Hon. James Fletcher, Minister of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science & Technology of Saint Lucia, who is expected to open the conference on June 4.
“The Government of St. Lucia is committed to advancing its own national green economy plans, including investing in key economic sectors and safeguarding its natural resources to improve the livelihoods of its people. It urges fellow Caribbean nations to join this initiative,” he said.
Many Caribbean countries are of small geographical size, with a limited resource-base and economic diversity, which makes them comparatively more vulnerable to unforeseen economic and climatic situations. By adopting a green economy approach, countries can address these development challenges, which are otherwise compromising the social and economic gains they have made in recent years.
“Several countries in the Caribbean are putting in place the policies, laws and practical actions that are paving the way towards a transition to a Green Economy. World Environment Day 2013 is a day to focus efforts in order to evolve a sustainable future, not just for 5 June, but for all the days and decades to come," Achim Steiner, UNEP’s Executive Director and Under-Secretary General of the United Nations.
Under the theme, Green Economy as a Vehicle for Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication in the Caribbean, the conference aims to indentify different tools and approaches that will assist Caribbean nations as they build their green economy strategies, and lay the groundwork for a new region-wide network that will support these national efforts.
The conference is the first event under the Caribbean Green Economy Initiative (CGEI). It is being hosted jointly by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science & Technology of Saint Lucia and UNEP, along with its regional partners CARICOM and the Saint Lucia National Trust, and with financial support from the European Union.
Representatives from at least nine Caribbean countries are expected to attend the meeting. The agenda will cover a range of issues, including: (1) the economic, social and environmental challenges in the Caribbean Region; (2) options and opportunities that the green economy approach offers to address these challenges; (3) green economy experiences from the region and beyond; (4) available tools and approaches to develop national policies, which are based on solid economic and scientific knowledge; (5) capacity building and technical assistance needs in the region to advance mainstreaming of green economy thinking in national planning processes; and, (6) ways and means of strengthening and supporting intra-Caribbean and intra-SIDS cooperation on green economy.
Note to Editors: UNEP, in cooperation with the CARICOM Secretariat and with financial support of the European Union, is supporting the region through the Caribbean Green Economy Initiative (CGEI). The Initiative provides direct technical assistance to three pilot countries and capacity building support to the whole region. The outcomes of the initiative, as well as the experiences and lessons learned during its implementation, should offer ideas and opportunities for scaling up a green economy transition in other countries and regions, especially in the island states of the Pacific, Africa and elsewhere.
More information about CGEI is available under: http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/
For further information, contact:
Nick Nuttall, Director, UNEP Division of Communications and Public Information, Tel. +41 795 965 737 or +254 733 632 7 55, E-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org
