Environment

Barbados Moving To Reduce Effect Of Plastics On Environment

Barbados is moving full steam ahead to drastically reduce the effect of plastics on the environment, over the next 10 years, through the National Action Plan to End Plastics Pollution, which was launched yesterday at Warrens Tower II.

Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, Adrian Forde, who addressed the launch, gave the assurance that legislation on single-use, petrol based plastics was coming.

He disclosed that approximately “500 tons of single-use plastics are sold every month, and they are distributed not only into our landfills but, unfortunately, across the length and breadth of our country”.

The National Action Plan to End Plastics Pollution incorporates five key policy interventions, which are considered to have maximum impact in the fight against plastics pollution.

These key strategies involve the phasing out of single-use plastic bottles, by integrating the installation of water refill points; gradually eliminating single-use plastic bags; and the removal of other single-use plastic items, such as takeaway food containers, straws, and lids.

They also include the implementation of ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’, which will drive source separation when national recycling is started, and the use of downstream measures, such as enhanced on-the-go and bulk waste collections, together with improved enforcement against illegal dumping and littering.

In the environmental, health battle against plastics, Minister Forde also encouraged “a sense of ownership of our country to ensure that we do the right thing for other generations to come”. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, and Executive Director of Common Seas, Dr. Charlotte Davies looking over the National Action Plan to End Plastics Pollution, during its launch at Warrens Tower II while Permanent Secretary, Ministry Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Yolande Howard and Waste Management Coordinator Project Management Coordination Unit, Thora Lorde, look on

Environment

MESSAGE FOR WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY JUNE 5

FROM THE HON. ADRIAN FORDE, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT & NATIONAL BEAUTIFICATION GREEN AND BLUE ECONOMY

Environment

New Model & Innovative Solutions Needed

New paradigms and innovative solutions are required to chart a resilient and sustainable energy future for small island developing states (SIDS).

Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, expressed this view today, as she addressed the SIDS Ministerial, being held in the margins of the 14th Session of the IRENA Assembly, in Abu Dhabi. Barbados was appointed as Chair of the SIDS Ministerial.

Senator Cummins stated that SIDS’ commitment to accelerating energy transitions had been heavily focused on the electricity sector. “But resilience and sustainable development demand that we agitate for the decarbonisation of the transportation and other end-use sectors….

“We cannot rely on the same systems and methodologies if we are to chart a resilient and sustainable energy future for SIDS. New paradigms and innovative solutions are required, or we will reach so far and no further,” she indicated.

Pointing to the Bridgetown Initiative, which addresses financing for climate resilience, the Minister explained that among other things, is designed to reform the way rich countries finance poor countries in a climate crisis by preventing spiralling debt crises from successive natural disasters such as droughts, floods and hurricanes.

“Targeted solutions comprising modern flexible policy, regulatory and legislative systems, which are responsive to technological advancements as well as bespoke financial models, are a necessity. Technical assistance, knowledge transfer, and capacity-building of our human resources need to be the nucleus of the transformation. The continuous development of these systems is vital to facilitate SIDS’ access to appropriate financing for the implementation of renewable energy projects,” Senator Cummins said.

She pointed out that this would assist SIDS in better managing their high debt profiles and channel investments to modernising archaic infrastructure, to facilitate the on boarding of renewable energy and innovative solutions, such as storage onto electricity grids, without compromising stability and reliability.

The Minister said the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative provides a partnership framework that facilitates support to accelerate decarbonisation in small island developing states and the strengthening of climate resilience.

She highlighted the success of the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative but stressed it was not the time for nostalgia or to rest on our laurels. She proffered the view that it is time to reaffirm their commitment and reassess strategies because “much remains to be done”.

Senator Cummins continued: “As SIDS, it is imperative that we lead globally and use our collective voices to champion the energy transition and climate action.” (PR/GIS)

CAPTION: Barbados’ Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, in discussion with Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Francesco La Camera, at the SIDS Ministerial, which was held on the margins 14th Session of the IRENA Assembly, in Abu Dhabi

Environment

Renewable Energy Skills Council On The Cards

A Renewable Energy Sector Skills Council is coming says Minister of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, Colin Jordan.

This was disclosed last Friday by Minister Jordan as he delivered remarks at the closing ceremony of the National Symposium on Just Transition and Job Creation in the Green and Blue Economy, at Hilton Barbados, Needhams Point, St. Michael.

Reiterating Government’s commitment to making the outcomes of the symposium a reality, he said: “We will be in our own Ministry, working on the activation of a National Skills Council, a Renewable Energy Sector Skills Council. Skills councils are used all over the world as a mechanism to bring the public, well all the sectors together, public, private and third sector, so that we can work collaboratively in order to make sure that as a country, we are positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead of us. And so, we’ve engaged many of our stakeholders.”

Mr. Jordan also disclosed that the next step would be to take to Cabinet the paper that will give his Ministry official approval to set up the Renewable Energy Sector Skills Council.

Noting when this is done, the work would be started, the Minister said: “All that we do is tripartite; the Social Partners are here; the Social Partners will be integral to that Skills Council, and we will use that as one of the tangible next steps to make real this Just Transition that we’ve spent so much time talking about.”

Local, regional, and international partners further heard that the Labour Ministry would be placing emphasis on the necessary research and analysis to ensure there is progress, in terms of the next steps.

Mr. Jordan also acknowledged the contributions of the Inter-American Development Bank, the CARICOM Secretariat, the UNDP, the United Nations Environmental Program and the Governments of Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and Mauritius.

And, he remarked: “That approach, that amalgam of stakeholders says to us very clearly that even at the local level, we are addressing a global challenge.” (PR/GIS)