A multi-million dollar initiative designed to close the institutional and technical capacity gaps that are slowing the Caribbean’s energy transition is to be launched here on Wednesday.
The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) say they will launch the Accelerated Sustainable Energy and Resilience Transition 2030 (ASERT 2030) Regional Capacity Strengthening Asertive (RCSA) programme, valued at approximately US$5.29 million, comprising US$4.4 million from the CDB and US$893,397 from the CCREEE.
The two regional organisations say the programme comes at a time when renewable energy accounts for only 12 per cent of the Caribbean energy mix and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets are slipping further out of reach.
“It will strengthen energy information and decision-support systems, advance resource and resilience planning to guide climate-resilient investments, promote gender equality, as well as support regional coordination and knowledge sharing. ”
CDB said it will provide technical guidance through its ASERT 2030 Framework, while CCREEE will lead the implementation, drawing on its regional mandate and stewardship of platforms including the CARICOM Energy Knowledge Hub, Energy Report Cards and the Women in Renewable Energy (WIRE) Fellowship programme.
Canada’s High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Brenda Wills, as well as Tom Coward, Development Director for the Caribbean, United Kingdom, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and David Mogollon, Head of Cooperation for the European Union (EU) Delegation to Barbados, Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS, CARICOM and CARIFORUM, will address the launch. (CMC)