OECS Solar Dialogue highlights importance of decentralised renewable energy to reach climate goals in Eastern Caribbean
“The high solar potential within Eastern Caribbean States offers clear and present opportunities for integration into the power, heating and cooling sectors.“
Devon Gardner, Programme Manager, Energy Unit , CARICOM Secretariat
(Alliance for Rural Electrification Press Release) The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Eastern Caribbean Solar Challenge, and the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) organised the dialogue on Advancing Policy & Mobilising Investment: The Eastern Caribbean Solar Challenge which took place virtually on 2 September 2021.
The event was supported by the Caribbean NDC Finance Initiative (NDCFI), the GIZ, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and GET.invest, a European programme that mobilises investments in decentralised renewable energy (DRE), supported by the European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria.
The event attracted over 400 registrations from the private and public sector including technology providers, project developers, philanthropies, investors, international funding partners and policymakers. Industry experts brought deep insights on the role of DRE in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Eastern Caribbean, as well as on the enabling environment for DRE solutions to thrive in the region.
The dialogue demonstrated that DRE technologies were fundamental in harnessing the vast renewable energy potential, delivering vast socio-economic benefits and increasing energy autonomy and diversification in the Eastern Caribbean, thereby reducing energy prices and dependency on fossil fuels. DRE solutions are also key to support regional governments achieve their climate change ambitions and boost their resilience against extreme weather events.
Bogdan Stefanescu, Team Leader of Delegation of the European Union to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM stated that: “Our engagement with the region has shown that clean renewable energy, under its many forms, is a priority for both the Caribbean and the European Union. Thus, we will be happy to engage in discussions under our Green Deal Partnership – to find areas, means and instruments to further collaborating in reaching, and going beyond the energy objectives set by the Paris Agreement.”
Read more at: Alliance for Rural Electrification
Source: CARICOM TODAY