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Minister of the Environment and Drainage, Denis Lowe (second from left) and the members of the??UNEP delegation to Barbados. (l-r) Fiscal Policy Specialist, Ben Jones; Agriculture Economist,??Jyotsna Puri; and Engineer, Jaime Severino. The delegation will be in Barbados November 28 – 30 to complete the internal review and stakeholder processes of the GESS. |
The Green Economy Scoping Study (GESS) being undertaken by the Government of Barbados and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is moving in the right direction.?? Moreover, Barbados is being seen as a "giant among giants" as the world moves towards more sustainable economies.
This point was underscored during a courtesy call today on Minister of Environment and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe, by the delegates of the UNEP at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. They are currently on a mission to Barbados to complete the internal review and stakeholder processes of the GESS.
Dr. Lowe told the delegates that although Barbados was a developing small island state, its commitment to the transition to a sustainable economy was "unquestionable". "We have really dug in to make sure we get maximum results from this effort," he said.
Dr. Lowe mentioned Barbados’ leading role in solar energy and posited that the fields of science and technology were the way forward. Managing waste and increasing the production of energy to sustain households were just some of the viable alternatives the Environment Minister observed could impact economic development. He stressed that dependence on landfills must be reduced to minimise the negative effects of greenhouse gases. ??
"It is not enough to acknowledge the world is at risk. ??It is not a crisis of resources or ideas, but of conviction," Dr. Lowe continued.?? He noted that Barbados had the capacity "in unique ways", considering that "small states think first of our people", while bigger states think of their economies first.
Agriculture Economist with the delegation, Jyotsna Puri, explained that because Barbados was a world leader in the transition to a Green Economy, the island’s support in UNEP’s discussions with other Eastern Caribbean islands would be substantial. ?????????????? ??
She said that the final report of the GESS was due in February 2012. The aim of the study was to contribute a better understanding of how government policies and public and private investment could help achieve the fundamental macroeconomic objectives of income growth, economic development and job creation, while simultaneously contributing to social equity and environmental improvement.
The delegation also included Engineer, Jaime Severino from the UNEP Green Economy Team, as well as Consultant to the United Kingdom Government, Fiscal Policy Specialist, Ben Jones.