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Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart

A number of important social and environmental issues, among other matters, will be up for discussion come Wednesday, March 28, when the Caribbean Green Economy Forum gets under way.

On this occasion officials from the University of the West Indies (UWI) will hand over the findings of the Green Economy Scoping Study (GESS) to Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, at the Almond Beach Village, Heywoods, St. Peter, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The forum, hosted by the government of Barbados and the UWI, in association with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is expected to address the issue of Creating a Sustainable Livelihood for Small Scale Fishers, as it relates to the role of good governance, ecosystem protection and clean technologies.

It will also look at Greening Tropical Urban Environments through the utilisation of social housing policies, Caribbean raw materials and smart technologies to build healthy and safe communities.

However, issues related to climate change, and challenges and opportunities for building a green brand will also be up for discussion under the topic Building a Climate Resilient and Resource-Efficient Tourism Product.

Delegates are also expected to address the issue of creating sustainable agro-tourism linkages in a small open economy during the two-day conference.

But, while it is important to discuss the way forward towards achieving a green economy, it is just as important to have the necessary enabling mechanisms to advance the process.

As a result, the conference will also examine financial requirements for establishing a green economy, access to and transfer of clean technology, education, training and standards and regulations.

The GESS was conducted to analyse the opportunities and challenges of a green economy with specific focus on the areas of tourism agriculture, transport and housing/buildings.

It was also aimed at evaluating trends, patterns and gaps in green investments, covering public spending and private investment in terms of Gross Domestic Product; and developing recommendations on key enabling conditions and related policy reforms in order to support and facilitate green investments.

julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb

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