Amid Global Uncertainties, Barbados Plots a Greener Future

When it comes to developing a "green economy", Barbados is leading its English-speaking Caribbean neighbors.Last week, the government unveiled a Green Economy Scoping Study (GESS) outlining sectors on which the island, which depends heavily on tourism for foreign exchange, should focus as it builds its green economy.

"Given the importance of these sectors and the already existing legislation that supports behavioral change, it is likely that there could be spill-over effects to other sectors in the economy," the report noted.

The document presented to Prime Minister Freundel Stuart by the deputy principal of the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Eudine Barriteau, notes there are "tremendous opportunities" for greening agriculture, fisheries, building/housing, transportation and tourism.

"It will also be necessary to develop the supporting enabling conditions to facilitate the transition in the areas of financing, development access and transfer of clean technology, trade tariffs and investment, taxation, incentives and fiscal reform, education, training and capacity enhancement, standards and regulation, and government procurement," it says.

The launch of the GESS comes mere months after the island launched a Coastal Risk Assessment and Management Program (CRMP) - another first for the region - which Stuart said would deliver a comprehensive evaluation of the risks and vulnerabilities of Barbados to sea level related hazards such as storm surges and tsunamis.

Stuart said that the Caribbean needs a fresh model for development and a green economy is the best way forward, even as he lamented that the prevailing global financial and environmental crises pose severe challenges for small island developing states.

He said this raises serious questions about existing models of development and he challenged the Caribbean to pursue a resource-efficient green economy as a pathway to sustainable development.

The Barbados prime minister said as the region prepares for the major sustainable development conference in June known as Rio+20 and, more importantly, as the world searches for new approaches for achieving sustainability, the adoption of green economic policies presents an integrated approach for pursuing Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).