Policies, Challenges and Opportunities for Advancing the Transition to a Small State Green Economy: THE BARBADOS MODEL

Transcription

1 Policies, Challenges and Opportunities for Advancing the Transition to a Small State Green Economy: THE BARBADOS MODEL Travis A. Sinckler Senior Environmental Officer Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage. Government of Barbados July 28, 2010

2 CONCEPT

3 Green Economy- The Concept A Green Economy can be defined as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. UNEP, 2010.

4 Green Economy- Characteristics substantially increased investments in economic sectors that build on and enhance the earth s natural capital or reduce the ecological scarcities and risks.. UNEP, 2010

5 Green Economy- Characteristics Renewable Energy Low-Carbon Transport Energy Efficient Buildings Clean technologies Improved Waste Management Improved Fresh Water Provision Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable Forestry Sustainable Fisheries Sustainable Tourism

6 Greening the Economy Requires the reconfiguring of business and infrastructure to deliver better returns on natural, human and economic capital investments, while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions, extracting and using less natural resources, creating less waste and reducing social disparities. UNEP, 2010.

7 BARBADOS CASE

8 Sustainable Development Challenges- Examples Environmental and Economic Vulnerability Domestic Markets Competitiveness Limited resources Conservative entrepreneurial culture Climate Change

9 Green Economy: Barbados working definition An integrated production, distribution, consumption and waste assimilation system that, at its core, reflects the fragility of our small island ecosystems as the basis for natural resource protection policy intervention, business and investment choice, human development programming, and, the facilitation of export market development strategies. Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage. February 2010

10 Green Economy- Macro Policy Milestones in Barbados Barbados Sustainable Development Policy Physical Development Plan (Amended) 2003 National Strategic Plan Throne Speech Medium Term Development Strategy

11 Green Economy- Ongoing Policy Interventions in Barbados Draft Energy Policy and Sustainable Energy Framework Draft Sustainable Agricultural Policy Framework Draft Sustainable Tourism Development Policy Solar Water Heater Fiscal regime

12 Green Economy- Public Investments in Barbados (1) Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme-Coastal Infrastructure Programme- US$20m and Coastal Risk Assessment programme- US$30m Harrison s Cave Integrated Development Programme US$25m: Nature Tourism Development, Site Design, Community Engagement, Low Carbon Transport Design, Clean technology Applications)

13 Harrison s Cave and Low Carbon Technology Development and Deployment

14 Green Economy- Public Investments in Barbados (2) Water and Sanitation Upgrade Project-IADB (Institutional Strengthening, Waste Water Management and technology Upgrade, Mains replacement) Integrated Solid Waste Management Programme (Solid Waste Management Centre, Leachate Treatment Facility, Transfer Station, Composting Facility, Waste to Energy Project)

15 Green Economy- Institutional Interventions Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage National Committee on Trade and Environment Barbados Sustainable Finance group National Climate Change Steering Committee Green Economic Technical Steering Committee- UNEP Green Economy Scoping Study

16 Green Economy- Financial and Economic Policies 2007 Physical Limits to Growth Environment- Economy Interrelationships Scope for efficiencies via sectoral synergies Scope for Trade Competitiveness Recognition of Existing measures

17 Green Economy- Financial and Economic Policies 2007 Resource Efficiency- Water, Energy and Waste Greening of Government- Procurement guidelines Tourism- Certification and Strengthen Agro-Tourism Linkages Manufacturing and Clean Energy Investments- RET deployment, Green Businesses

18 Green Economy- Financial and Economic Policies 2007 Investment Promotion Strategies Government funded Venture capital facilities Retail Sector- Green Products via lower tax regime Sustainable Building and Construction, Green Suburban Centre and Green Home Certification Transport- Alternative Fuels and Capacity development, Lower Emitting Vehicles

19 Green Economy- Financial and Economic Policies- Status Public Sector Initiatives in Renewable Energy and Energy efficiency Local Green Business Certification Programme Environmental and Social Risk Analysis Training for Risk Managers Public Awareness- Living Sustainably Campaign Community Scale Green Economic - Bottom Up approaches Political Commitment Remains High Economic Reality

20 Community Scale Green Economic Initiatives

21 Community Scale Green Economic Initiatives (2)

22 Community Scale Green Economic Initiatives (3)

23 Green Economy- Implementation Challenges Taking Stock- Policy Assessment/ CBA/ Incentives Analysis Capacity Needs Analysis within Government and the Private Sector Further Mainstreaming Environmental Sustainability in Development Policy and Public Sector Sensitization Accounting for our Ecological Assets Education and Public Sensitization Metrics Alleyne, Y. 2008

24 OPPORTUNITIES

25 Green Economy- Opportunities for Further Intervention to Support the Transition in Barbados (1) National Capacity Self Assessment and Educational Policy Intervention- Horizontal and Vertical Take Stock of our Intellectual Assets, Seeding R&D, and Re-engineering our Investment Strategy Strengthen our Legislative and Regulatory Framework Institute a Resource Efficiency Programme for SMEs and Clean Technology deployment New financial products Locally-Driven Economic Development Programmes Government Procurement Policy- Housing and Products

26 Housing Procurement Policy- Solar House Demonstration Initiative

27 Green Economy- Opportunities for Further Intervention to Support the Transition in Barbados (2) Multistakeholder Partnerships- Local, Regional and International Policy harmonization and the National Commission on Sustainable Development Embedding Green Economic Indicators in the Social and Economic Reporting Processes Dynamic Public Education Campaigns and Aligning the National Environmental Education Strategy Design- Education, Dialogue, Investment Competition Educational Policy Intervention- Horizontal and Vertical

28 LESSONS FOR SMALL STATES

29 Green Economic Transitioning and Lessons for Small States Efficiency must be the hallmark- systems, processes and resource use Trade and Investment Policies as point for intervention Capturing and Utilizing our Intellectual Property as the basis for Small State Horizontal Cooperation Government Procurement Policies Multi Stakeholder Governance Mechanisms and New Institutional Models 10-Year Framework of Programmes to Support Sustainable Consumption and Production

30 Scope for Commonwealth Intervention Capacity- Numbers Game Research and Analysis- Trade and Climate Change, Pension Funds, Clean Technologies Deployment Enablers, Education- Scholarship and Professional Training Applied Sciences; Business Curricula Horizontal Cooperation Programmes- National, Regional and Global as Means of Moving Best practices from Paper to Reality SME Resource Efficiency Knowledge Platform Network of Green Economic Demonstration projects

31 THANK YOU Travis Sinckler Senior Environmental Officer Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage Government of Barbados