Keynote Address by The Hon. Robert Pickersgill, MP Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change on the occasion of the Caribbean Conference on the Green Economy The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, February 23, 2015 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Salutations As you begin your deliberations over the next three days at this Regional Conference on the Green Economy, some fundamental questions may arise such as - What does a green economy look like?, What are the critical elements necessary for a country to transition towards a green economy? and How can CARICOM foster and advance this thrust towards the greening of our respective economies for the benefit of all stakeholders?. If any or all of these questions are answered during this Conference, then the region would have taken an important step towards achieving the triple bottom line, that is, advancing and sustaining economic, environmental and social well-being. The green economy concept evidently has much in common with the notion of sustainable development albeit with a focus primarily on the environmental and economic aspects. This Regional Conference therefore provides an appropriate platform for the sharing of expertise and information and the building of new networks and the strengthening of 1
existing ones to allow the region, and individual CARICOM Member States, to take that all important step. The time is now and the place is here let us seize the opportunity. The notion of the green economy embodies key concepts such as low carbon development, resource efficiency and social justice and equity. These are concepts which are imperative to addressing issues related to poverty eradication and long-term sustainability. Indeed, the transformation to a green economy demands new approaches to the development of fiscal and policy tools to facilitate the creation of incentives for accelerated green growth. It is also important the green business opportunities available within individual countries and the wider region are continuously promoted within the international markets to foster greater green investments. Within CARICOM, we are not at a loss for examples of best practices undertaken by governments and sectors in the transition towards a green economy. In this regard, I applaud the strides made by the governments of Barbados, Dominica, Grenada and Guyana, to name a few in pursuing low carbon development strategies. Jamaica s National Development Plan Vision 2030 Jamaica recognizes the importance of the integration of environmental considerations into the socio-economic decision-making process as a critical element towards the country s transition towards a green economy. As one of three pilot countries under the UNEP-EU regional project Advancing Caribbean States Sustainable Development through Green Economy, Jamaica has undertaken several activities, including the preparation of a Green Economy Scoping study which focused on six (6) key economic sectors, namely agriculture, water, tourism, energy, health and construction. Also under the Project, we have sought to engage the media to assist in raising public awareness and facilitate greater dissemination of information on issues related to the green economy. Indeed, effecting change from the business-as-usual scenario towards one that promotes green growth requires the engagement of all sectors, including policymakers, businesses and individual citizens. This in turn implies the need for information to guide and inform 2
decision-making. In addition, we have had consultative sessions with representatives of the local private sector on the issue of the green economy with a focus on increased investments in green initiatives and green businesses to foster economic growth and development. Indeed, I have been advised that representatives from the local private sector groupings are participating in this Conference. This I believe is recognition by the sector of the key role that they will be required to play in the country s transition towards a green economy. Jamaica has made significant inroads in the area of low carbon development by, inter alia, increasing the percentage of renewable energy sources of the total energy mix as well as instituting several energy efficiency programmes. Our latest figures are that 9.7% of all of Jamaica s energy consumption including electricity, transportation fuels, and other forms comes from renewable sources, and that number is increasing. To date, 5.7% of electricity generation comes from renewable sources. Ground has been broken on new facilities that will more than double Jamaica s renewable electricity generation capacity in the next few years, and the country is working towards 20% renewables by the year 2030. These targets are supported by the tenets outlined in the National Energy Policy. Growth in the renewable energy sector will have win-win effects in climate change mitigation, reduced air pollution and increase in employment opportunities. In relation to climate change, the Cabinet recently approved the Climate Change Policy Framework which will be tabled in Parliament shortly as a White Paper. It should be noted that Actions Plans for key economic sectors, including energy and transportation, will be developed in the 2015/16FY and these will give full consideration to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Implementation of the GE Project in Jamaica has benefitted tremendously from the technical support provided by the University of the West Indies (Mona). Academia and civil society will play a key role in further developing the knowledge base on the green economy. Also, we look to the region s research institutions as well as the Green Economy Policy Advisory Group to continue to contribute to the identification and development of policies and technological innovations best suited to the Caribbean 3
situation in order to grow our economies while at the same time reducing environmental risks and ensuring social-well being. The concept of the green economy is reflected in several global sustainable development documents, including The Future We Want and more recently, the SAMOA (SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action) Pathway, the outcome document of The Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It should be noted that the 53 rd Special Session of the Council for Trade and Economic Development {COTED) has approved the preparation of a CARICOM Green Economy Framework. It is anticipated that this Framework document will provide a true regional perspective for the promotion of green growth within the region. The Framework should benefit from and build on the constructive work undertaken by regional groups, including the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the University of the West Indies and other tertiary institutions, and the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) as well as external development partners, such as UNEP, at the sector- and country-levels within the region on the green economy. I would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to all interested parties to provide the necessary financial and technical support to the CARICOM secretariat in the development of this document which will be a major pillar in the green economy transformation process. I will go a step further to invite this Regional Conference to lend its collective technical expertise in facilitating the development of a Framework document that is comprehensive and will allow for the identification of green investment opportunities within the region. In closing, let me take this opportunity to express the Government of Jamaica s appreciation to UNEP for its support in the implementation of the regional Green Economy project and UNDP and UNEP for their support in the hosting of this regional conference. It is important to ensure that this conference does not become another talk shop, but a forum for the exploration and development of concrete ideas and proposals which will 4
assist all stakeholders going forward. I anticipate constructive discussions on the subject and await the outcomes of your deliberations. Thank You. 5