BY SHARON AUSTIN | MAY 26, 2023
Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins. (FP)
Over 200 persons are expected to gather in Barbados next week to participate in the three-day IRENA-Caribbean Cooperation for Fostering Energy Transition Investments and Finance Conference.
The high-level meeting, to be held at Hilton Barbados Resort from May 30 to June 1, will be co-hosted by the Government of Barbados, and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), through the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative.
Key stakeholders, including Ministers of Energy in this region, senior government officials, regulators, the private sector, project developers and financing partners, are expected to participate in the dialogue. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley will deliver the keynote address during the opening ceremony, while Director General of IRENA, Francesco La Camera, will give the welcome remarks.
In highlighting the importance of the conference, Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, said it would provide an excellent opportunity for Barbados to further cooperation efforts among Caribbean island states to develop strategies to attract investment in the renewable energy sector.
Senator Cummins continued: “We are going to discuss the issues of renewable energy and the renewable energy transition and how those issues are being navigated by small island developing states, in particular those in the Caribbean, and how together, we can take a multilateral approach to finding solutions to the problems that are confronting us.
“In addition, our partners will be able to see what Barbados has been doing in the area of renewable energy.”
Director General La Camera explained that through the event, IRENA was reinforcing its commitment to the small island developing states (SIDS) by accelerating the implementation of energy transition projects in vulnerable communities.
“Supporting the energy transition in small island developing states is a key priority for IRENA. With this investment conference, we aim to build momentum towards the implementation of energy transition projects that support the most vulnerable nations.
“Our commitment remains unwavering, and together, we can turn climate pledges into concrete action that benefits people and communities on the ground,” Mr. La Camera stated.
The objective of the meeting is to promote an environment conducive to energy transition investments, and facilitate access to affordable and appropriate forms of finance for the implementation of energy transition projects in the Caribbean’s SIDS. It is being held in partnership with the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.
