Last Updated on March 23, 2025, 11:56 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Basseterre— The Energy ministers from the Caribbean nations who had assembled in the capital city of St Kitts and Nevis to participate in the four-day Green Climate Fund (GCF) dialogue held discussions to enhance cooperation amongst the nations to promote renewable energy goals.
The GCF dialogue had commenced on March 19, 2025, during which Konris Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities, and Domestic Transport, and the Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment, convened a high-level meeting of the energy ministers and other officials from the Caribbean Nations to discuss the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.
The meeting was led by prime ministers, the Mia Mottley of Barbados and the Dr. Terrance Drew of St Kitts and Nevis.
Senior officials of various regional organizations that are engaged in promoting renewable energy also participated in this meeting.
These organizations included the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (5 Cs), Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
Officials of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and the Energy Unit as well as from both St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC) and Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC) also participated in this meeting.
The two prime ministers stated that there was an urgent need for chalking out a regional road map that is focused on energy cooperation, logistics, and transportation and climate debt swaps.
The participants in the meeting discussed various areas for cooperation among each other.
The issue of setting up initial standards for energy projects that are to be executed in the Caribbean nations in the coming years was also discussed during the meeting.
While addressing the meeting, Minister Clarke stated that the Caribbean nations must constitute an elaborate framework for promoting energy transition and setting sustainable goals.
According to the minister, the Caribbean nations were at great risk from the changing weather patterns, and effective measures were to be taken for redefining the long-term strategies to deal with climate change.
Minister Maynard, who is also the chair of the OECS Council of Energy Ministers, stated that all Caribbean nations must engage in sharing knowledge and expertise for setting up renewable energy projects so that the collective goal can be achieved.
The ministry said that the region must stand out as a sustainable model for the world. Those who participated in this dialogue pledged to continue the discussions to find out more ways through which the sustainable goals in the energy sector of the Caribbean nations can be achieved.
They said that such dialogues must follow with tangible results and all nations must evolve long-term goals in the energy sector.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
