The 2022 Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference, under the theme: Can we achieve NetZero by 2050? started yesterday, January 24 and runs until January 26. From the outset this morning, engaging discussions centered around Caribbean sustainability in the energy sector and the future direction of the industry.

Organised by the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago , feature speakers at this three-day conference include His Excellency, Dr. Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, The Honourable Stuart Young, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Trinidad and Tobago, The Honourable Camille Robinson-Regis, Minister of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago, Racquel Moses, UNFCCC Global Ambassador and CEO, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator (CCSA), Professor Avinash Persaud, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of Barbados, Investment and Financial Services, and Anne Louise Koefoed, Principal Researcher, Energy Transition Programme, DNV, among others.

“The Caribbean has to take all necessary steps to future proof its businesses and to make the region more sustainable and climate resilient,” said CCSA CEO, Racquel Moses. “One area that is critical to our future sustainability is accelerating the region’s transition to renewable energy sources. In pursuit of this, CCSA is supporting the Government of Trinidad and Tobago with sourcing investors for the development of a solar panel assembly plant.”

Through CCSA’s involvement in this project, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago has received several endorsements at the regional level for this project. The endorsements will serve to attract investors, many of which we are currently engaging with, with the hope of entering into negotiations with the government. With an experienced investor being sought to develop a solar assembly plant in Trinidad, the objective of the facility is to support the region’s transition to renewable energy by participating in the manufacture and assembly of the solar panels, then have them distributed through the CARICOM single market which will create employment, expertise, new solutions, and investment opportunities for regional nationals. “This is just one of a series of projects we are supporting to help lead the transition to a climate-smart future in the Caribbean,” added CCSA CEO Moses.

In his keynote address, President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali, asked the audience: “How willing are we to monetize the value linked to the blue economy?” He also discussed other green initiatives such as ecosystems, environmental services and biodiversity as areas of opportunity for the region to explore alternative income generation.

Discussions on day two of the Conference have been centered around exiting opportunities for the region in developing a green hydrogen economy, opportunities for geothermal in the region, managing methane emissions, and more. Find out more about the 2022 Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference and learn more about climate-smart projects in the region at www.caribbeanaccelerator.org