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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
Caribbean Governments, Global Corporations, & Partners Commit $64 million, Immediate Action to Protect the Environment & Accelerate Renewable Energy
By The Nature Conservancy
Jul 2, 2013 - 11:36:34 PM
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Minister of the Environment, Kenred Dorsett (right) signs the Leader’s Declaration on behalf of the Government of the Bahamas.
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The Bahamas, 14 other Caribbean countries and 17 companies join forces at inaugural Caribbean Summit of Political and Business Leaders focused on the marine and coastal environment and renewable energy
Nassau, Bahamas - In a joint effort to safeguard and bolster the Caribbean region’s tourism-dependent economy, fifteen Caribbean governments, including The Bahamas, and seventeen corporations recently met on Necker Island, home of Sir Richard Branson, in the British Virgin Islands and made a series of bold commitments to preserve and protect the region’s marine and coastal environment, and accelerate efforts to transition to renewable energy.
The Bahamas’ delegation for the historical Summit was led by Minister of the Environment and Housing, Hon. Kenred Dorsett. Minister Dorsett was accompanied by Mr. Phillip Weech, Director of the Bahamas Environment Science & Technology (BEST) Commission and Mr. Eric Carey, Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust. Eleanor Phillips, Director of the Nature Conservancy’s Bahamas program also attended the Summit.
“The Summit of Caribbean Political and Business Leaders will be forever etched in the history books of Caribbean conservation as a transformational event that celebrated partnerships and paved the way for sustaining and improving livelihoods for millions of citizens and visitors to this region” Phillips shared on the Summit.
The Summit which launched the second phase of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI), was co-hosted by Dr. the Right Honourable Keith C. Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada and Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE, Premier of the British Virgin Islands, and Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group. The event’s sponsoring partner was Tiffany & Co. Foundation, and the event was organized by The Nature Conservancy, with support from Virgin Unite, the non-profit entrepreneurial foundation of the Virgin Group, and the Carbon War Room.
In 2008, the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI) was launched by visionary governments, as an effort to provide greater leadership, and to chart a new course for protecting and sustainably managing the marine and coastal environment across the Caribbean. The nine governments currently participating in CCI include: Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent& the Grenadines.
“I am particularly pleased to be able to participate in this historic Caribbean Political and Business Leaders Summit, which brings government and corporate entities together in partnership in a way that has never been done before across our region” Minister Dorsett remarked at the Summit.
During the Summit Minister Dorsett announced “ that The Government of The Bahamas has approved the finalization of legislation related to the Bahamas Protected Area Fund (BPAF).” BPAF is a model piece of legislation developed with wide stakeholder consultation and input as a sustainable finance mechanism to support protected areas management in The Bahamas. The BPAF legislation will be presented to Parliament for debate shortly. “The Bahamas is proud to be one of the first Caribbean Challenge participating countries to advance its protected area fund” Dorsett further remarked.
In addition to the establishment of the BPAF, Minister Dorsett announced that the Government of the Bahamas will facilitate the sustainable financing of the BPAF. In the 2013-14 fiscal year funds will set aside to capitalize the BPAF. Minister Dorsett also committed to further expand the Bahamas’ national parks and protected areas system by including in the existing network additional marine and coastal areas.
Minister Dorsett’s commitments announced at the Summit were accompanied by announcements of commitment by other Caribbean countries as well as corporate entities. These commitments included approximately $64 million in funding to support marine and coastal conservation, along with commitments to take new actions and to put in place more sustainable business practices.
“We are honored to be part of such a historic event, and we applaud our fellow Caribbean nations participating in this Summit,” said Prime Minister Dr. the Right Honourable Keith C. Mitchell of Grenada. “We are charting a path for future generations, stressing the importance of conservation throughout the region.”
The high-level dialogue resulted in consensus on the utmost importance of working together – as a region and across sectors – to tackle the pressing and interlinked issues of marine and coastal conservation, renewable energy and economic development. The specific areas for further work include:
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The urgent need to create protection for sharks and rays across the whole Caribbean region with the aim of creating a region-wide sanctuary within two years.
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Establishing a clear regulatory framework that delivers a systemic and regional approach to conservation of the marine and coastal environment, including increasing considerably the number of marine protected areas.
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A dramatic acceleration in the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources over the next five years. This will be supported by the sharing of best practices, scaling of new technologies, and streamlining of regulatory processes applicable to renewable energy.
In addition to the Bahamas, commitments announced at the Summit by individual governments to support these efforts included:
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The British Virgin Islands: Adoption of a Protected Areas System Plan which calls for 33 percent of the marine and coastal environment to be protected.
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Jamaica: Establishment of a network of 14 fish sanctuaries.
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Puerto Rico: A commitment to double the number of protected areas.
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Grenada: Reaffirmation of a previous commitment to protect 25 percent of Grenada’s marine and coastal environment.
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Belize: Protection of 30 percent of Belize’s marine and coastal environment, with over 10 percent designated as no-take fishing zones.
For a complete listing of commitments, click
here
.
A number of corporations also pledged support to protect the Caribbean’s marine and coastal environment, including:
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Adam Stewart of Sandals Foundation pledged US $1.5 million to support marine conservation and coastal livelihoods in the Caribbean.
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A US $500,000 commitment from Mr. Kristopher Lofgren from Bamboo Sushi, who hopes to open as many as five new restaurants in the Caribbean and dedicate some of the profits to support the Caribbean Challenge Initiative.
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Charles Taylor from Hublot committed to fund the establishment of several coral reef nurseries, as well as serve as the “official timekeeper” for the Caribbean Challenge Initiative. Hublot is also releasing a Hublot Limited Edition watch, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy to generate funding for new conservation.
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David Crane of NRG Energy committed to expanding solar energy in the Caribbean, with projects already planned in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas and existing projects in Haiti.
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The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has granted the Conservancy US $350,000 for a youth education program about nature.
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Virgin Unite pledged continued support for the CCI process along with US $100k to support the uptake of renewable energy in the region. As a first step, Virgin Unite, together with the Clinton foundation and the Carbon War Room will undertake a feasibility study for Haiti.
Commitments announced at the Summit by government funding agencies and non-governmental organizations:
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Germany: Nearly US $50 million for marine conservation, including US $26 million for the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.
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The Nature Conservancy: US $8 million for the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.
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United Kingdom: US $3 million for the C-FISH initiative in the Caribbean to improve the management of marine protected areas, provide sustainable livelihoods for local communities and improve their resilience to climate change.
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World Bank: Efforts are underway to mobilize large-scale funding within the next year or two, to support the Caribbean’s marine and coastal environment through the Global Partnership on Oceans (GPO) Fund being led by The World Bank.
© Copyright 2013 by thebahamasweekly.com
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