For the Bahamas, these talks are especially significant as they relate to the global predicament anticipated by islands worldwide.  Due to our low lying topography, merely feet above sea level, projected sea level rises from climate change will pose a real risk to our livelihood as saltwater infiltrates the freshwater table, and reduces the already limited agricultural productivity of the land.  Along with other socio-economic hurdles, such as our dependence on tourism, imported food and energy sources, there is so much to consider if we are to remain a resilient nation for generations to come.    

From a legal perspective, some of the primary matters to address on this issue are: the political will of the government, the active implementation of sustainable goals in our environmental policies, and government support in forming legislation that generates action. Without any clear targets to work towards, we leave such aims most vulnerable to inaction and instead, stifle our own progress and development.  At the moment, other Caribbean countries, such as Barbados  - comparable to the Bahamas in its natural resources, economic structure and relative population size - is already leading the way in the reconstruction of its renewable resources through its inclusion of solar power.  Looking at Barbados’ National Strategic Plan (2006 – 2025) as an example, it is useful to see how a national framework can be set out in order to identify the short, medium and long- term goals needed to achieve this change.

While it is recognized that economic security interests for our country may prevent an immediate or complete independence from fossil fuels (coal, oil etc.), any legal initiatives taken should not act as a barrier against the dual provision of renewable and traditional sources in meeting our energy demands.  One of the ways to account for this might be through a legal reform that facilitates renewable infrastructure and its financial support, in order to make such projects a reality.  This might include the implementation of amendments in relevant revenue or duties laws so as to encourage the import access of appropriate technology systems, such as solar panels or photovoltaic cells (PVC).  Through their sequential installation in businesses and residential homes, these areas will be provided with the option to power a percentage of such buildings with solar energy, while lowering their electricity costs from previous rates based strictly on fossil fuel supplies.

In the case of Grand Bahama, where electricity is provided on a privatized basis, legal provisions in domestic law should further address this issue by encouraging a shift to renewable sources without penalizing those customers that choose to use both types of energy.   As in the example of the Barbados Light and Power Company Ltd - which shares the same parent company as the Grand Bahama Power Company - plans towards integrated infrastructures should be supported through both a commitment by government to renewable targets, while protecting the public from escalating energy costs in meeting these goals.  By stressing the very essence of solar energy as a renewable resource, its removal of the global commodities market from the supply chain, and increased longevity of its technology, only then might we realize the immense potential we hold to assist ourselves.

Finally, because of our ratified status to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC (27 June 1994, entry into force), and our existence as an archipelagic state, more should be done towards creating a national shift to renewable resources.   In turn, not only would we be honouring our international commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG), but we would also be improving ourselves significantly in the process.