CARICOM to launch Energy month on Monday
The fifth observance of CARICOM Energy Month (CEM) will be launched on Monday under the theme ‘A RE-silient Community: Energy at the Centre’.
The Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) stated in a press release that every November the spotlight is placed on energy as part of efforts to raise awareness of what is occurring in the Region and to increase knowledge about the sector.
The CCREEE, together with the CARICOM Secretariat, the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ) – funded by the Technical Assistance Programme for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean (TAPSEC) – are partnering to organise the activities at the regional level.
The launch will take the form of a virtual panel discussion with energy and finance experts, policy-makers, and persons who have been at the forefront of energy in the Region, as well as an interactive session with the public. The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the observances this year to virtual platforms except for the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum, which has been pushed back to next year.
CCREEE Executive Director, Dr Gary Jackson has said that resilience is the Community’s only option. “Our community – the Caribbean Community – must plan, build and implement resiliently if we are to secure livelihoods for future generations and so, the CCREEE is particularly pleased with the inclusion of youth in these important energy discussions,” he said.
One of the key activities this year is a youth roundtable on the future of energy, which recognises the critical role of youth in driving transformation.
A four-day dialogue series will also be held during the third week of November and will focus on topics such as the electrification of the transportation sector; marine energy; resilience-based planning and cross-cutting issues.
Another feature on the agenda is identifying and showcasing two ‘energy personalities’ each week who made significant contributions to the energy sector in the Region and “gives voice to their advancements whether through academia, the public or private sector, civil society, or youth.”
While these are the featured events of CARICOM Energy Month this year, several other training and outreach activities will be undertaken, including webinars, solar cooling and electric mobility training seminars and, an integrated communications campaign, highlighting energy’s role at the centre of our community.
The CCREEE is an institution of CARICOM with a mandate to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, markets and industries in the Caribbean.
Persons can register to attend the virtual launch at https://rb.gy/x5ygc3. Representatives of the media will also have an opportunity to pose questions at the conclusion of the discussion.