The EU-Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference took place in Barbados on 10th and 11th October 2016, as a joint event between the EU and CARIFORUM and the first-ever conference between the Caribbean region and the European Union on the topic of sustainable energy.
The event was organized within the framework of the EU-funded project, EU Technical Assistance Facility (EU TAF) for SE4ALL Initiative for Neighbourhood (East and South), Asia (including Central Asia), Latin America, Caribbean and Pacific that is being implemented by the Sofreco led consortium (Consortium Partners: Revelle Group - GNFE – ECN – CEERD – SEVEn). Revelle Group supported the development of the technical content of the conference..
With over 300 participants from more than 50 countries this event was praised by participants, especially the private sector, and the media as a “remarkable success” The conference programme included keynote addresses from the highest level in government and international organisations, such as: The Right Honourable Mr. Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister of Barbados; Ambassador Daniela Tramacere, Head of Delegation of the EU to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, OECS, and the Caribbean Community; Mr. Christopher Jones, Deputy Director General for Energy, European Commission; Mr. Pim van Ballekom, Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB); Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General, CARIFORUM/CARICOM;
On the first day, the conference highlighted the policy developments that support investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, including best practices in the Caribbean and the EU on regulatory frameworks, financing mechanisms and innovative technologies specifically designed for renewable energy on islands. On the second day, the conference became a ‘Business Forum’, where the private sector presented its views of what is concretely needed to invest more effectively in the energy sector in the region as well as concrete business opportunities in the energy market in the Caribbean.
The B2B networking was a key and successful element of the conference. The participants had an event app at their disposal to exchange messages with all attendees and organise private meetings. The app recorded over 400 message exchanges for meetups among the over 350 participants who joined the app Community. The Conference also hosted as successful exhibition, where 21 exhibitors from the private sector were able to show-case their material throughout the two days.
A key outcome of the conference was the signing of a Joint Declaration among EU, EIB and CARIFORUM on reinforced cooperation in the field of sustainable energy, together with three cooperation programmes, with Financing Agreements for an amount of over EU 40 million.
The conference demonstrated that there are many concrete business opportunities for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the Caribbean. In particular, discussions highlighted three main priorities: i) Political will for the energy transition to sustainable energy; ii) A stable regulatory framework for investors and; iii) Regional cooperation, as a key element to unlocking potentials and attracting investors to the Caribbean.
The Caribbean region is a paradise for renewable energy and with their high dependence on imported fossil fuels, CARIFORUM countries confirmed that transforming the region’s energy system is key for achieving energy security, independence and efficiency.
For more information, please also see the website of the EU-Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference and the European Commission, DG International Cooperation and Development.
