The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is among agencies supporting and participating in the Fifth Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum (CSEF V), which takes place in Nassau, The Bahamas later this month. The Forum will bring together key stakeholders from the energy sector to discuss the Region’s transition to greater sustainable production and use.

More than 100 participants, including representatives of public and private sector entities; senior officials of national, regional and international institutions; industry experts; and Energy Ministers of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States are expected at CSEF V which will be held from January 23-25, 2017.

Over the three days, participants will hone in on the CARICOM Energy Policy which was approved in 2013, and the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS) with a view to focusing on policy, planning and decision support mechanisms to enable game-changing investment to transform the regional energy matrix.

The specific objectives of CSEF V are to identify and agree on modalities for validating the mid-term [2022] and long-term [2027] C-SERMS targets and to propose actions through which Member States are able to attract the ‘right type of capital’ to support long-term sustainable energy production and use.

CSEF V will seek to catalyse consensus among stakeholders on what they are prepared to do to further define and support the long-term commitments that are necessary for energy transformation within CARICOM.

CDB will support CSEF V, in partnership with the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Support to the Energy Sector in the Caribbean Fund.

‘We view energy security as being key to economic growth and environmental sustainability in the Caribbean. The Bank and global development partners, including the Government of Canada, have partnered to address the Region’s energy efficiency and renewable energy challenges. Through partnerships like these, Caribbean countries are developing a more sustainable energy supply mix, while accelerating their achievement of targets under the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy, and Sustainable Development Goal 7: affordable and clean energy,’ said Tessa Williams-Robertson, Head of Renewable Energy / Energy Efficiency, CDB.

CSEF V is a CARICOM Secretariat event, which is organised in collaboration with the Government of The Bahamas. Other support for the Forum is being provided by: the United States Government, through the Organisation of American States; the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) executed Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance (REETA) Programme; the Inter-American Development Bank; and the World Bank through the SIDS DOCK Support Programme.

CSEF was established as a biennial sustainable energy event in the Community. The previous events were held in July 2008 in Grenada, in June 2010 in Jamaica, in September 2012 in St. Kitts and Nevis, and in November 2014 in Barbados.

The Forum is intended to facilitate dialogue and actions towards the adoption of more robust policies and the transfer of appropriate technologies in renewable energy and energy efficiency in CARICOM. It seeks ultimately to enhance stakeholder support and contribution to diversification of the regional energy supply from its current fossil fuels base to a mix that includes significant renewable sources.

SOURCE: http://www.caribank.org/news/cdb-support-fifth-caribbean-sustainable-energy-forum