Our Mission

Fuelled by its diversity of culture, people and an abundance of resources and economic opportunities, the Caribbean region is a jewel of exponential untapped possibilities. This jewel, however, is under threat. Volatile global oil prices, exorbitant oil import bills, electricity tariffs, and a growing vulnerability to natural hazards have left many countries in the region afflicted with limited economic growth, high levels of indebtedness, and dwindling household expenditure. Recognising the importance of energy to the sustainable growth and development of Caribbean countries, and the potential benefits of a coordinated regional approach to the common energy challenges, CARICOM Member States embarked on a new low-carbon development pathway to ensure a sustainable future for its people.

In 2013, Member States adopted the CARICOM Energy Policy (CEP) and subsequently adopted the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS) in 2015. In October 2016, the CARIFORUM Directorate and the European Union (EU), under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), signed a financing agreement which brought the Technical Assistance Programme for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean (TAPSEC) into effect.

Implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH  from 2017 to 2022 in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), and the Ministry of Energy and Mines in the Dominican Republic, TAPSEC’s mission was geared towards ensuring that all CARIFORUM citizens have access to modern, clean and reliable energy supplies at affordable and stable prices. Through collaboration and strategic interventions within the thematic areas of Policy, Information and Capacity Building, and Finance, our team supported the implementation of the CARICOM Energy Policy (CEP), the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERMS) and the various national energy policies and strategies of Caribbean countries.

TAPSEC was funded by the European Union to the sum of € 9.0 million with the additional financial support of € 1.5 million from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

Our Team

Meet the team that supported the Caribbean’s transition towards sustainable energy and climate resilience.

TAPSEC’s implementation was led by a team of experts based in our offices in Barbados, Guyana, and the Dominican Republic.

 

Thank You, From the People Behind the TAPSEC Journey

Throughout its five-year duration, the scale of TAPSEC’s tireless efforts to advance the regional transition to a low-carbon, sustainable and climate-compatible development pathway has been quite impressive. Thanks to these efforts, critical groundwork has been laid that will enable Caribbean institutions, leaders, and professionals to make great strides toward the sustainable energy goals that will create a future in which every single citizen can claim access to modern, clean and reliable energy.

At the end of the programme’s run, as they look back on the work that has been done and the achievements that have been accomplished, the members of the TAPSEC team would like to share their wholehearted appreciation with all of the partners and stakeholders with whom they have collaborated over the past five years.

View their reflections in their own words here: