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Tertiary educational institutions have a critical part to play in the regional transition towards sustainable energy. As the portal through which burgeoning energy professionals step into the regional energy sector and the main means through which existing energy professionals enhance their skill sets, they are incredibly influential in terms of orienting their students towards regional goals. Tertiary educational institutions also help to guide governmental policy decisions across the region through their research. They were therefore among some of the most important participants in TAPSEC’s overall mission, none more than the University of the West Indies Mona Campus (The UWI Mona).  As [...]

Environmental education is a vital part of creating the changes that will shift the Caribbean towards sustainable energy development. So says Dr. Paulette Bynoe, Deputy Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Guyana (UG). She would know, having led the team contracted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)-implemented TAPSEC programme to partner with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to “Green” the regional secondary and post-secondary curricula.  Alongside her team, Dr. Bynoe worked to integrate elements of energy conservation, renewable energy and energy efficiency into ten CSEC and CAPE subjects. The ultimate aim was [...]

We live in the information age. At a time when information technology sits at the core of worldwide development and when access to information directly impacts a nation’s ability to provide opportunities for its citizenry, information is very much the key to unlocking CARICOM’s sustainable future. For this vibrant region comprising various cultures and people and connected by a drive to reach that future, strong collaboration is the fuel needed to drive CARICOM to its destination. Created in 1973, the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE) exists to integrate Latin American and Caribbean countries through the development of the regional energy sector. [...]

The ideal Caribbean person is someone who lives in harmony with their physical and social environment. This is the perspective of Latoya Wedderburn-Rose, a manager in the Syllabus and Curriculum Development Department at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). Her organisation is the region’s examinations and awarding body with responsibility for developing the syllabuses used to prepare students for regional examinations. It is also one of TAPSEC’s partners in the “Mainstreaming Green Learning Concepts in the Educational Syllabus” project, which was designed to help create the ideal Caribbean person to drive the regional shift towards sustainability. CXC’s mandate, which it has undertaken [...]

A standard is only as strong as the agreement on which it rests and widely agreed-upon quality standards help business to flow freely within the Caribbean and throughout the world. An awareness of this fact guides the efforts of the  CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ). Since 2002, the organisation has been tasked with facilitating the development of regional standards, promoting the compatibility of measurement systems and supporting the sustainable production and trade of goods and services throughout the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Through a collaborative network of 15 Bureaus of Standards (one for each CARICOM Member [...]

For more than 30 years, the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) has been at the forefront of regional energy development. From its beginning in 1989 as a nine-member electric utilities modernisation project to its current incarnation as the leading regional association of more than 100 electric energy solution providers, CARILEC has championed the growth and evolution of the regional energy sector.  The organisation’s strategic approach to creating that growth lies in its commitment to collaboration, which happens to be its primary value, alongside innovation and agility; high ethical and professional standards; and social and environmental responsibility. In recognition of the [...]

The success of the regional sustainable energy transition depends on more than the availability of renewable energy resources and energy-efficient technology. It requires more than experts ready and able to lead the charge. While these things are, of course, critical to the Caribbean's effort to shift toward a low-carbon, sustainable and resilient pathway, they are not enough to get us there. To be successful, the region must believe in its ability to develop and implement the solutions necessary to reach sustainability. This faith is what will guide us to our ultimate goal: a future in which all CARICOM citizens have access [...]

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy sources are the keys to unlocking the seventh United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which calls for universal access to “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy”. Through its Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), the Dominican Republic has committed to taking concrete action towards the sustainable development of a future society that satisfies humanity’s needs in an environmentally-conscious way. MEM partnered with TAPSEC to make great strides towards this goal, enabling the Dominican Republic to become one of CARIFORUM’s most advanced countries in terms of renewable energy penetration in the process. As the Ministry with responsibility [...]

After eight weeks of intense instruction and practice, 123 energy professionals from 14 CARICOM member States graduated from the globally recognised Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) training programme. Upon completion, many of the graduates describe the programme as a transformative and empowering experience that has given them the tools to make meaningful contributions to CARICOM’s Energy transformation. The LEAP, a powerful software system for integrated energy planning and climate mitigation assessment, was designed by the Stockholm Environment Institution (SEI), who also facilitated the training in partnership with the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute (GHGMI). Learn more about the programme here: https://bit.ly/EnergyLEAP. University [...]