Dominica represented at Green Economy Conference

Dr. Kenneth Darroux
Dr. Kenneth Darroux

Dominica’s Environment Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux, joined his regional counterparts in St.Lucia last week, in discussing the creation of a “Green Economy Network”.

The discussions were held at the first regional conference under the Caribbean Green Economy Initiative, from June 04-06, 2013.

The conference brought together representatives of governments, regional institutions, the private sector and academia from across the Caribbean under the theme “Green Economy as a Vehicle for Sustainable development and Poverty Eradication in the Caribbean”.

The country’s Environment Minister told the Government Information Service (GIS) on Tuesday that the Green Economy approach is necessary, if Caribbean countries like Dominica are to survive challenges such as climate change and the global financial crisis.

“We think that now is a good time for the region to come together to establish some sort of framework as it pertains to developing the concept of Green Economies. For many developed countries the concept of a Green Economy, can be considered an option, but for us it has to be a way of life,” he pointed out.

“The issue of climate change has to be borne in mind because we hear of the degradation of our environment as a result of climate change,” Darroux stressed.

“We have an abundance of natural resources, so we need to pull all these resources together and use them in a sustainable way to develop our nations. We also have to ensure that future generations can enjoy those natural resources,” he cautioned.

Minister Darroux said The Green Economy Network is expected to connect a community of policy makers, practitioners, and thinkers who are focused on achieving poverty reduction and sustainable development through a green economy.

“The whole idea of this meeting was to get all stakeholders on board. It was three days of discussions and at the end of the conference we came up with a communiqué to get a foundation, to see how we can take this Green Economy concept at the regional level forward,” he said.

The Conference which was organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also addressed economic, social and environmental challenges faced by the Caribbean region and presented options and opportunities to remedy these problems under a Green Economy.

Recommendations from the Conference are expected to be presented at CARICOM’s next Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting on matters of the Environment.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

11 Comments

  1. MET YO
    June 13, 2013

    Darroux garcon you doh leave them man roro yet garcon? What you doing in that still?

  2. me1
    June 12, 2013

    I will say it again, this man should be our PM.

  3. Anonymous
    June 12, 2013

    By now Dominica should have been a GLOBAL leader in many areas of the green economy revolution. After the final report was prepared in 2006, in February of 2010 the Government, together with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other stakeholders were deliberating on a ten-year investment program to transform Dominica into an environmentally sound organic nation… Hurray we were gonna be the first country globally to undertake such an initiative.!!! Were we fearful in moving the green ideology forward because today (2013) we hear of Bhutan set to plough lone furrow as world’s first wholly organic country!!! Mauritius had expressed similar sentiments but we are not too sure of their progress. Nonetheless, when formulated, the ten-year investment program for Dominica estimated at US$150 million would have been presented to an international donors’ and business partners’ meeting, to be convened in partnership with UNEP later that same year (2010). In April 2010 we had the Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation and Muller Concept, a recycling firm from California, signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the recycling of Solid Waste from Dominica. Brilliant… one of our milestones to date!!! although we could have set up a national composting exercise for the cardboards, paper and other biodegradable material
    which is generated by Industrial, Commercial and Institutional enterprises. Then you had the private sector initiative in October 2010 with a team which included Atherton Martin, executive director of the Development Institute; Mark Spalding, president of the Ocean Foundation; Bernard Wiltshire, president of the Waitukubuli Ecological Foundation and Phil Kline, senior ocean campaigner of Greenpeace USA, organizing a three-day event at the Pastoral Center under three themes: health and wellness, which was focused on linking health and wellness investment to agriculture, waste management, planning and other sectors; renewable energy, which was poised to build public awareness and understanding of renewable energy; and creative art/light industry which had the objective to “reveal and explore the links between creative arts and light industry as a strategy for investment.” The outcome of this initiative is not as clear as a sunny day!!! A couple of years later, Dominica launched its low-carbon climate resilient development strategy in March 2012, signaling its hope to have a “green economy” by 2020. And by November that same year the Government had secured over US$40-million dollars from the World Bank for a climate resilience project. According to that strategy, the government would have been seeking “more consciously to integrate green principles into national economic management and planning, and marry environmental preservation and management into our country’s strategy for achieving higher levels of sustained economic growth”. Emphasis was being placed on tapping into available climate change funds from the international community, and that the priorities under the strategy were acquiring funds for sea defence walls, food security, renewable energy, and water resources. However the Government did mention that emphasis was also being put on geothermal energy, solar energy, eco-tourism and organic agriculture… As a result this green economy network should have seen us in the driver’s seat, and I believe that we can still be in the driver’s seat… and in so doing that first regional conference under the Caribbean Green Economy Initiative should have been held in Dominica!!!! We should have made a strong case for it, or did we.. Which ISLAND in the caribbean more green than Dominica.

    • Doc. Love
      June 13, 2013

      According to the likes and dislikes,I am asking myself how could the comments by anonymous go unnoticed, great job.

  4. Doc. Love
    June 12, 2013

    In 2009,the United Workers Party’s platform was all about a Green Economy. It would appear, the Skerrit Labor Government lacked the knowledge or didnot understand the importance of a Green Economy.They didnot only criticised the recommendations laid out by the UWP,they also tried to ridicule Mr. Green who was leader of the party.They tried to convince Dominicans that Mr. Green was on a popularity role because his name was Green. In other words, the UWP was talking about a Ronald Green economy.I have said this before, the UWP is ahead of its time. Remember the criticisms as regards posting its 2009 election manifesto on the internet instead of the customary book form,watch out to see what the Skerrit Labor Party is going to do for the next General Elections.

    • Anonymous
      June 13, 2013

      The UWP TALKED about a Gren Economy but where were the details?? I guess were are atill awaiting it: ONLINE

  5. Me again
    June 12, 2013

    “..at the end of the conference we came up with a communiqué to get a foundation, to see how we can take this Green Economy concept at the regional level forward,.”

    So, it’s just a concept, not yet developed. Yet, Darroux said, “For many developed countries the concept of a Green Economy, can be considered an option, but for us it has to be a way of life.”

    So, what have we really achieved at this conference?

  6. what?
    June 12, 2013

    Should have been held in the greenest, most natural island in the Caribbean, Dominica.

  7. DA style
    June 12, 2013

    that’s the same Green economy that was criticized by the labour party in 2009,,,what are u People relay talking about,,i don’t know what that government is about,young people look out..

  8. street side
    June 12, 2013

    sorry guys…just talk nothing showing on the ground.

    the Dominican economy is completely dead and folks need to always have that on the front burner…

    bad and corrupt governance by labour..

    change is a Must
    Not a option..

    • Anonymous
      June 13, 2013

      Eternal pessimist!!!! What you need is a change of your politically-contaminated mindset and just maybe then our country will begin to make strides!!!!!!

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available