• Programmes & Projects
  
  
• Forests and livelihoods
  
  
• Coastal and marine governance and livelihoods
  
  
• Climate change and disaster risk reduction
  
  
• Civil society and governance
  
  
• Cross cutting projects
  • Rural Livelihoods project- T&T
  • Green Economy
  • Environmental mainstreaming in the British Virgin Islands

CROSS CUTTING PROJECTS

Green Economy

Background

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) National Dialogues are a series of events organised by members of the GEC in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe. The GEC is a broad alliance that brings together environment, development, trade union, consumer and business sectors, in the North and the South, for the purpose of accelerating a transition to a new green economy. The Dialogues focus on mapping the fundamental changes needed in economic governance to mainstream basic tenets of sustainability at local, national and global levels. 

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), which hosts the GEC, approached the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) to facilitate a process for the Caribbean small island developing states as part of this initiative.  This process was co-funded by the Commonwealth Foundation.

Goal of the Caribbean Regional Dialogue

CANARI facilitated a Regional Dialogue (see concept note in English, French and Spanish) to attempt to define the main elements of a new approach to economic development and governance that pays greater attention than in the past to key issues of environmental sustainability, social justice, equity and rights.

Activities conducted as part of the Caribbean Regional Dialogue

The Caribbean Dialogue was organised in five phases:

A preparatory phase: Over 100 key stakeholders from across the Caribbean were identified from government, civil society and the private sector, as well as development partners.  Information on the Dialogue and the proposed process was disseminated.

Research and analysis: A discussion paper was compiled using a literature review, interviews with scholars, selected decision-makers and key institutional actors, and a small number of focus group sessions.

A workshop was held in Trinidad and Tobago in February 2011, to examine the discussion paper and develop a Caribbean position and agenda, resulting in the publication of a tri-lingual draft position paper. Through media coverage and the use of communication technologies interested persons were able to follow the discussions (by webcast) and to contribute questions and positions (e-mail and other media).  A workshop report was produced and video interviews held with several stakeholders at the meeting.

Consultations were held with all relevant sectors in the region on the draft position paper. Organisations and networks discussed the paper internally in order to formulate responses and recommendations.

Development of a final position paper: A draft position paper was produced and disseminated by email, listservs, and at various regional fora.

Discussion and communication: CANARI will seek to broaden and deepen discussion on a Caribbean position on green economy to feed into national, regional and international debates and policy processes.  This has included:

• a discussion on CANARI’s Facebook page;
• presentation of the position paper at the Rio+20 PrepCom Green economy coalition side event, in New York, United States (March, 2011).
• presentation of the position paper at the Meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Regional Coordinating Mechanism for the Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Third Meeting, Port-of-Spain (April 2011);
• presentation of the position paper at the national consultation on green economy hosted in Saint Lucia by the Ministry of Physical Development and the Environment (June 2011);
• seeking to communicate it as part of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Caribbean-Rio +20 preparatory process.

Vision for a Green Economy in a Caribbean context

The vision developed by Caribbean stakeholders, and communicated in the draft position paper, is that:

A green and resilient Caribbean economy should aim for long-term prosperity through equitable distribution of economic benefits and effective management of ecological resources. It must be economically viable and resilient to both external and internal shocks; self-directed and not driven by external agendas or funding opportunities, and self-reliant. It must be pro-poor and generate decent jobs and working conditions for local people.