Liz: New ideas a must for SIDS

Elizabeth Thompson. (FP)

Tue, May 08, 2012 - 12:08 AM

With governments and even non-governmental organizations unable to spit out big bucks for environmental causes in the wake of a worldwide recession, it’s time for small island developing states (SIDS) such as Barbados to become innovative.

And that will be what Elizabeth Thompson will be concentrating on this week when she meets here with local ministers and officials as a precursor to the United Nation’s Rio +20 Conference in Brazil next month.

Thompson, who will be that conference’s executive coordinator, arrived in Barbados yesterday to deliver the United Nations expectations during a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) high-level conference for SIDS, being held at Hilton Barbados.

“Energy issues and the environment are critical to our economic and energy security in the Caribbean, particularly where there is a significant debt under the PetroCaribe agreement. How we transition our economy regarding renewable energy will be focused on in Rio,” Thompson told the DAILY NATION yesterday minutes after arriving from her New York-based headquarters. (BA)

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