Above: a solar panel

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Caribbean needs to improve collaboration to promote the use of green technology in the region, according to Organization of American States Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin.

The OAS ASG, who was in Aruba recently to open the Caribbean Renewable Energy forum, said there seemed to be a “disconnect between understanding that renewable energy technology will facilitate less dependence on traditional sources of energy and fossil fuels…and the ability to implement and pursue a renewable energy agenda.”

“The effect on the cost [due to energy] of almost all goods and services is high, ultimately undermining economic growth and investments,” he said.

That’s not to say that Caribbean islands haven’t pursued green energy; Nevis and Dominica are both working on geothermal projects; St Kitts and Nevis just opened a solar farm at its international airport; Haiti even opened the region’s first solar powered hospital.

The “Caribbean is capable of solving some of its own problems in this sector,” Ramdin said. “Sun, heat, water and wind, all offer opportunities.”

Still, Ramdin said, “in spite of this, renewable energy does not appear to feature prominently on the priority list of many of our policy makers.”

Ramdin proposed the establishment of a “shared platform of service,” which would be a place to exchange knowledge, examine best practices and identify investment, among other benefits.