The Caribbean is getting greener — but there’s still a long way to go. So we thought we’d help mark Earth Day by asking a group of Caribbean experts and newsmakers about their ideas for how to make the Caribbean a greener place — and protect what makes the Caribbean the world’s most beautiful place.
“We should remember that the true wealth of our islands lies not only in our air, our soil, our beaches, our oceans, our trees, and our wildlife biodiversity, but also in our most valuable resource – our people. Equally important, it is incumbent on each of us to steward these resources wisely so that we may conserve and enhance our inheritance for future generations. Making sure that we all understand how delicate and precious are our natural assets must be a very high priority. Education is key, and leaders must teach by example. We can contribute to this mandate by encouraging residents and visitors alike to engage responsibly with delicate ecosystems, to enjoy the riches of a national park or marine protected area, or to work collectively to beautify local communities. We are all in this together.”
– Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Commissioner of Tourism, United States Virgin Islands
“Remember that much of our Earth is water, a particularly precious commodity to our Caribbean region and why the Sandals Foundation so emphatically supports marine education, is engaged in managing sanctuaries and develops programing that affect conservation and promotes awareness. On Earth Day – which we’ve celebrated all April long – I suggest a good old-fashioned clean-up like the beach clean ups Sandals Resorts in Jamaica and in the Bahamas have planned in concert with the community as well as guests. It’s a simple but profound way to enjoy the Caribbean’s beautiful beaches and take part in their preservation.”
— Adam Stewart, CEO, Sandals Resorts International
“One critical issue is to bring the regional governments up to speed with the acceptance and encouragement of the use of alternative energy both within the private sector and commercially. Too many islands have a legal framework that restrict the use of solar or wind as a primary source of energy, and even those that do limit the option of sellback into the grid. The natural environment of the Caribbean offers bountiful sun and wind and the regional governments should be offering suitable incentives to homeowners and businesses with tax incentives for the importation of the necessary infrastructure.”
— Tim Peck, Chairman, OBM International
“The statistical evidence is clear that the Caribbean is the most tourism-dependent region in the world. What this means is that we have a greater interest in making our tourism successful and our assets sustainable, than anyone else, anywhere in the world. That’s why we pay so much attention to keeping the right balance. To grow our region’s market share of the one billion people who travel the world internationally, we MUST consolidate our resources, share solutions and best practices with each other, let economies of scale work for us to save money, and most especially educate our populations on the realties, the challenges and the solutions. Sustainable development is in our DNA. It’s at the core of everything the CTO does.”
— Hugh Riley, Secretary General, Caribbean Tourism Organization
“With energy import bills that exact an economic toll reaching far and wide in Caribbean society, it only makes sense to look at ‘green’ energy solutions as a possible key factor, amongst others, for future growth and stability. The conditions of investment must be well thought out but if done correctly, renewable energy options may be a significant contributor to the goal of true Caribbean independence.”
— Michael W Edghill, Caribbean Journal columnist
“I tell people that if they only make one affordable, quick and easy change with a very rapid ROI, do an LED Light bulb retrofit. Yes they are expensive but there are companies out there that will finance the conversion and allow you to pay for them based on the monthly savings from your electric bill. There are also many island governments that are offering some significant rebates on the purchase. It is a concept even I can understand! You can get the same brightness, watts, while drawing a fraction of the voltage. Incandescent and CFL bulbs are a thing of the soon to be past. LED lighting makes sense in the states where people are still paying under 20 cents per Kwh. On St Thomas I’m paying 55 cents per Kwh. My LED retro fit, property wide, cost me $50,000 and I may well have it paid off in savings in 4 months!”
— Richard Doumeng, president, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association
An idea to realize a Greener Caribbean would be the concept of “teach one, reach one.” The opportunity for a regional training program which provides tourism enterprises tools for sustainability education, tracking, monitoring and measurement of their practices to grow sustainability understanding and provide a practical implementation tool as a 1st step resource. Provided tourism is a major contributor the the economy of our islands, ensuring the sustainability of this sector and the tourism enterprises (hotels, attractions, tour operators) has the potential to realize great/green results. The good news is that a resource of this nature is underway…….so stay tuned.”
— Denaye Hinds, Director of Sustainability for OBM International, Caribbean Journal columnist
In Costa Rica, we take an active role in preserving our environment and we encourage all those that visit to do the same. Programmes such as our Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) are designed to differentiate businesses within the tourism sector based on the degree in which they comply with a sustainable model of natural, cultural and social resource management. The CST program not only evaluates but also assists business owners in making strategic decisions that will result in the long-term environmental preservation. In the end, we are all responsible for the preservation and protection of resources and it is our hope that through education and support we will continue to do just that.
— Ireth Rodriguez Villalobos, Marketing Director of the Costa Rica Tourism Board