In early November, representatives from PAGE met with lead decision-makers and stakeholders of the green economy transition in Barbados. The meetings – involving the Prime Minister, Minister of Environment Trevor Prescod, along with various representatives from the Barbadian government, and academia, the acting UN Resident Coordinator, the European Commission and the Caribbean Development Bank and Ambassador Elisabeth Thomson – were held to discuss further goals and priorities of the PAGE programme in Barbados.
Having recently elected a new government, Barbados has reaffirmed its commitment to a green economy and, more specifically for the island nation, its enthusiasm for developing the blue economy. Barbados PAGE’s objectives are to integrate inclusive green economy goals and targets into SDG-aligned national economic and development planning, to implement evidence-based sectoral and thematic reforms in line with inclusive green economy priorities, to strengthen capacities at the national level and to improve the inclusive green economy knowledge base.
During the meetings, the Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley, affirmed her support to PAGE, highlighting PAGE’s alignment with Barbados’ green and blue economy priorities. She addressed the need for technical support, training and skill development for all people at all levels. She committed to support PAGE by establishing an inter-ministerial and cross-sectoral committee as well as to provide participation at the national level. Going forward, PAGE’s work in Barbados will support policies and economic incentives to drive sustainable entrepreneurship, jobs in the green and blue economy as well as leverage access to new resources for implementation.
As a result of the fruitful discussions, PAGE will develop a work plan in collaboration with the Barbadian government. Several key points of action have been identified. Early inputs into this process include plans to:
- review the existing national green economy policies, strategies and plans
- survey opportunities, identify skills gaps and develop knowledge tools to build skills for green jobs in the green and blue economy
- to develop a pilot to encourage green transformation of the agro- and fish sub-sector processing to support production and export development; and
- to conduct trainings for the public sector, to develop green and blue economy-centered academic curricula, and to establish a knowledge hub to build capacity, and sustain knowledge and skills beyond PAGE.