Guyana to participate in US -Caribbean Energy Security Summit in Washington, DC

Guyana will be represented by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud.

The U.S Vice President will meet with a delegation of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders and representatives of the international community to promote a cleaner and more sustainable energy future in the Caribbean through greater access to finance, and donor coordination.

The Summit will include remarks by the Vice President, an energy security roundtable with heads of government, and meetings and events with government officials, representatives from the private sector, and officials from multilateral institutions.

This Summit is a key component of the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative that the Vice President announced in June 2014, during a visit to Trinidad and Tobago, and will be hosted by the White House and the State Department in partnership with the Atlantic Council and the Council of the Americas.

The Caribbean Energy Security Summit will attempt to diversify energy sources for Caribbean countries.

In a Fact Sheet published on June 19, last year, Biden’s office identified energy security as a “major challenge” for the Caribbean. The “Promoting Energy Security in the Caribbean” report claimed that, “the region is largely dependent on relatively high-cost imported fuel and electricity. Small isolated economies and unattractive investment policies discourage investment necessary to build sustainable energy systems. The high cost of energy diverts resources away from economic development, reduces competitiveness, and renders the energy sectors of Caribbean nations vulnerable to supply shocks.” VP Biden claimed that energy support for the Caribbean is possible, recognising a “one-size-fits-all” solution may not be appropriate for all countries in the region. Guyana eagerly welcomes additional support.

The Caribbean Delegation will include: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and CARICOM.

There is also slated to be a meeting with Caribbean Heads of Government for a discussion on climate change, a critically important issue to the US and the Caribbean. Topics will include climate change finance, adaptation, and how countries can work together this year to achieve a new global agreement on climate change in Paris. [Extracted and modified from GINA]