ISSUE PROGRAMMES

Green Economy Programme

Project: Communication, policy influence, developing a programme of work for a Caribbean Green Economy Action Learning Group (February - October 2012)

Title:

Communication, policy influence, developing a programme of work for a Caribbean Green Economy Action Learning Group

 

Countries:

All Caribbean islands

 

Dates / Term:

February – October 2012

 

Funders:

  • International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

 

Partners:

  • Green Economy Coalition
  • Green Park Consultants

Project amount:

US $40,000

 

Goal and objectives:

  • To improve green economy dialogue, analysis and consensus-building in key regional and national fora to build a critical awareness among key target audiences in the Caribbean of the concept of green economy, what is means in the Caribbean context, its link to sustainable development, and particularly how to improve poor people’s prospects from green economy initiatives, building on lessons from local experience and new opportunities.
  • To formally establish and facilitate a Caribbean Green Economy Action Learning Group (GE ALG), so that members are better-informed, and better-positioned to influence key decision-making processes in the region.  This is a multi-stakeholder group representing key economic sectors (e.g. tourism, agriculture, energy), types of actors (government, private sector, civil society, and academia) and across the countries of the region to lead and coordinate the implementation of a regional programme of work on green economy.
  • To develop a post-Rio regional programme of work for the Green Economy Action Learning Group (their action research and learning agenda) and sharing with potential partners and funders.  The programme will cover four areas: communication (to build awareness and understanding); policy engagement and influence; action (to test/pilot green economy approaches via action learning projects); and internal capacity building of GE ALG members.
  • To conduct policy engagement and influence, networking and partnership-building to share information on, promote, and build support for what is being done in the Caribbean and to influence other green economy processes (e.g. in other SIDS).

Activities:

    a. Dialogue:

  • A Policy Brief, based on the draft Caribbean position paper prepared under earlier work in the project The search for a new economy in the Caribbean: Regional Dialogue as part of the Green Economy Coalition National Dialogues, was developed in English, French and Spanish and disseminated to key target audiences.
  • The CANARI website was updated on its new Green Economy programme and projects.
  • The Caribbean green economy internet discussion forum for the GE ALG launched (this was subsequently closed).
  • CANARI and GE ALG members participating in selected regional fora, namely:
    • The Caribbean Green Economy Forum held March 28th – 29th 2012 in Barbados by the Government of Barbados, the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).  Nicole Leotaud represented CANARI and participated in a panel discussion and presented on the Caribbean dialogue process and the Policy Brief.
    • The Thirty-Ninth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Environment and Sustainable Development to be held in Georgetown, Guyana on 17th-20th April 2012 to address the region’s preparations for Rio+20.  Cletus Springer, CANARI Programme Advisor on Green Economy and member of the GE ALG represented CANARI.  He presented on the GE ALG mechanism, which was recognised by the meeting as a valuable contribution to CARICOM work on green economy. 
    • The Sixth Biennial Caribbean Environmental Forum and Exhibition (CEF 6) “The Green Economy: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Health, Water, Waste, Land, Energy, Climate Change and our Natural Resources” held May 21st – 25th 2012 in St. Kitts.  CEF 6 was coordinated by the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI).  Nicole Leotaud represented CANARI and participated in a panel discussion and presented on the Caribbean dialogue process, the Policy Brief, and the establishment of the Caribbean GE ALG as a mechanism for independent and inclusive dialogue, coordination, and action.
  • CANARI contributed to the national process in Saint Lucia through participating in a national workshop “Developing a national position and strategy on green economy and sustainable consumption and production in Saint Lucia” held February 1st 2012 (supported under the CANARI project on Sustainable consumption and production in the Francophone Caribbean.)  Nicole Leotaud of CANARI presented on the Caribbean dialogue process, the Policy Brief, and the establishment of the Caribbean GE ALG as a mechanism for independent and inclusive dialogue, coordination, and action. 

    b. Caribbean GE ALG

  • A sub-group of the GE ALG met on January 31st 2012 in Saint Lucia to refine the Terms of Reference and start to plan a programme of work for the GE ALG as outlined in the report of the meeting.
  • Terms of Reference for the GE ALG was finalised and members were recruited and formally appointed.  The GE ALG is comprised of persons from across the Caribbean and diverse sectors who are implementing various green economy initiatives in their sectors and countries.  They come from government agencies, technical assistance and inter-governmental agencies, and civil society organisations (national, regional and international and including community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations, academic institutes, media and labour).  Members are appointed in their individual capacity.
  • A slide show explaining how the GE ALG will work and the action learning process was developed.
  • A database of key partners working on green economy initiatives and policy who the GE ALG will be working with was developed.
  • The GE ALG formally launched on May 23rd 2012 in St. Kitts during the Sixth Biennial Caribbean Environmental Forum and Exhibition (CEF 6) “The Green Economy: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Health, Water, Waste, Land, Energy, Climate Change and our Natural Resources” coordinated by the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI).
  • An internet discussion forum was established to facilitate communications among GE ALG members, (this was subsequently closed).

    c. Regional programme of work for the GE ALG

    d. Policy engagement and influence, networking and partnership-building

  • CANARI and the GE ALG participated at selected international fora and presented a Caribbean perspective on green economy, namely:
    • The second Global Transition Dialogue, New York, March 17th – 18th 2012.  Nicole Leotaud represented CANARI and participated in a panel discussion where she presented the Caribbean dialogue, Policy Brief and the GE ALG as a mechanism for independent and inclusive dialogue, coordination, and action. 
    • The consultative event on Green Growth and Developing Countries, organised jointly by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Global Green Growth Summit, May 10th – 11th 2012, in Seoul, Korea.  McHale Andrew, a member of the GE ALG, represented CANARI and participated in discussions.
    • The IUCN World Conservation Congress workshop on island leadership on global green economy challenges, held September 6th 2012 in Jeju, South Korea. Nicole Leotaud represented CANARI and presented Caribbean issues, ideas and the GE ALG initiative.
    • The Green Growth Investment Forum (GGGI) Held September 20th - 21st in Saint Lucia. McHale Andrew, a member of the GE ALG, represented CANARI and presented on the transition to inclusive green economies in the Caribbean.

Results:

 

Lessons learned:

Key publications:

  • Policy Brief: Towards a green and resilient economy for the Caribbean, CANARI Policy Brief No.13:4pp - available in English, French and Spanish.

Key documents:

Key news items:

  • A Caribbean Green Economy Action Learning Group (GE ALG) was launched by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) on May 23rd 2012, in St. Kitts during the Sixth Biennial Caribbean Environmental Forum and Exhibition (CEF 6): “The Green Economy: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Health, Water, Waste, Land, Energy, Climate Change and our Natural Resources”. See here for more information.

Online discussion forum:

  • Closed forum for the Caribbean Green Economy Action Learning Group

Facebook:

 

YouTube:

For more information contact:

 

Related programmes:

  • CANARI’s Rural Livelihoods programme

 


  

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