Tweet

 

 

Dakhla, Morocco (March 19, 2016) – Minister Brantley captured the attention of many international stakeholders as he joined the cohort of high level officials that presented at the Crans Montana Forum session: Without Energy Security, No Progress No Growth.

The Foreign Minister emphasised that as a small island developing state with the main economic driver as tourism, climate change presents an existential threat to our livelihood, our economy and ultimately our society. As he refocussed the discussion, placing emphasis on green energy security, Minister Brantley used the opportunity to promote the successful initiatives envisaged in the Federation. The statement was premised on the intention for the Federation to use its accessible resources- sun, wind and water to mitigate the effects of climate change, relinquish its dependence on fossil fuel and inevitably build a cleaner, better physical and socio-economic environment for the citizens of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Special mention was made of the renewable energy projects in Nevis, namely wind and geothermal. He also stated that the resources of geothermal gave Nevis the potential to export its excess energy resources to its sister island St. Kitts and neighbouring islands of St. Barths, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and Antigua and Barbuda.

The Minster announced the fact that Nevis, with its geothermal energy is on its way to becoming totally green in its energy production by the end of 2017. The Minister declared that the Federation will demonstrate to the world what a Small Island State can achieve. This announcement was met with rousing applause by the audience.

Minister Brantley also used this platform to encourage African bilateral cooperation by stating that Caribbean people are the African diaspora. At the Forum dedicated to Africa, the Regional Cooperation and the Future of the South-South Cooperation, it solidified the Ministry’s quest for the pursuit of deeper collaboration with the countries on the continent.

The panel was chaired jointly by Mr, Kandeh Yumkella, Co-Chair of the United Nation’s High-Level Group on Sustainable Development Energy for All, and Mr. Mohammed Mouline, the

Director General of the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies in Morocco, and saw interventions from various representatives from across Africa, Europe and Russia.