CARICOM Energy Month launches Monday in Haiti

CARICOM Energy Month (CEM) gets underway on 1 November, 2017, following a launch in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday, 30 October, 2017. CEM is being held under the theme ‘Re-thinking Energy: Shaping a resilient Community’.

The launch at the Quisqueya University will take the form of a half-day mini-symposium and exhibition. The goal of the Symposium is to bring students, civil society, private sector and energy professionals together with Senior Government officials and policy-makers to promote dialogue on the current energy landscape within the CARICOM Region and to explore opportunities to support sustainable energy development in Haiti.

The launch will feature Davos-style panels that would be chaired by Dr. Rene Jean-Jumeau, Executive Director of the Haiti Energy Institute. The first technical session will focus on the expectations and opportunities of the CARICOM’s Energy Policy, Roadmap and Strategy. Panellists will be Dr. Evenson Calixte, Adviser to Energy to the President of the Republic of Haiti, Dr. Devon Gardner, Programme Manager, Energy, and representatives from Civil Society, the Private Sector and the Student body.

The other technical session will place emphasis on Haiti’s sustainable energy pathway, highlighting realistic options and priority actions. Discussants will be Mr Nicolas Allien, Senior Energy Specialist in the Energy Cell, Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Communication; Mr. Alix Dominique Alexis, Director of Planning, Electricite D’Haiti, and Civil Society, the Private Sector and the Student body.

The exhibition will be held at the same venue following the symposium.  It will showcase projects and technologies of private sector energy companies and Non-Governmental Organisations. A section of the exhibition will be dedicated to presentations of prototypes and project models designed by University engineering students.

The technical sessions will be preceded by a formal one-hour opening ceremony which will be livestreamed at on the CARICOM Energy Facebook page beginning at 9 o’clock. Remarks will be made by a number of persons including Mr. Jacky Lumarque, Rector, Quisqueya University; His Excellency Manfred Auster, Ambassador of Germany to Haiti; Dr. Gardner on behalf of the Secretary-General of CARICOM; and the Hon. Fritz Caillot, Minister of Public Works, Transportation and Communication of Haiti.

CARICOM Energy Month is being held under the theme ‘Re-thinking Energy: Shaping a resilient Community’. This year, the second in which CARICOM Energy Month will be observed, the role of renewables and the importance of efficient energy use will be emphasised. CEM is a collaborative initiative to address the key energy issues and promoting cooperation based on the needs and common interest within the Community. It is a celebration of the significant strides that have been made within the Region in its transition to a sustainable energy pathway towards achieving long-term behavioural changes.

Several activities have been planned for the month including webinars, an art competition for youths, a regional energy kilo walk, and a youth essay competition. This year, an award for an energy personality is being introduced. The award will recognised the contributions made by an individual to the sustainable energy development of the Region.

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