As the 78 th session of the United Nations General Assembly kicks into high gear
this week, Antigua and Barbuda played a pivotal role in facilitating useful and
productive dialogue on the pressing issue of energy transition for small island
states.
The matter was the subject of an enthusiastic and insightful exchange of ideas
during a side event at the United Nations headquarters on Monday 18 th September.
The event was hosted jointly by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the
Scotia Group, which is a global network of prominent and influential thinkers in
law, politics, academia, and business.
Another major partner involved is RAND Europe, a well-respected non-profit
institution that seeks to help improve policy and decision making through research
and analysis.
The discussions have brought RAND Europe and the Scotia Group a step closer to
issuing a Call to Action that advocates a fundamental shift in the way climate
finance is raised and deployed for Small Island Developing States.
As part of this undertaking, RAND Europe and the Scotia Group will reveal their
findings in a document called “Roadmap for a Global Energy Transition”. It will
introduce new financial and legal tools that will encourage green investments in
Small Island Development States (SIDs), like Antigua and Barbuda.
News of this coincides with a major development that will take off in Antigua and
Barbuda next year which will address the knowledge and data gaps that island
nations experience.
“While we are not going to solve all issues here today, I am pleased to announce
that Antigua and Barbuda initiated the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for
SIDS so that we co-create solutions with our partners that are suitable for our case,
that meet the special circumstances of SIDS,” Ambassador Aubrey Webson
explained to the meeting.
“The Centre will work across sectors in technology and innovation, advanced data
science and financing and we look forward to working with you all – and Scotia
and RAND in particular- in the implementation of the New Programme of Action
including through the Centre,” he affirmed.
The Programme of Action is the result of months of hard work in defining a 10-
year agenda for SIDS and will be unveiled at the end of the 4 th SIDS Conference
which will be held in Antigua and Barbuda in May next year.
