Caribbean Embraces Green Technology

Environmentally-friendly technology, or “Greentech” as it is more popularly referred to these days is fast catching on in the Caribbean, according to Caribbean Climate Innovation Centre (CCIC). A broad classification that includes all aspects of products and lifestyles from the sourcing of raw materials to how the waste produced by this production and the product reaching the end of its intended life cycle are dealt with, the total estimated investment in this area, particularly in developing markets, is expected to cross USD 6 trillion in the next six years. Of this pie, the nations of the Caribbean will get their share as they try and protect their pristine environments and ecosystems to combat the current ills that pollution has brought to other parts of the world.

At present, the primary barrier to growth of the players in this industry, most of whom are entrepreneurs trying to tackle the associated issues of pollution, seems to be from the limited budgets that individual players operate with, where inability to sustain activities and not having a solid business plan are some of the biggest hurdles that cause innovators to trip up in their efforts. Still, there is no shortage of innovative people with entrepreneurial mindset, of whom about 1,000 have been trained by the CCIC to go forth and seize the opportunities that exist.

With the primary aim of making the region more able to cope with erratic and extreme weather events of the future and to maintain the beauty and economic viability of the idyllic tourist destinations that the Caribbean offers its visitors, the ability to care for their own needs in a manner that is respectful to the environment that all are part of is the primary driving force behind the current initiatives of the CCIC.