Port of Spain, July 24, 2018 – The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and Department of Sustainable Development, Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development in Saint Lucia engaged government, civil society and private sector stakeholders to input into a national workshop to enhance Saint Lucia’s environmental legislation from June 26-27, 2018.

The national workshop aimed to develop two new pieces of legislation, including a Climate Change Bill and Environmental Management Bill for Saint Lucia. The proposed Climate Change Bill provides a framework for ensuring intersectoral coordination and financing for effective planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of climate change adaptation and mitigation actions. The proposed Environmental Management Bill serves as umbrella legislation that addresses a range of key environmental issues, including biodiversity and protected areas, coastal zone and marine management, pollution, environmental approvals, monitoring and enforcement as well as climate change.

In opening remarks at the workshop, the Chief Sustainable Development and Environment Officer, Ms. Annette Rattigan-Leo, highlighted that: “The legislation will provide support in helping the Department lead the process of achieving sustainable development by facilitating an integrated and participatory approach to governance and promoting environmental management”.

Additional input and comments from the wider public and other interested parties are now invited for the Climate Change Bill and Environment Management Bill for Saint Lucia. The draft bills are available on request from the Department of Sustainable Development. Please call (1-758) 451-8746 for further details. All comments should be submitted by August 3, 2018.

This initiative is supported by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Global Climate Change Alliance project, iLAND Resilience – Promoting a Climate of Change, funded by the European Union (EU). The overall aim of the iLAND Resilience project is to enable the implementation of the OECS St. George’s Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability, namely the protection and sustained productivity of the OECS countries’ natural resources. CANARI is providing technical assistance to the Department of Sustainable Development under this initiative to create an enabling legal framework for conservation and sustainable management of Saint Lucia’s natural resources and build resilience to climate change.

About iLAND Resilience – Promoting a Climate of Change: iLAND Resilience – Promoting a Climate of Change is the brand for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) project on Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Land Management in the Eastern Caribbean. This project is funded by the European Union (EU). One component of this project focuses on Technical Assistance for the Development of Frameworks aimed at Enhancing Environmental Management. This technical assistance component seeks to develop institutional frameworks towards improved environmental management and resilience to climate change in four OECS Member States, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia. CANARI is implementing this component on behalf of the OECS and providing co-financing through its EU funded project, Powering Innovations in Civil Society and Enterprises for Sustainability in the Caribbean (PISCES). See here for more information on the iLand Resilience project: http://iland.oecs.org/.

About CANARI: The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is a regional technical non-profit organisation which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for more than 25 years. Our mission is to promote equitable participation and effective collaboration in managing natural resources critical to development. Our programmes focus on capacity building, policy planning and development, research, sharing and dissemination of lessons learned, and fostering regional partnerships. See here for more information on CANARI: http://www.canari.org/.

IMAGE: Stakeholders at the second national consultation in St. Kitts and Nevis