I welcome the opportunity this afternoon to speak at the launch of this CDEMA funded Energy Efficiency Project. This project has the potential to be highly beneficial to individuals, communities and Anguilla as a whole. It should therefore be welcomed wholeheartedly.
My understanding is that this Energy Efficiency Project is designed to raise awareness and promote energy-efficient behaviour and practices throughout residential communities in Anguilla. This will in turn assist in the effort to build resilience to disasters and climate change. A clear incentive to make every effort to secure the success of this project is that the cost of electricity places an economic strain on households and therefore any activity resulting in reduced electricity costs is very welcome.
The consumption of electricity in Anguilla is made possible by the burning of what is described as fossil fuels. The resultant emission of gases into the environment increases the carbon footprint which reflects itself in climate change, which makes communities more prone to disasters or more devastating disasters. The more efficient use of electricity will result in a reduction in the burning of fossil fuels and a reduction in carbon emissions. This reduces the carbon footprint, which results in the lowering of the potential for climate change. This all translates into reducing the intensity of disaster events or the risk of devastating disaster events. What I have tried to capture is the chain of events that we are seeking to break by promoting more energy efficient behaviour. Hopefully families will become conscious of how actions taken within their households, to reduce electricity consumption can ultimately reduce their risk/our risk to disasters.
In an attempt to promote disaster management practices, various public awareness programmes and activities in reference to climate change and disaster risk reduction have been conducted. However, there has been no initiative in Anguilla, to date, which ensures community involvement on a large scale. This project is intended to fill that void. It will encourage households to participate and adopt practices to reduce their energy consumption and costs; it will prepare families for disasters, and build their resilience to the impacts of climate change. The project will address the fusion of climate change effects such as sea level rise, impacts from natural hazards and the risks associated with all disasters. This is significant as the communities where the participating households are located are coastal and low lying, which increases their vulnerability to climate change effects.
The project is a joint effort on the part of the Departments of Environment and Disaster Management. Their collaboration will include conducting a Disaster and Climate Change Adaptation Public Sensitization Programme. The programme will be designed to increase the public’s knowledge base on energy efficiency, climate change and hazard and risk reduction areas. The Departments will also collaborate on the preparation of reports surrounding this project. These will include a manual on Reducing Household risk, a social governance report and the overarching report for the project.
The success of the project depends on the participants adhering to established requirements to ensure greater efficiency in the use of electricity. I encourage persons to behave in the manner most likely to ensure the success of the project.
We, and those to come after us, can potentially be the beneficiaries of this project.
Let’s work together to make it happen.
Thank you.
