Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS): The Ministry of Sustainable Development is using the month of November to focus energies within the government and to mobilize private sector stakeholders in “Building Momentum Towards Sustainability.”
That’s the theme for the inaugural Month of Sustainability organized by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment. The month-long initiative was conceived by the Minister responsible for the aforementioned ministries, the Honourable Dr. Joyelle Clarke.
On the November 08, 2023, edition of InFocus, Rhon Boddie, Director of the Urban Development Unit, noted that the local commemoration complements the government’s reset initiative announced in September 2023 by Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew.
“There was a reset for housing, a reset for energy and more, and it has to do with resetting the focus of the ministries, not just [the Ministry] of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action but the entire government system into focusing on the different aspects of what makes a sustainable island state,” Mr. Boddie expressed. “We are the leaders in this [transformation], but the public, other ministries and the private sector can link with us as we move forward in the creation of this Sustainable Island State.”
Tourism Month, Youth Month and Energy Month, all take place during November. Derionne Edmeade, Director of the Department of Environment said that some activities for the Month of Sustainability will tie into other activities organized by other government ministries. These include an Infocade by the Ministry of Tourism on November 11, an Energy Fair by the Ministry of Utilities on November 17, and a Beach Clean Up by the Ministry of Youth Empowerment on November 18.
By collaborating with the various ministries, Mr. Edmeade explained that this will help to educate others about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the pursuit of transforming St. Kitts and Nevis into a Sustainable Island State while aligning the activities of other ministries toward this goal.