BASSETERRE, St Kitts – The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment is celebrating the month of October as the Month of Sustainability with the aim of encouraging residents to reconsider the role that they can play in reversing or slowing down factors feeding into climate change and global warming by promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Shez Dore-Tyson, said that highlighting the work being done regarding the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA) and Climate Action, all through coordination and collaboration among the Departments that make up the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment, Parks and Beaches Unit and the Solid Waste Management Corporation.
In addition to capacity-building opportunities, the Ministry is engaging in media tours, strategic planning meetings across individual Departments, and a legislative review of the National Physical Development Plan, which is a set of principles and practices that seek to manage land resources across all sectors like agriculture, housing, water and energy, in a way that meets current and future demands while at the same time ensuring the health of ecosystems.
Recently, during the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, Hon Dr Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development et al., speaking on the Federation’s Sustainability Agenda, said Saint Kitts and Nevis stands firm in the belief that a transition towards sustainability must begin at home.
“We guarantee that our island, our people and our culture are protected and remain on the path toward a sustainable future, one where:
i) Our homes and establishments enjoy a clean and uninterrupted water supply
ii) Where our farmers and agriculturalists can produce a significant portion of the foods we sell and consume locally
iii) Where our houses and businesses can be powered by renewable, affordable, clean energy
iv) Where we diversify our economic growth, focusing instead on circularity, zero waste and sustainable waste management practices
v) Where the sustainability performance of our tourism product can be upscaled towards eco-friendly destination management
vi) Where our infrastructure is designed to withstand the negative effects of climate change and the resultant intensified natural disasters”