In observance of Earth Day 2021, members of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division were featured live on CNC3’s The Morning Brew, hosted by Jessie-May Ventour. This presented an opportunity for technical staff to share insights into the work undertaken by the Ministry of Planning and Development on several areas of environmental interest, namely Climate Change, Biodiversity, Ozone and Waste and Chemicals.
Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh (Head, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit) and Ms. Sindy Singh (Climate Change Specialist), featured above, collaboratively addressed questions regarding the urgency for climate action, Trinidad and Tobago's obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement and work done locally to achieve the country's obligations via a portfolio of projects. Watch interview here.
Dr. Lena Dempewolf (Biodiversity Specialist) and Mr. Julius Smith (Environmental Biologist), featured above, addressed questions relating to the importance of conserving biological diversity and the sustainable management and use of land resources respectively. Both were presented with the opportunity to share insights in to the country's obligations under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Dr. Dempewolf outlined several benefits to the country which have resulted from projects that have been successfully implemented and made mention of future projects. Watch interview here.
Dr. Marissa Gowrie (Deputy Environmental Manager/National Ozone Officer) was featured next who raised awareness of the measures that have been implemented by Government to reduce and eliminate the use of harmful ozone depleting substances. Dr. Gowrie also touched on the country's obligations under the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment which has resulted in a ban on the importation of some ozone depleting substances. The certification scheme for refrigeration and air conditioning technicians was also discussed. Watch interview here.
EPPD's segment ended with valuable contributions from Ms. Keima Gardiner (Waste Management Specialist) and Ms. Tushara Maharaj (Environmental Engineering Specialist) who both spoke about waste and chemical management in Trinidad and Tobago. Ms. Gardiner highlighted The Stop the POPs! communication campaign which has been designed to heighten the awareness of citizens of the dangers of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Ms. Gardiner explained that POPs may be present in items such as fire retardant clothing, drapes and other common household items hence the importance of the communication campaign. Ms. Maharaj touched on the importance of having relevant and reliable environmental data to facilitate informed policy development and decision making. Watch interview here.
The EPPD joins other local state agencies in commemorating Earth Day 2021 and encourage you to incorporate sustainable practises in your day to day undertakings!
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
- Robert Swan
