Earth Day 2020

Earth Day is April 22 of every year and on April 22, 2020 we will mark 50 years of Earth Day

The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action. The enormous challenge — but also the vast opportunities — of action on climate change have distinguished the issue as the most pressing topic for the 50th anniversary. Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.

The first Earth Day in 1970 is credited with launching the modern environmental movement, and is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event.Earth Day continues to hold major international significance: In 2016, the United Nations chose Earth Day as the day when the historic Paris Agreement on climate change was signed into force. Climate change and global warming, species extinction and biodiversity loss, poor waste management leading to pollution of the air, land and water are some of the issues affecting every living creature on planet Earth. 

Earth day is the day designated to remembering the beauty and majesty of this planet, but it is also a call to arms. Everyday we are faced with choices that affect the world beyond our view with repercussions that extend far beyond our life spans. This earth day and everyday after help work towards a healthier planet Earth in small and big ways. Recycle, reuse and reduce because our waste stays here with us, consume less energy and don't waste water. Say goodbye to one use plastics and find the alternatives that work for you, because it is out there. 

Take our #EarthDay quiz using the link below and share your results with us via INSTAGRAM (@eppdtt)

http://www.quiz-maker.com/QFY3FWP

What can I do for Earth Day?

For more information on what you can do to have save our planet visit https://www.earthday.org

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation 

Request for Proposal
EXTENDED

The UNIDO-United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, is requesting proposals for the provision of services captioned in the image.

NEW Deadline date is May 26 2020, 4:00pm Vienna CET.

For further details visit the website of the BCRC-Caribbean at www.bcrc-caribbean.org. 

This forms part of the GEF #5558 Regional Project, "Development and Inplementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Caribbean".

Persistent Organic Pollutants Communications Toolkit

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are a group of highly mobile and toxic chemicals, but their universal nature and harmful health effects are generally unknown to the wider public. To this end, a Communications Strategy is being developed to raise awareness on these deleterious chemicals. This forms part of an eight (8) country regional project entitled, "Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for POPs in the Caribbean".

Group photograph of key stakeholders and representatives from POP's affiliated sectors

Trinidad and Tobago as one of the project countries held a consultation on October 31, 2019 at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business to gain preliminary feedback on some of the communications materials developed from key stakeholders in POPs affiliated sectors. Based on the useful input provided, this, along with the feedback from the other seven (7) project countries is being used to refine the resources to ensure they meet the objectives.

As part of the implementation process the Trinidad and Tobago National Project Working Committee (PWC), which is chaired by the Ministry of Planning and Development, decided to conduct a national Household Chemicals and Waste Survey. This survey was aimed at gauging the general level of awareness about POPs, and was used as a baseline for comparisons post strategy implementation. There were a total of 1,172 respondents nationwide during the survey period January 7, 2020 to February 21, 2020. The statistics are being used to formulate the best strategy for dissemination of the suite of communications products, as the PWC seeks to ensure the public is well informed on how to 'Stop the POPs'!

Photograph of participants during a consultation meeting. 

Group photograph of attendees, including senior officials on the Ministry of Planning and Development

Inception Workshop for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Project entitled “Improving the monitoring system for climate change impacts on the agriculture sector in Trinidad and Tobago”

The Ministry of Planning and Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) hosted an Inception workshop for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) project entitled “Improving the monitoring system for climate change impacts on the agriculture sector in Trinidad and Tobago”, on the 6^th February, 2020 , at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  This project is one of Trinidad and Tobago’s two (2) Readiness GCF projects that were approved by the GCF Secretariat. This project is for the duration of 18 months for the sum of $USD260,000.00 and will focus on building climate change resilience in the agricultural sector through: 

1. Developing a framework for collection and analysis of agricultural and associated activity data that includes food import dependency, and hydrological and meteorological data that allows for visualization, and assessment of greenhouse gas emissions as well as to allow for reporting of gender sensitive climate impacts on agriculture and food systems; and
2. Building the capacity of key stakeholders to use agricultural, hydrological and meteorological data to improve resilience to climate change, including through the development of mobile phone applications. 

The project will therefore build a solid framework through the collection and analysis of agricultural and associated activity data that can then form the basis of more robust and comprehensive project proposals for funding under the GCF targeting the agriculture sector. 

The Inception workshop brought together a range of stakeholders in the agriculture sector to launch the project, share information on the proposed workplan and to raise awareness on the GCF and some of its processes. Going forward it is proposed to involve as many agriculture groups and stakeholder that can benefit from this project to further builds the country’s resilience to climate change. 

(L-R): Ms. Neila Bobb-Prescott (FAO), Ms. Beena Ramkissoon (Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries), Ms. Candace Leung Woo-Gabriel (Ministry of Planning and Development), and Ms. Martina Duncan (FAO).

Cross section of participants

Group photograph of participants of the first Training Course on Integrated Solid Waste Management

The University of the West Indies (UWI) hosts first Training Course on Integrated Solid Waste Management

Waste has been recognised as a cross-cutting global issue, the mis-management of which has direct implications for public health, environment, industry and the economy. For Small Island Developing States (SIDS), of which the Caribbean countries are categorised, there is a disproportionately higher impact from improper waste management. Practitioners must therefore be well equipped to understand the existing and latent threats, and deploy appropriate measures to address these challenges.

It is in this regard that the University of the West Indies, Saint Augustine Campus hosted a Sustainable Integrated Solid Waste Management themed half-day symposium on March 2, 2020 and short course from March 2 to 6, 2020 for persons engaged in solid waste management across the Caribbean.  The focus was on providing participants with the requisite tools for assessing the level of sustainability of solid waste management systems and making recommendations for their improvement, with particular emphasis on the Caribbean landscape. This was achieved through a mix of lectures, interactive sessions, a field trip to Carib Glassworks Limited; a local glass recycling facility, and group presentations. 

Ms. Joanne Deoraj, Permanent Secretary, MPD,
delivering the feature address. 

The Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Joanne Deoraj delivered the Feature Address at the Opening Ceremony of the Symposium, while at the training course, the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) was represented by Ms. Keima Gardiner, Waste Management Specialist and Ms. Tushara Maharaj, Environmental Engineering Specialist, both of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division. 

(L-R) Ms. T. Maharaj and Ms. K Gardiner showing off their certificate of participation
 represented the MPD

All workshop participants (Photo Courtesy BCRC-Caribbean)

Regional Training Workshop on the Article 15 reporting requirements under the Stockholm Convention (SC)

A 3-day regional workshop was hosted by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean) targeting training on the Article 15 reporting requirements under the Stockholm Convention (SC). The BCRC-Caribbean is the Executing Agency for the GEF 5558 project entitled “Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Caribbean” which aims at building capacity in the region to manage POPs and UPOPs in the eight (8) participating countries. Activity 1.2.4 of the project includes the conduction of a training needs assessment and provision of the requisite training to these participating countries on a regional basis. It as through this Activity that training on the Article 15 reporting requirements under the SC was identified as a priority area, thereby prompting the advent of this workshop, sufficiently ahead of the Fifth Reporting Cycle in 2022. 

Held on January 28 – 30, 2020 at the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago ,the workshop was facilitated by Mrs. Carla Valle-Klann (Programme Officer - the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat) and Mrs. Mihaela Paun International Consultant (United Nations Environment Programme, Chemicals and Health Branch). In attendance were the Official Contact Point (OCP) and/or National Focal Point (NFP) representatives per participating country (or their alternates) which included all fourteen (14) of the countries served under the BCRC-Caribbean, as well as staff of the BCRC-Caribbean.

This workshop was aimed at improving the understanding on the reporting obligations and the Electronic Reporting System (ERS) under the SC and increasing understanding on the inter-linkages between National Implementation Plan (NIP) generated information/data and reporting obligations. The 3 days featured presentations by the BRS Secretariat, UNEP and even a few of the participating countries. The workshop also provided a platform for interactive discussions where countries shared success stories and challenges on reporting. 

Moreover, a practical exercise on information/data compilation and completion of the latest version of the Article 15 reporting format was conducted via an online ERS demo. This exercise triggered troubleshooting queries and suggested improvements to the online interface, as well as highlighted a need for a more coordinated approach between the NIP update and reporting. 

Some of the outcomes of the workshop highlighted the need to implement procedures for quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) to verify the validity of data collected whilst also, allowing for synergy among reporting teams of other Multilateral Environmental Agreements which cover similar emission sources to share data and best practices. 

Upcoming:

The UNEP representative gave an overview of a GEF funded project - Integrated SC Toolkit (triggered by COP 8&9 decisions) which is in the development stage and expected to be finalized by BRS COP in 2021.  It aims at  improving transmission, access and use of data contained in the NIP and the National Reports using a highly integrated 4 Module System (NIP Module, ERS Module, Data Inventory Module, Guidance Module). 

Trinidad & Tobago representatives (L-R) Jiselle Joseph- EMA, Tushara Maharaj-MPD and Trisha Beejai - EMA. 

EPPD Staff at NIHERST Science Week- (L-R) Dr. L. Dempewolf (Biodiveristy Specialist), Mr. K Bhajan (Environmental Policy Analyst), Ms. D. Sookram (Research Analyst) and Ms. N. Singh (Ozone).

EPPD at the National Institute for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology’s (NIHERST) Science Week

“Water and Climate Change Action Science” 

2^nd – 7^th March, 2020

Members of the EPPD participated and contributed to the National Institute for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology’s (NIHERST) science week- “Water and Climate Change Action Science” (2^nd – 7^th March, 2020). 

There, an interactive display comprised of relevant literature, activities and promotional items provided students with the opportunity to learn more about several thematic areas as it relates to the EPPD’s operations. This was a great environment to engage in discussions about topics such as climate change, biodiversity, energy efficiency, ozone, etc. with interested students.

The audience ranged from preschoolers to sixth form students. Teachers as well as other exhibitors frequented the booth and took part in the many activities available. Students and teachers alike were enthusiastic about the wide range of reading material. Promotional items, quizzes, and other activities were conceptualized and developed by members of staff from the EPPD and distributed to students and teachers for further dissemination within their respective schools. 

EPPD was also part of the daily presentation schedule. Several short, informative and entertaining presentations on the following topics: Pollinators, Ozone, Energy Efficiency and the Science of Climate Change were delivered. The audience varied with each session and presentations were tailored to meet the needs of for each group. Students were immersed and responsive to topics and participated in significantly productive discussions. Overall, the positive feedback of EPPD’s booth was overwhelming and the level of engagement on each day was high.

Ms. Sookram delivering her presentation on The Science of Climate Change 

Mr. Bhajan delivering his presentation on Energy Efficiency 

Ms. Singh delivering her presentation on The Ozone Layer and Ozone Depletion 

Dr. Dempewolf delivering her presentation on Biodiversity