LECB - Second Mission of the Project Consultant

Work continued on the Low Emission Capacity Building (LECB) Programme, Trinidad and Tobago as Dr. Axel Michaelowa (Consultant, LECB) conducted his second mission during the  period January 11 - 21, 2016.

"The LECB Programme partners with governments to implement national projects that support national initiatives that address climate change and sustainable mitigation actions in both the public and industrial sectors as part of a joint collaboration between the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme."

His mission comprised of the following activities: 

• Bilateral meetings with the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business Renewable Energy Project Incubator and Trinity Power.
• A Baseline and Co-benefits Workshop was held at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre (January 15, 2016).
• A consultation was held at the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Company (PLIPDECO)
  to discuss potential mitigation options on the estate. The Industry Technical Working Groups met on that afternoon to conduct a SWOT Analysis and Co-Benefits Assessment for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) options for that sector (January 15, 2016).
• Technical Working groups for Power and Transport met at the Environmental Policy and Planning Division (EPPD) offices of the Ministry of Planning and Development to conduct SWOT analyses and co-benefits assessments for NAMA options in those sectors (January 18-19, 2016).  

 

Dr. Michaelowa (3rd from the right) with staff of the EPPD and  LECB Project Team at PLIPDECO.

Dr. Michaelowa facilitating discussions at the consultation in PLIPDECO  on January 15th, 2016.

MGM Innova, the firm which is delivering technical assistance for the development of guidelines for Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) also conducted a mission to Trinidad during the period February 15^th - 17^th and met with various stakeholders bilaterally in order to collect data on various systems which may exist or could be developed as it relates to MRV.

National Legislative Ammendments in accordance with the Basel Convention

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, was developed in response to concerns internationally, involving the dramatic rise in the illegal shipment of hazardous waste from developed countries for disposal in developing countries and Eastern Europe. Trinidad and Tobago acceded to the Basel Convention in 1994, and as such the country is obligated to ensure that such waste is managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

The country has experienced ad hoc incidents involving the unauthorised entry of hazardous chemicals and waste into the country. Although these were fortunately detected by the Customs and Excise Division, as they were in contravention with a list of permissible substances on their check system, all the hazardous substances as listed under the Basel Convention are not currently included in that system. Thus, the country remains at risk for future illegal trafficking of hazardous waste.

In response to this issue, the EPPD initiated a series of mechanisms to make amendments to the Import and Export Negative Lists, which would by extension give the force of law nationally to the implementation of the Basel Convention. More specifically, the objective is to establish an Import and Export Licensing System, through the inclusion of those Basel Convention hazardous wastes that are of major concern locally on to the Import and Export Negative Lists respectively.

This will serve two main functions:

•  the restriction of the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes across the country’s borders and;
•  the creation of a regulatory mechanism to monitor and control by way of documentation of the  hazardous waste being transported. 

Consultations have been ongoing with key stakeholders, namely the Customs and Excise Division, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) as the Competent Authority under the Basel Convention and the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Thus far progress has been positive and the key stakeholders have been very active and accommodating. It is anticipated that the final steps on this matter would be implemented in the not too distant future.

 

CRS Stakeholder Consultation - November 2015

A Stakeholder Consultation on the Draft Implementation Framework under the Project: Elaboration of a Strategy for the Reduction of Carbon Emissions in Trinidad and Tobago was held on 13th November, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port-of-Spain. 
 

Ms.Nnyeka Prescod, Project Manager for the Implementation Framework under the Project addressing the stakeholders at the CRS Consultation.

The main objectives of the Consultation were to present and refine the activities and timelines necessary to implement the Carbon Reduction Strategy in the three targeted sectors; electrical power generation, transport and industrial to achieve the carbon reduction target of 15% by 2040. Consequently, the main output of the consultation was a revision of timelines initially proposed in the Strategy to reflect achievable planning horizons so as to advance the implementation of the Strategy. 

Participants in working groups at the CRS Consultation.

Some of the major recommendations made by stakeholders included:

• Actions need to be undertaken by full time core unit of persons so as to meet timelines. 
• Funding should be made priority for the sector so as to successfully drive the required actions. 
• Mandate actions through legislation to bind industry to actions outlined in the Strategy. 
• A commitment from the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries to drive/champion these actions needs to be made. 
• There needs to be champions on the ground, within each stakeholder organization, to push the Strategy.

Click to hear more about the Carbon Reduction Strategy Project from Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh, Head of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit, Environmental Policy and Planning Division, Ministry of Planning and Development