Saint Lucia's obligations to the UN Climate Change Convention call for it to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 16% in 2025 and 23% in 2030. This will require an acceleration of the transition from the use of fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy in the electricity and transport sectors and Government policy should facilitate this.
Government should increase its target for national renewable energy penetration to 75% by 2030, aiming for full 100% conversion by 2040.
Government should work toward a complete phase-out of fossil fuels for electricity generation by the year 2035.
The efforts to establish a Wind Farm on the east coast that supplies 12 MW to 15 MW of electricity should be restarted.
Geothermal exploration should be continued, with a view toward commissioning a plant capable of supplying at least 30 MW of electricity to the national grid.
Tax rebates should be provided to encourage domestic households to invest in rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.
Work should be completed on modernizing the energy legislation to allow for full competition in electricity generation from renewable sources.
Import duties and other taxes on electric and hybrid vehicles should be either removed or significantly reduced.
The Government should transition the entire fleet of Government vehicles to electric or hybrid vehicles within the next ten years.
All existing Government-owned buildings (schools, health centres, hospitals, police stations, fire stations, community centres, libraries) should be retrofitted to use energy-saving devices and every new government buildings should be constructed with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency.
All emergency shelters, schools, community centres, libraries, police stations, fire stations, hospitals and health centres should be equipped with roof-top solar PV panels to reduce on the cost of running these facilities and to reduce our national dependency on expensive fossil fuel for energy.
Solar-powered electric charging stations should be established at strategic locations around the country, including the air and sea ports, to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles.
In conjunction with the increased generation of electricity from renewable energy sources, the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) should be made to offer cold ironing facilities at the major air and sea ports, powered from renewable sources. This will expand the demand for energy, stimulate domestic economic activity, and eliminate the air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels by the idling engines of the ships while they are in port.