There is still some work to do on Sint Maarten when it comes to’ Ensuring Environmental Sustainability’, goal nr. 7 of the eight Millennium Development Goals. This Goal applies to Sint Maarten, due to the signing of the Millennium Declaration in 2000, whereby 189 countries of the United Nations (UN) have agreed upon to better the situation in the world as per 2015 on crucial issues around Poverty Alleviation, Health, Education, Gender Equality, Global partnership and Environmental Sustainability. They have established the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The countries would measure every year their progress and establish rules therefor. Sint Maarten has published a Millennium Development Goals report in 2011. The conclusion is that for MDG nr. 7, which is ‘Environmental Sustainability’ Sint Maarten is lagging behind. Right now BAK, the department of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is putting a program together to make sure that Sint Maarten gets on track with this MDG.
How do we ensure a sustainable environment and where do we begin? This question has kept several Caribbean countries busy for at least the last 10 years. There are several items falling under this MDG-Goal, such as: Access to improved (drinking) water sources; more people having their own dwelling; improvement of sanitation facilities; a halt to environmental threats; reverse the loss of environmental resources/biodiversity; protection of coral reefs and the use of sustainable energy.
The latter is one of the priorities of the minister of VROMI (Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure), the Honorable Maurice Lake, who is working closely together with the established Energy Commission (wherein GEBE has seat) to come up with a sustainable Energy Plan for Sint Maarten. Departure point and basis of the Energy Policy Plan will be the Trias Energetica concept. This concept of Reduce, Re-use and Recycle is very clear. Firstly, St. Maarten needs to limit our energy demand through energy saving. Secondly, we need to use more renewable sources to meet the remaining energy demand. Only then should fossil fuels be used, and as efficiently and cleanly as possible. At the end it boils down to the principle of ‘Energy savings come first on the path to environmental protection’.
The need of taking a good look at the energy use of the population and to come up with the right solutions is being taken seriously in other Caribbean countries (CARICOM) as well. Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and St. Lucia have approved their energy policy plan already. Haiti, St Kitts, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Dominica, The Bahamas and Barbados have a draft policy plan. Within the Dutch Caribbean Islands Aruba is paving its way to ensure Environmental Sustainability via its Energy Policy Plan as well, with the ultimate goal to be self-supporting when it comes to energy use with wind and solar energy, and with a waste to energy facility, in order to reach their goal to be 100% Sustainable thru Renewable Energy as per 2020.
In Sint Maarten we are starting to realize more and more that every dollar spent on energy efficiency can return 3 dollars in energy savings. This can be done on several levels, from applying energy and water saving measures within the building sector to measures within the Tourism and transportation sector, the government and households.
If we take the Millennium Development targets into account, we will integrate the principles of sustainable development into our country policy plans and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources.
Although we have already made steps to ensure the protection of our resources, namely the establishment of the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area, further legislation should be put in place to protect and conserve our wetland and terrestrial ecosystems.
‘We will need input from all relevant stakeholders to make our National Energy Plan, which will be focusing on practical solutions and recommendations. Let’s start step by step with taking small measures likes the use of LED and energy saving light bulbs, dusk to dawn lighting with motion detectors, energy saving AC and appliances, the use of electric cars charged by solar panels, insulate our roofs and use sustainable building materials, install solar panels, install water saving devices, closing of windows and doors when using air conditioning, and turning off lights in rooms that are unoccupied (occupancy sensors in offices), etc., we can reduce our energy use for a great percentage. Using our energy resources wisely works on several levels and will benefit us all in the end. We will hold more money in our pockets, reduce our extremely high carbon footprint and protect our environment at the same time. Thus, we are keeping the island beautiful for our people as well as for the tourists. It’s a win-win situation for all of us and for our environment. That is what we are striving for,’ is the conclusion of the minister of VROMI.
From the Department of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BAK)