CARICOM closer to developing regional regulations to improve energy performance in buildings

Energy conservation and the implementation of an Energy Efficiency Building Code are critical to mitigate the impacts of climate change which pose great risks to countries, like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, within the Caribbean. This was the sentiment expressed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Commerce in St. Vincent and Grenadines, Ms. Sandy Peters-Phillips, on Monday 24 July, 2017, when she addressed the opening of the Second Meeting of the Regional Project Team (RPT) for the Development of the CARICOM Energy Efficiency Building Code (EEBC).

The Meeting was held in Kingstown over two days, 24-25 July 2017, and, according to Dr. Devon Gardner, Programme Manager for Energy within the CARICOM Secretariat, signalled the “collective intent of CARICOM to act in a collaborative and cohesive manner to give life an Energy Efficiency Building Code for the Region”.

Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who was at the technical meeting session, provided critical insight into a number of key issues, especially the legal requirements and socioeconomic considerations at national levels, of which the RPT should be mindful. He indicated that the inclusive approach that was being pursued, with regard to the EEBC development, could contribute to balancing the technical options, which were being considered by the experts, with the national realities and provide an easier path for country adoption.

At this, the Second Meeting, the RPT reached consensus on a Draft Caribbean Application Document (CAD), just four months after the first meeting was convened in Kingston, Jamaica. The meeting also resulted in the endorsement of a programme of work for the effective, efficient and timely completion of the Regional EEBC.

The RPT, which comprises energy efficiency and standards development experts nominated by National Bureaus of Standards from across the Region, was formally launched in March 2017 with the mandate to review and determine an optimal approach for adapting and developing an appropriate code for consideration as the EEBC for CARICOM. The first meeting had approved the use of the International Energy Conservation Code 2018 (IECC 2018) as the reference code for the Regional EEBC. Since then, a Draft CAD was developed through cooperation between the CARICOM Secretariat and the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), and reviewed by Committees established within the Member States that engaged key stakeholders. The revised draft of the CAD will now be open to the general public in Member States for validation.

The EEBC, which will address all aspects of energy use in buildings, is expected to reduce the dependency on imported fossil fuels within the Region by reducing buildings’ energy consumption. Furthermore, it can substantially contribute to compliance with domestic targets for sustainable energy use and global commitments for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction.

The development of the CARICOM EEBC is being supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, through the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance (REETA) Programme, as well as the Global Environment Facility (GEF), through the Energy for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Caribbean Buildings Project.