Bridgetown.
Executive Coordinator of the United Nation's Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development Elizabeth Thompson, says it is time for small island sates (SIDS) such as Barbados to be more innovative in environmental causes and business development.
Thompson, who is in Barbados for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) high level conference being held at the Barbados Hilton, and for a meeting with Government Ministers and officials, as a precursor to the Rio summit has set inovation will be the theme of her discussions.
"Energy issues and the environment are critical to our economic security in the Caribbean, partticularly where there is a significant debt under the PetroCaribe agreement. How we transition our economy regarding renewable energy will be focused on in Rio, Thompson told Trakker News.
"What we need to do is to look at how to get innovative financing. How we can create opportunities for our entrepreneurs to partner with international businesses so the Barbadian business will have a local birthplace, an international address, along with a international storefront to deliver their goods and services", Thompson said.
Thompson is meeting today with several Government Officials today to look at various issues before the Rio summit.
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