September 1977: Project Group Meeting on Alternative Energy Resources, Barbados

Rather than our current concerns surrounding climate change, the prompt to find ‘alternative’ energy in 1977 was mainly driven by the recognition that traditional supplies of natural fuel resources were finite. However, despite the difference in start point many of the issues discussed in Barbados have a resonance today.

In his address to the meeting J M G M Adams, the President of Barbados illustrated how his government were encouraging more energy efficient building design and adjusting taxes to penalise large energy consuming motor vehicles.[1] While the Commonwealth Secretary-General drew attention to the necessity for recovering used resources and recycling the wastes of resource conversion.

The Caribbean Alternative Energy Programme was originally conceived as a regional exercise. Yet participation spanned across the Commonwealth and beyond to the OAS, USA and Puerto Rico. Working on collaborative projects the project group examined the potential of Solar, Wind, Biogas and Bagasse as fuel with the intention of providing direct solutions at the small scale and village level.

For further information and details of the projects taken up please contact the Library and Archives of the Commonwealth Secretariat.