Monday 13th Feb 2023, Castries, Saint Lucia – The Deputy Director General and Head of Global Growth Planning and Implementation, Helena McLeod, along with the Director and Head of programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, Jennifer Zapata of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) visited the Eastern Caribbean between February 13th – 17th, 2023 to meet with Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), government officials, and private sector leaders. The visit is part of GGGI’s ongoing efforts to support the region in its transition to a green, inclusive, and sustainable economy.
During their visit to Saint Lucia, Ms. McLeod and Ms. Zapata, along with GGGI Caribbean Representative Dr. Kristin Deason, participated in high-level meetings with the Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules and his team, Saint Lucian Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Youth Economy, Honorable Wayne Girard, along with senior government officials in the departments of finance and economic development, and other key economic stakeholders in a continued effort to promote green growth in the region. They also visited several green growth projects, including New Flower Regenerative Garden, run by one of the participants in the Green Entrepreneurship Incubator, to see firsthand the positive impact GGGI is having on the local communities and the environment.
Ms. McLeod commented “The Eastern Caribbean is at the forefront of efforts to transition to a green economy, and I am thrilled to visit the region and see the progress being made. GGGI is committed to supporting this region in its efforts to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth and I thoroughly enjoyed engaging with our partners to explore new opportunities for cooperation.”
The GGGI delegation also visited Barbados, where they met with USAID, the Canadian High Commission, the UK High Commission, and the European Delegation to further development opportunities in the region.
The visit is part of GGGI’s ongoing work in the Eastern Caribbean, where the organization has been an active partner with the OECS since 2019, when the OECS joined GGGI as its first regional member. GGGI Caribbean continues to provide technical assistance, capacity building and policy support to key governments, public and private stakeholders in the areas of climate action, sustainable finance, renewable energy, and green entrepreneurship.