The scoping study was produced by the Government of Saint Lucia, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology and UNEP, with the collaboration of the University of the West Indies, and financial support of the European Union, as part of the project Advancing Caribbean States’ Sustainable Development through Green Economy.
“Given that Saint Lucia has already started integrating green economy into its national planning and policy frameworks, we hope that it inspires other countries on how to use this approach to move towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP’s support to Saint Lucia on this transition continues, namely through the development of a new waste management project, which will build from the recommendations of the scoping study”, said Vincent Sweeney, Head of the UNEP Caribbean Sub-Regional Office.
The scoping study identifies the most significant challenges for the tourism sector: the high input costs (primarily for energy, water and waste management), competing uses for environmentally sensitive areas accompanied by inadequate land use policies (particularly in coastal areas) as well as the need to diversify Saint Lucian tourism beyond “sun, sea and sand” vacations.
The report recommends that green tourism is mainstreamed by the Government of Saint Lucia as a crucial part of its drive towards sustainability. The benefits of greening tourism include enhancing visitor experience, adding value to local businesses, supporting biodiversity and reducing the negative impact on the environment, according to the report.
The study also focuses on the need for diversifying the agricultural sector, so as to increase food security via more efficient, less resource-intensive production of non-traditional crops. The study confirms that aquaculture and aquaponics constitute investment opportunities that can stimulate job creation, particularly for the young.