2nd UK/Caribbean Business Forum, TRINIDAD HILTON 8th June, port of spain, Trinidad & Tobago

May 30, 2007: “Climate change is rapidly moving up the international agenda. Politicians globally recognise that as the debate shifts its focus to environmental security, opportunities will emerge in regions such as the Caribbean to encourage international support for new policies on the economy, energy, investment and in other areas”. 

“For this reason the decision by the Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce and the Caribbean-Britain Business Council to focus the 2007 biennial UK-Caribbean Business Forum on the threats and opportunities of climate change is therefore very welcome. This event will enable all concerned in the region to understand better the need to develop a positive position on how the Caribbean can take advantage of its status as a low carbon emitter but one that is vulnerable to climate change”

So said Lord Foulkes, President of the Caribbean-Britain Business Council (CBBC) and a former British Development Minister when announcing in London that up to 150 participants from Caribbean Governments, the private sector and the academic world are expected to participate in the 2nd UK/Caribbean Business Forum on June 8th at the Trinidad Hilton.

The CBBC President noted that speakers will include the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, the Hon Patrick Manning and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, the Hon Anthony Hylton. Others participating as speakers and panellists include; Dimitri Zenghelis, Lead Author from the Stern Review Team ; Dr Kenrick Leslie, Executive Director, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre; Bert Brown, Managing Director, SGS Supervise; and Juan Pablo Bonilla, SECCI Co-ordinator, Inter-American Development Bank.

The conference will address threats and opportunities to Caribbean business & industry; alternative sources of energy and energy security; climate change and the Caribbean insurance market; new challenges for tourism; and developing carbon trading platforms and certification systems in the Caribbean.