Hon. Pickering says by implementing the policy on Climate Change the VI is now able to access EU’s Climate Change Funds. Photo: Javon Liburd/VINO

Hon. Pickering along with other Government Ministers and members of the HLSCC Pilot Solar Project viewing the solar pad at the HLSCC Marine Studies Campus. Photo: Javon Liburd/ VINO

According to then acting Premier Hon. Kedrick Pickering, the Climate Change Adaptation Policy that he fully supported was approved in Cabinet couple weeks ago and will soon be the official policy of the Territory.

He said that the policy that was created by a team led by Climate Change Environmental Officer Angela Burnett-Penn is currently in the possession of the EU Overseas Countries and Territories Association as a model.

The Minister for Natural Resources and Labour made these statements on June 7, 2012, at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College’s official launch of their Pilot Solar Project at the Centre for Applied Marine studies.

Hon. Pickering stated that because of that policy being adopted , the VI is now at a position where it can be called the leaders in the Caribbean for climate change. “We are the first in the region to have adopted such a comprehensive climate change policy, we are the leaders.”

Minister Pickering added that by adopting the climate change policy as a policy of the territory, the Virgin Islands will be eligible to access the ‘Climate Change Fund’, which is a fund made available to any country or territory who have adopted any strategy of implementing climate change in their country.

“It is a vast amount of money, huge sums of money that is available for initiatives just like this,” said Hon. Pickering.

He added that having a climate change policy in place serves as the fundamental basis for accessing the funds.

Solar Farm in Anegada

While on the topic of conserving energy in the Virgin Islands, Hon. Pickering mentioned that there is an energy company located in Tennessee, in the United States of America, who is interested in setting up a Solar Farm in Anegada.

He stated that the company has already done research for such a project and added that if the problem with the current power source in Anegada is fixed, there is no need for a power plant on the island.

"What is exciting about Anegada is that the energy that is generated can easily be transferred to the grid without having too many difficult issues, so if we can perfect that system on Anegada, we actually reduce the need for a power plant on Anegada significantly."

The Minister said that Anegada has the resources for a major pilot project and the Virgin Islands should take full advantage.

He stated that the power system currently in Anegada can be used as an example, where the system can be analyzed then modified in ways which makes it adaptable to all the other islands and ultimately the entire VI.