The delegates participated in discussions on how countries in the Caribbean could easily source the vast majority of their energy needs from renewable sources.

The 19 delegations in attendance included from The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, who heard expert presentations on solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy.

Their agreement featured a multi-steps plan they hope will be of some assistance to the countries involved and stipulates that they should:

* establish action plans and deadlines for what sort of renewable energies to develop and when;

* work on anticipating the problems of sea-level rise by identifying potential resettlement scenarios;

* promote trade in energy within clusters of Caribbean States, similar to that pioneered by St. Kitts and Nevis, which has been developed in geothermal energy in two phases – first to see a 40 megawatts power station in operation by 2010 to export to St Kitts in 2011 and second to double capacity in 2014, to 80 megawatts, so that the electricity can be transmitted by high voltage direct current lines to other islands;

* coordinate their policies on international climate funding measures, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), so that they develop a united voice at climate conferences, to help make sure smaller countries get their fare share of funds;

* establish, where appropriate, feed-in tariffs which impose a legal obligation on utilities and energy companies to purchase electricity from renewable energy producers at a favourable price per unit which is usually guaranteed over a certain time period (about 20 years);

* pick low-hanging fruit (small-scale energy saving projects) which could make a big difference without too high investment, in particular like installing solar water heaters in hotels, noting that can substantially reduce the fossil fuel consumption of the tourism industry;

* make government buildings an example, by equipping them with renewable energy and making them efficient;

* ensure that the legislators present network, so as to share information after the discussions and continue to inspire each other in pursuit of promoting renewable energy;

* ensure that the legislators recognise the importance of emphasising the need for community sensitisation to renewable energy, because the public at large does not understand the necessity for such a transition to renewable energy;

* ensure that the legislators recognise the importance of emphasising that rich, developed nations produce the vast majority of CO2 emissions and those countries need, therefore, to accept the burden of adjustment in solving the climate change problem and

* ensure that the legislators recognise the importance of emphasising the value of standing forests as a sink for CO2.

Executive Director of e-Parliament, Mr. Jesper Grolin advised that legislators, in continuing to address climate change, also promote energy access for the poor.

The hearing, attended, as well by both President Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, was the fourth in a series of nine scheduled in Caribbean, African and Pacific island States between 2008 and 2010.