Georgetown, October 24, 2016: CARICOM Energy Week has been an annual feature that is celebrated simultaneously across the Caribbean by CARICOM member states. This year, a decision was made by CARICOM to have the entire month of November be labelled ‘Energy Month’. Hence, going forward CEW will now be CEM-CARICOM Energy Month. 

Once again Guyana and her fellow CARICOM member states will be simultaneously observing Energy Month! In keeping with the promotion of sustainable energy, CARICOM Energy Month (CEM) 2016 will be commemorated simultaneously across the Caribbean by CARICOM member states from the 01st-30th NOV, 2016 under the theme “Sustainable Energy for Sustainable Development (SE4SD)”.  

The main thrust of CEM continues to be the building of awareness among various segments of the society and across the Community “about critical energy issues with a key focus on sustainable energy development at the national level”. This year the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) has planned several activities for various target groups to commemorate CEM 2016. The objective of these activities is to sensitize the Guyanese population, with specific focus on youths, on sustainable energy and its role in ensuring the sustainable development of our nation and the Caribbean region at large.  

The activities planned by the Agency for Energy Week 2016 are:

• Activity 1: A broadcast/Publication of this year’s Energy Month Message from the Minister Responsible for Energy, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Mr. David Patterson.
• Activity 2: Dissemination of Booklets
  Through sponsorship by the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) and the Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotia Bank) two thousand booklets with energy related information will be donated during energy month. The booklet distribution exercise will target both children and adults.
• Activity 3 School Presentation: On Monday November 17th Secondary school students of Forms 4 and 5 in Essequibo and Linden (Regions 2 and 10) will be able to view a “Sustainable Energy” video and benefit from a 30-minute power point presentation on ‘Sustainable Energy Initiatives and Conservation Practices’.  During the visit, students will have an opportunity to interact with Officials of the Guyana Energy Agency and will be encouraged to form ‘Energy Champion’ clubs and meet regularly to discuss the implementation of energy conservation measures in school and at home.
• Activity 4: ‘Express your Energy’

  On Friday November 25th, students of Grades 4 to 6 from ten (10) primary schools in Region 5 will benefit from our ‘Express your Energy’ activity. Originally held in Georgetown Region 4, GEA has decided to take the activity to another region so that schools and students of outlying areas can benefit from the exercise. ‘Express Your Energy’ is non-competitive in nature and allows younger children to convey their interpretation of energy efficiency, energy conservation and sustainability through artwork, pictorial illustrations discussions and games.

• Activity 5: Conferral of Plaques and Prizes to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of ‘The My Green School’ Video Competition (Sponsored by Demerara Bank):

  In July of this year GEA launched a video competition for Secondary School students titled ‘My Green School’. Featured as one of the activities to commemorate CEM 2016 ‘My Green School’ aims to have students of forms 1-5 make a case to promote renewable energy development and reduce the carbon footprint within their respective school. Participants are encouraged to show opportunities for improved energy use or efficiency this year or since interacting with the Agency.

  To facilitate a wider participation of schools in the competition GEA has extended the deadline of this activity to Wednesday 09th November 2016. The conferral of plaques and prizes to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of the competition will take place on Tuesday November 29, 2016. This activity will be sponsored by Demerara Bank.

• Activity 6:  Secondary School Renewable Energy Project:

  
As a complement of the ‘My Green School’ competition a solar photovoltaic system will be designed and installed at the school of the 1st place winner. At a cost of over two million dollars the installation of the system is envisioned to benefit not only the school but students as well by fostering learning and creating interest in renewable energy technology. 

The observance of Energy Month 2016 is a representation of the strengthened integration of the Caribbean Community as member states seek to address climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy access and energy security as part of a low carbon approach to development. 

GEA’s observance of ‘CARICOM Energy Month’ continues to be an annual feature which aids in fulfilling part of its mandate through the dissemination of information, essential to improving public awareness on sustainable energy, conservation and overall efficiency. The overarching objective being to empower Guyana’s youth, and citizens as a whole, such that behavioral changes can occur thereby aiding in the country’s sustainable development and the realization of the vision of a ‘Green Guyana’.