Our Scans · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Weekly Summary

• Barbados joins other Caribbean countries that are using Cat DDOs to build financial buffers and institutional capacity to handle increasing disaster risk, including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Grenada, Dominica, and Saint Lucia. World Bank
• In addition to the recent results of elections in Mexico, the U.S. and Venezuela, the upcoming 2025 general elections in Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Curacao, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago will define a new political landscape. Gateway House
• Starlink service in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is set to start in 2025. starlinkinsider.com
• Intense and unpredictable rainfall patterns have led to severe flooding across several Caribbean countries, including Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. ReliefWeb
• UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams are in Jamaica, as well as in Barbados, from where they will deploy to Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. ReliefWeb
• The finance strategies of Cambodia, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines could potentially provide input to the Needs-based Finance strategies being developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change program. International Institute for Sustainable Development
• SAINT LUCIA, the US, and IRELAND called for revising the misleading message that benefits could only become visible in the next decade or beyond to also mention near-term benefits of investments in climate change adaptation. IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin
• SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS, with TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, GRENADA, and SAINT LUCIA, called for language from the underlying report stating that long-term risks from sea level rise are existential threats to low-lying coasts and small islands. IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin
• On the China-Taiwan competition, 2022 will likely see the Caribbean become a new area of focus, including the possibility of a flip by the current government of Saint Lucia (which currently recognizes Taiwan but previously recognized the PRC), or by the next government in Haiti. Global Americans
• High electricity prices are a major constraint to doing business in Saint Lucia, and the future development of geothermal energy will strengthen the business environment for the private sector to pursue clean energy projects. LinkedIn
• Saint Lucia is working towards improving its investment environment to provide clarity for investors and funders on their returns and impact, so they have confidence that returns will be both secure and attractive. World Economic Forum
• For Saint Lucia, the Caribbean region and other SIDS, greater investment in renewable energy is an opportunity to improve the trade balance and increase energy security, while also investing in climate-resilient infrastructure. World Economic Forum
• Solutions for transitioning into greater energy security, improving trade balance and creating job opportunities SIDS in the Caribbean, including Saint Lucia, are reliant on centralized electricity systems powered predominantly by fossil fuels that deplete their foreign exchange. World Economic Forum
• Preferential trade measures granted to least developed countries do not apply to upper-middle - income countries such as Saint Lucia, despite their size and inherent vulnerabilities. World Economic Forum
• Vulnerability to climate change, natural disasters and external shocks Saint Lucia is exposed to high levels of risk, due both to its natural characteristics that cause meteorological and geologic hazards, and to the structure of its economy. World Economic Forum
• CFR stakeholders acknowledge that Saint Lucia and the SIDS face larger systemic challenges that are not within the scope of the CFR initiative, e.g. the issue of concessional financing, the multidimensional vulnerability index, etc. World Economic Forum
• By the end of 2021, IGC expects to have four farms operating in the following islands: Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Lucia. Caribbean News Global
• The grant financing will help the Government of Saint Lucia assess the viability of its geothermal resources for power generation and strengthen the business environment for the private sector to pursue clean energy projects. Energy Live News
• Atypically for small island countries, Saint Lucia's mitigation NDCs extend beyond its energy sector plans to highlight sectoral strategies for a range of sectors, including transport, fisheries, waste, land use, environmental management, and coastal zone management. AGU Journals
• A new recycling plant in neighboring Martinique, currently operating under capacity, could serve as a destination for Saint Lucia's plastic, which comprises 22% of its waste. AGU Journals
• Nearly 50% of Saint Lucia's solid waste is organic, presenting an opportunity to divert compostable material from landfill for use in the agriculture sector. AGU Journals
• Solid waste management in Saint Lucia faces a looming capacity shortage as both landfills are due to close by 2023, when solutions must be in place to manage nearly 100 thousand tonnes of waste annually. AGU Journals

Last updated: 13 June 2025