Our Scans · Barbados · Weekly Summary

• The Barbados Energy Transition And Investment Plan says: Barbados' fleet of light trucks is expected to grow around 8% from 2020 to 2040 as rising incomes drive a greater volume of freight. nationnews.com
• A major plank of the Barbados Energy Transition And Investment Plan is the attainment of net zero emissions by 2035, meaning a balancing of the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by human activities with carbon removed from the atmosphere. nationnews.com
• While the risk scores in the categories that make up the political risk area are almost uniformly lower than the risk scores for the other categories under Ecological and Financial risk, there are signs that some of the trends Barbados is experiencing may drive new risks in the future. Stimson Center
• The ECONOMICS category shows a medium-high level of risk associated with urban unemployment while medium risk scores for the informal economy and national GDP per capita, reflecting Barbados' mix of structural economic strengths and vulnerabilities. Stimson Center
• The Barbados government is finalizing deals with other online platforms to buy land, build virtual consulates and embassies, provide e-visas, and build a teleporter that will allow users to move their avatars between different metaverses. Go Interactive
• CloudSolar, in Barbados, provides a digital platform to de-risk investment in solar energy by allowing anyone to purchase and invest in solar panels. UNDP Climate Promise
• Barbados' new deal is the first debt-swap to free up money directly for climate adaptation and will generate $125 million to go towards sewage treatment plant upgrades that should boost water supplies and reduce the amount of pollution going into the Caribbean. BusinessWorld Online
• Severe weather events, which can trigger a range of hazards, including high winds, landslides, flash floods, among others, may possibly affect Caribbean territories, particularly in Barbados, Belize and Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Windward Islands. Caribbean Regional Climate Centre
• Three to 6 inches of rain are expected in Barbados and the Windward Islands, and Beryl could cause potentially catastrophic damage from high winds. NPR
• Barbados continues to be highly vulnerable to climate change risks and natural disasters, which could have an adverse impact on economic activity, increase the fiscal deficit and public debt, reduce foreign exchange reserves, and pose financial stability risks. IMF eLibrary
• 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
• Both Barbados and Jamaica have set ambitious targets for renewable energy adoption, with Barbados aiming to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030 and Jamaica targeting 50% by 2037. CARILEC
• Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley will play a major role as a leader of the Bridgetown Initiative, a plan to reform development lending by freeing up money after climate disasters and targeting the higher borrowing costs and debt that developing nations face. The Globe and Mail
• Barbados has issued the world's first government bond with a clause allowing payments to be suspended in the event of another global pandemic, a move expected to attract interest from dozens of other countries savaged by the COVID-19 crisis. Insurance Journal
• Barbados, a small island state profoundly affected by climate change, brought to light the tangible harms it faces-increased difficulty in agriculture, threats to its fishing and tourism industries, and significant losses from recent tropical storms. The Equation
• In 2024, about 18,000 seasonal workers from countries including Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Eastern Caribbean are expected to join Ontario's farms. Farms.com
• China encourages its enterprises to invest and do business in Barbados, stands ready to import more competitive products from Barbados, and will continue to provide assistance within its capacity for Barbados' economic and social development. Global Times
• A FinTech conference supported by the Barbados government that will attract many prominent representatives from banks, financial corporations, payment services, Web3 companies, and major international organizations. CoinsPaid Media
• One concept - proposed as part of the Bridgetown Initiative advanced by Prime Minister Mottley of Barbados - is a new facility that would issue $100 billion per year in coverage of local currency depreciation risk for green investments in developing countries. The Hill
• Several countries long seen by some as havens by multinationals will take part, including Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Barbados, which previously had a corporate tax rate of 5.5%. The Irish Times
• We see a future where Barbados remains a trailblazer in the captive insurance industry, setting new standards and exemplifying the potential that emerges when nations work together toward a common goal. Insurance Business

Last updated: 17 June 2025