Before March 2020, the global tourism industry was in a pre-pandemic boom with continued growth projected for the Caribbean region. Categorised as one of the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world, the tourist industry is acknowledged as a powerful catalyst for Social-economic development. In 2019, the sector contributed, directly and indirectly, a third of the region’s GDP. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the projected growth to a sudden halt due to the widespread COVID-19 containment measures resulting in the closure of borders, restricted movement, and the prioritisation of public health.

In Jamaica, recuperation of PET bottles from the waste stream for processing and export to be recycled is currently estimated to be five to ten percent. A recent study by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI), which assessed various measures for PET waste management, recommended that a deposit-refund system (DRS) be considered to increase recuperation, and improve management, of PET waste in Jamaica. DRS have two key benefits. They increase the rate of recuperation, and thus recycling, of containers covered by the deposit scheme, as the deposit provides an incentive to the consumer to return the material to obtain their refund. Second, they reduce litter of the targeted material, since in the case that the consumer does decide to litter, someone else more desirous of getting the refund may pick it up. Both benefits hinge on the level of deposit/refund applied.

Globally, plastic production has been growing rapidly. Between 1964 and 2014 the production of plastics increased twenty-fold, from 15 million tons (MT) to 311 MT; this figure is expected to double within the next twenty years. Plastics currently offer unrivalled properties including versatility, durability and low cost, making it the preferred material of the modern economy. However, current usage levels and disposal methods have significant environmental and economic costs.This report identifies and evaluates policies and best practices used in other countries to manage plastic bag waste and makes recommendations taking into account the specifics of the Jamaican context.

Despite many public statements at the highest level assuring commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, the Jamaican government has failed to operationalize these promises. Deforestation, soil erosion, degradation of coastal ecosystems, over-fishing, poor air quality, poorly managed parks and protected areas, pollution of harbours, rivers, streams and aquifers, unplanned and unregulated settlements in areas most vulnerable to natural disasters, inadequate management of solid and liquid waste, and poor development planning and control are key features of the state of Jamaica’s natural environment. It has long been recognized that the weakness of the environmental regulatory and institutional framework is the primary obstacle to good environmental stewardship.

Development assistance, specifically targeting renewables in developing countries, exceeded US $2 billion in 2008; such investment has been possible due to the existence of an enabling policy framework for renewables in the host country. This brief outlines the policy regimes available to Caribbean policy makers wishing to usher in a new energy era, by designing enabling policies which will allow them to tap into funding earmarked for renewable energy.

Within the next decade technological change will revolutionize the energy sector, with renewable energy based electricity becoming competitive with conventional (fossil-fuel based) electricity generation. This brief explores various mechanisms for mobilizing financial resources for investment in renewable energy technologies in the Caribbean.