executive profile of environmental management: caribbean sub-region

27 program has been conducted in the four communities and a weekly collection system has been implemented.

A major achievement is the establishment of a Steering Committee for the project. This body represents four communities and is part of the Government’s plans to increase community participation. The Steering Committee has already negotiated an agreement with the Parish Council to come under their collection system, which will constitute the next step of the project. Placement of containers, beautification of the area, the s trategic placement of signs, and a best-kept community competition will complete the project. One important lesson from this project is that Communities are able to address their own problems with proper financial resources and technical and organizational development support (SIDSNET) Barbados Solar Water Heaters In 1974, Barbados introduced a tax incentives for homeowners to invest in solar energy. From 1994 to 1997, it is estimated over 30,000 solar hot water systems have been installed, producing an estimated cumulative savings of US$66 million (UNEP, 1999).

Environment and Competitiveness Many companies in the Caribbean sub-region have begun to implement environmental management systems. These systems vary from ISO14001-based systems to the Green Globe certification program for hotels. It is difficult to estimate the number percentage of companies that are implementing environmental management systems, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it is a significant trend. There appear to be several motivations for these company actions.

First, many companies have foreign ownership and management that establish certain minimum operating standards. These companies are required by their stakeholders to implement basic management systems. Second, concerned with pending legal requirements, many companies have decided to get their house in order by adopting a management systems approach. Third, it appears that many firms have adopted management systems to save money and to brand themselves as environmentally friendly. This is particularly encouraging, because it debunks the prevailing notion that environmental management and economic development are competing interests. Some specific examples of achievements in this area include: Sustainable Tourism There have been a number of initiatives in the tourism sector to promote more environmentally sustainable practices. In 1995, the Caribbean Hotels Association created the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST). CAST is an agreement between the Caribbean Hotel Association, Green Globe 21 and the International Hotel Environment Initiative (IHEI). CAST provides education and training on sustainable tourism. Many participants in the CAST program have realized cost savings through more efficient energy, water, and solid waste management initiatives. In collaboration with CAST, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is now leading an effort to establish a Blue Flag certification program in the Caribbean. The Blue Flag scheme is a voluntary certification program for Final Draft—November 28, 2001