Sustainable Business Magazine 03/19 by Sustainable Business Magazine

SUSTAINABLE ISSUE 03/19

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

LUCELEC ST. LUCIA ELECTRICITY SERVICES

WILLIAMS SOLAR

CARIBBEAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY

PORTS AUTHORITY OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

HONEY BUN JAMAICA VIRGIN ISLANDS HOUSING AUTHORITY

ALSO FEATURED THIS ISSUE BARBADOS STOCK EXCHANGE • JAMAICA STOCK EXCHANGE PERCIVAL • PwC • MEGA CONTRACTING • WASCO • AND MORE

S U S TA I N I N G T O M O R R O W. T O D AY

Leading a sustainable future www.pwc.com/cb

At PwC, sustainability is a priority to our business ethos and key to our corporate social responsibility programme. In an increasingly cautious world, we help clients to address specific and immediate issues relating to sustainability. We work with businesses to understand their impact and help them to mitigate it or adapt it towards a more sustainable future. PwC is a network of premier full service professional services firms in the Caribbean. We are connected to a global network of firms with over 250,000 people in 158 countries. Our aim is to build trust and solve important problems for our businesses and communities locally, regionally and internationally.

Gerry Mahon Assurance Partner, PwC East Caribbean 1 (246) 626 6837 gerry.mahon@pwc.com www.pwc.com/bb

Leighton McKnight Territory Leader PwC Jamaica 1 (876) 932 8432 leighton.mcknight@pwc.com www.pwc.com/jm

Prince Rahming Territory Leader PwC Bahamas 1 (242) 302 5301 prince.a.rahming@pwc.com www.pwc.com/bs

Zia Paton Advisory Partner PwC Trinidad & Tobago 1 (868) 299 0704 zia.paton@pwc.com www.pwc.com/tt

SUSTAINABLE

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

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Editor:

George Newell

Senior Writer:

Marcus Bonnano

Profile Writer:

Liam Pritchett

Contributor:

Glenn Roach

Regional Managers:

Josh Edwards

Graeme Watts

Business Development: George Bell Web Administrator: Ashley Hewitt

CONTENTS ISSUE 03/19 Welcome to the latest North America and the Caribbean edition of Sustainable Business Magazine. Sustainable Business Magazine aims to spread awareness of sustainable values in business, as well as the exciting ways in which organizations continue to meet challenges and champion corporate social responsibility. This issue, we take an in-depth look at the financial services sector in the Caribbean. In a conversation with PricewaterhouseCoopers Caribbean, Leighton McKnight, Regional CIPS Leader and Territory Leader for Jamaica, Gerry Mahon, Chief Operating Officer of the PwC Caribbean, Zia Paton, Partner at PwC Trinidad and Tobago, and Prince Rahming, Territory Leader for PwC Bahamas, told us about how digital technology is bringing the region together. We also spoke to Marlene Street Forrest, Managing Director at Jamaica Stock Exchange, about driving investor confidence, and Marlon Yarde, Managing Director at Barbados Stock Exchange, about new frontiers for the region. Dr. Chris Richardson, CEO of stock exchange software company Percival, told us about the importance of flexibility in technology. As part of our ongoing focus on local government agencies, we spoke to Robert Graham, Executive Director of the United States Virgin Islands Housing Authority, about mixed-income housing developments. And in Saint Lucia, we spoke to two major utilities. Trevor Louisy, Managing Director of St. Lucia Electricity Services (LUCELEC) spoke to us about renewable energy, while Cherry Ann Gaillard-Williams, Communications and Marketing Officer at the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO), told us about developing sustainable water infrastructure. Ned Samuel, Managing Director at Mega Contracting, also spoke to us about working on WASCO’s John Compton Dam Project. As Caribbean nations look to reduce costly imports of fossil fuels, energy efficiency and renewable energy have entered the mainstream. We spoke to Jim Reid, Founder of Caribbean LED Lighting, about how cleantech offers a path forward for local manufacturing, and to Gleeson Roach, Operations Manager at Williams Solar, about the regional solar industry. We also spoke to Jamaican food producer Honey Bun, where Chief Operating Officer Daniel Chong told us about straddling the domestic and export markets. Finally, in this issue’s installment of our ‘Caribbean Ports’ series, produced in partnership with the Port Management Association of the Caribbean, we spoke to Delton Jones, Deputy Director of Ports at the Ports Authority of the Turks and Caicos Islands, about climate change preparation, and to Professor Fritz Pinnock, President of the Caribbean Maritime University, about bringing the regional maritime industry together. Details of upcoming sustainability events in North America throughout May and June can be found on our events calendar. Our featured events are the Water Expo (8th Edition) on 28th and 29th August 2019 at the Miami Airport Convention Center (MACC), and the Energy Expo (formerly the MiaGreen Expo & Conference) on 12th and 13th February 2020, also at MACC. We hope that you find this issue both interesting and inspiring. Thank you for reading. The Sustainable Business Magazine Team

PwC

Jamaica Stock Exchange

Barbados Stock Exchange

Percival

Virgin Islands Housing Authority (VIHA)

St. Lucia Electricity Services (LUCELEC)

Saint Lucia’s Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO)

Mega Contracting

Caribbean LED Lighting

Williams Solar

Honey Bun Jamaica

Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC)

Ports Authority of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Caribbean Maritime University (CMU)

Global Events

Advertisers Index

ISSUE 03/19 COVER IMAGE: NEW CONNECTION PLANNING AT LUCELEC. PROVIDED BY LUCELEC.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

PWC

“OUR VISION IS THAT EVERYONE STARTS USING THE SAME TOOLS, AND THEREBY KNOWLEDGE AND DATA BECOMES MORE EASILY TRANSFERABLE.”

BETTER TOGETHER Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Leighton McKnight, Regional CIPS Leader and Territory Leader for Jamaica, Gerry Mahon, Chief Operating Officer of the network of PwC firms operating in the Caribbean, Zia Paton, Partner at PwC Trinidad and Tobago, and Prince Rahming, Territory Leader for PwC Bahamas, about regional cooperation, a new digital platform, and the future of Caribbean economies.

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BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS.

In the Caribbean, several PwC network firms via their predecessors have been operating for over a century. But it wasn’t until 2012 that local PwC firms came together to form a pan-Caribbean region network. “We remain autonomous firms, but since 2012, we have been operating as an integrated network of firms with an aligned strategy,” explained Leighton McKnight, Regional CIPS Leader and Territory Leader for Jamaica. “This was in response to client demand. We have many pan regional clients, and they want to work with PwC firms that are closely coordinated.” “The PwC network has a presence in most territories within the English-speaking Caribbean,” said Gerry Mahon, “The complete list is the Bahamas, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Islands, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos. Whilst we remain separate legal entities, we have aligned our strategy and operational functions to ensure that we collaborate better, share resources, and operate more efficiently and effectively.” DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Currently, Mr. Mahon is supporting the transformation of a back-office digital platform of the PwC firms in the Caribbean, to allow greater coordination between member firms. “Previously, everyone had different tools they were working with,” explained Mr. Mahon. “Our vision is that everyone starts using the same tools, and thereby knowledge and data becomes more easily transferable. It will also mean the way we support our IT platforms becomes more centralized, instead of having

duplicated processes all over the globe. This has many benefits. For example, there’s a lot of concern with regards to cybersecurity and personal data protection, and having standardized and centralized security controls is much better than relying on multiple instances all over the world.” Zia Paton, Partner at PwC Trinidad and Tobago said: “Seeing how this has impacted our teams over the past year, we’ve really caught up in the Caribbean in terms of using far more collaborative tools.” Ms. Paton continued, “The digital tools now allow us to much more effectively engage with our clients, and also engage with our teams when we’re working on assignments internally. Then there’s other tools our team are rolling out, such as Salesforce and Workday, which give a lot more data access and simplifies collaboration for users. Instead of needing to go to your Human Resources department or to a team member to get information, you can now just pull it up on your dashboard. Simultaneously, many of our clients are also adopting emerging technologies, so we have invested in building teams and infrastructure across the globe in the digital service. GERRY MAHON, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE NETWORK OF PWC FIRMS OPERATING IN THE CARIBBEAN.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) network is the second largest professional services firm in the world, with over a quarter of a million employees in 158 different countries. In 2018, PwC network firms worked with 86% of Global Fortune 500 Companies and over 100,000 businesses worldwide. PwC firms are engaged across the global economy, sharing knowledge and expertise with companies in every business sector, as well as governments around the world. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

PWC

ZIA PATON, PARTNER AT PWC TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO.

We have a number of ‘Experience Centers’ operating across the network for clients who are demanding it.” DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES PwC member firms play a vital role in building sustainable, resilient economies across the Caribbean. As an integrated network of firms, PwC firms in the Caribbean are better able to leverage a broader pool of experience and knowledge to drive necessary sustainable changes. “We’re seen as thought leaders throughout the Caribbean,” said Mr. McKnight. “We have very strong assurance, advisory, tax and legal services practices, and we constantly engage with both the private sector and government about sustainable development. If you look at any single spoke in development, we’re probably involved in

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it, from public sector modernization and salary surveys, to adding value to private sector companies and solving problems, including the provision of forensic services.” “We need to appreciate that Caribbean economies are very small entities within the global marketplace,” said Mr. Mahon. “There are numerous examples of global corporate entities which are multiple times bigger than our individual nations as a whole. This is an economic challenge in itself; the question becomes how we remain competitive in the global environment when we are so small. The barriers are breaking down with the changes in technology, so you need to remain relevant and keep your products unique and appealing in the global marketplace where we all now compete.” There are numerous examples of PwC firms responding and adapting to local

PRINCE RAHMING, TERRITORY LEADER FOR PWC BAHAMAS.

challenges. In Trinidad and Tobago, PwC has been engaging with clients regarding diversification strategies, as oil and gas prices have declined. In the Bahamas and other territories which are under pressure from the European Union and the OECD to make their tax systems more transparent, PwC is playing a key role. “We’re contributing at all levels, holding discussions with governments as well as the private sector to

LEIGHTON MCKNIGHT, REGIONAL CIPS LEADER AND TERRITORY LEADER FOR JAMAICA.

evaluate the potential impact of these challenges on the financial services sector and take decisions to remain competitive in the future,” explained Prince Rahming, Territory Leader for PwC Bahamas. “If you look at Jamaica and Barbados, our debt-to-GDP ratio is over 100 percent, which is very high,” said Mr. McKnight. “In Jamaica, a few years ago, PwC Jamaica were involved in the successful national debt re-

structuring project from an advisory services perspective. We continue to assist with initiatives to improve macro economic indicators with governments and the private sector. Since 2002, we have also been involved in one of Jamaica’s key infrastructure development projects, which is building toll highways. PwC Jamaica assisted with the coordination of the raising the debt to finance the first toll road and continues to be involved KINGSTON, JAMAICA.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

PWC BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS.

PWC HAS TAKEN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN BRINGING RESILIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

in providing financial advisory services for further developments in this area. Now there are three toll roads and this is opening the gateway to even more development of the country. We’re also the main advisors for the privatisation of Kingston Container Terminal. And we’re currently assisting the Government of Guyana to divest and privatize the sugar industry. These are just a few of the ways we’re driving sustainable economic growth and addressing economic problems in the region.” CHANGING CLIMATE What’s more, as climate change and its impacts increasingly become a key consideration for businesses in the Caribbean, PwC firms have taken a leadership role in bringing resilience and environmental sustainability 6 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

into the conversation. “Natural disasters place Caribbean countries under significant financial strain,” explained Mr. Rahming. “When we think about doing business, one of the first things we now have to consider is climate change, and the tremendous damage that can be done, in particular by hurricanes. We’re very much a part of discussions as companies take decisions based on this reality. We’ve also been doing our part to assist governments in post-hurricane efforts.” “We partner with organisations like the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to see what we can do to reduce the negative effects of climate change,” said Mr. McKnight. “Recently, in Jamaica, we coordinated the launch of a Climate-Smart Accelerator, a massive project encompassing all of the Caribbean, where we’re helping

Governments in the region to look at ways to mitigate natural disasters. It’s a very broad based project, looking at where buildings should be constructed, how forestry is conducted, and issues like this. At PwC, we are at the forefront of this thinking.” Mr. Mahon said: “Joining the PwC global network environment commitment is one of the most important steps we’ve taken as a network of firms in the Caribbean in reducing our carbon footprint across the region. We are committed to driving efficiency to reduce our absolute carbon impact as well as offsetting our firm’s air travel emissions and energy consumption by 100%. By doing this we think we are sending a clear message that participation by the business community in this global issue is essential to growing the demand for clean energy.”

“We’re fortunate that in the Bahamas, women are already very much entrenched in the workforce” said Mr. Rahming. “Until recently, 50% of the partners at PwC Bahamas were women. The Bahamas has a high percentage of skilled female professionals working in both the public and private sectors and who are making meaningful contributions to the country as a whole. PwC Bahamas continues to look for opportunities to further develop and create opportunities for women in leadership roles.” As times change, so does PwC’s approach to its people. “We’ve had to transform ourselves to remain relevant to the younger generation workforce,” said Mr. Mahon. “More and more we see our millennial team members thriving in an agile, mobile, and flexible work environment. The new tools and working practices we’re adopting makes us more relevant and appealing to this generation, helping us ensure we continue to attract the best talent to join our firms.” “We have a really adaptable training platform,” explained Ms. Paton. “This means we can always stay at the forefront of what is currently impacting society and our clients. We’re always upskilling, always engaged in research and acting as thought leaders. This in itself drives sustainable profits – instead of targeting a particular area or client problem, we realise these can change over time.” VALUABLE CONTRIBUTORS “The network alignment we’ve embarked on has allowed us to increase our capacity, to seek new opportunities, and to take advantage of the scale of the PwC network in the Caribbean to grow our service offerings,” PERSONAL GROWTH It’s difficult to overstate the impact PwC firms have across the Caribbean – and not only in terms of the services they provide. Across business communities and governments throughout the Caribbean islands, many key leaders started out at PwC. “People generally join PwC as trainee associates and are exposed to multiple businesses and varied experiences before moving on to seek new opportunities and challenges.” explained Mr. Mahon. “In my view, a large part of our contribution to society is through providing excellent training and personal development opportunities to individuals living in our relatively small markets. As resource-scarce economies, we can’t downplay the value of our human capital.”

explained Mr. Mahon. “This includes adding individuals with specialized skill sets to our teams. We continue to provide new service line offerings to our clients, as well as look at new markets in the Caribbean which we might want to consider venturing into. As an example, PwC East Caribbean recently reopened an office in Saint. Lucia, increasing our presence in the Eastern Caribbean, and new opportunities in Guyana are being looked at to ensure that PwC firms are located where our clients need us.” “Our plan is to widen the gap between us and our competitors,” said Mr. McKnight. “Last year, we participated in a brand survey which was done independently on an anonymous basis. Through this survey, PwC was recognised as the number one professional services brand in the region. It’s something we’re building on.” “On a personal level, I’ve been with PwC for twenty-two years,” said Ms. Paton. “Over that time, moving up from a trainee to a partner, I’ve seen how this firm has continuously grown, and how we’re always striving to be leaders and valuable contributors to society and our clients. At every level in the organization, we’re continuously challenging each other, adapting, and growing. So the future looks really positive, and there’s a clear alignment from each of the member firms with the global network. We’re really a part of the global PwC brand, speaking the same language and approaching the market in a consistent way.” c © 2019 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD.

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JAMAICA STOCK EXCHANGE

TODAY, A TRANSPARENT, PUBLIC JSE IS AT THE HEART OF JAMAICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ONGOING ECONOMIC RESURGENCE.

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FAIR, EFFICIENT, Sustainable Business Magazine speaks with Marlene Street Forrest, Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, about improving confidence in the market, e-learning, and the opportunities of new technology. For fifty years this year, the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) has been driving capital investment in Jamaica, developing Jamaican businesses, and growing the Jamaican economy. Founded in 1969 at the Bank of Jamaica building in Kingston, since 1998 JSE has been located at 40 Harbour Street. With a commitment to provide ‘a fair, efficient, and transparent stock market’ for Jamaicans, JSE has expanded to include four markets: The Main Market, Junior Market (launched in 2009), Bond Market, and the U.S. Denominated Market. For the last five years, Jamaica’s ongoing stock market rally of 233% has drawn international attention to JSE, and in 2015 and 2018 JSE was recognized by Bloomberg as the best performing exchange in the world. PUBLIC EXCHANGE Over the last twenty years, JSE has undertaken a series of major transformative steps to strengthen it as a trading platform. “To mitigate risk, in 1999 we migrated to an electronic trading platform,” says Marlene Street Forrest, Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange. “That was coupled with the creation of the Jamaica Central Securities Depository, so that the stock exchange and the securities depository could speak to each other. This allowed for a reduction in risk and for confidence to be improved in the marketplace. Since then, we have been seen as a transparent market.” Subsequently, in 2008, JSE demutualized the exchange and became a public company, with shares ultimately being listed in the main market in 2013. “We decoupled

the members’ seats from the ownership and issued shares,” explains Ms. Street Forrest. “Ownership of the exchange was separated from the broker members now having access to trading on the exchange, a major accomplishment that goes to the heart of governance and transparency. We have also launched an online trading platform, which was in response to market trends among younger people, who preferred online operation. During this period, we also went through a process of putting in place the Regulatory Market Oversight Division (RMOD), which answers to an independent director. That was again in the interests of strengthening governance.” GROWING JAMAICA Today, a transparent, public JSE is at the heart of Jamaica’s ongoing economic resurgence. “The purpose of an exchange is to drive much needed growth that the economy requires,” explains Ms. Street

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JAMAICA STOCK EXCHANGE

Forrest. “The stock exchange is the conduit providing capital for the domestic market and for companies to grow. We have also fostered the development of a new class of investors, one that is not wedded to debt securities but can have a pool of stocks from which to invest.” “Our mission and strategy is to allow for the capital markets to function smoothly,” says Ms. Street Forrest. “That means that, based on its independence, the stock exchange can offer trustee services, registrar services, and other services. These services are complementary to the growth and development of a sound capital market, and they are offered through subsidiaries. We also act as the environment for economic development. These are all tangible reasons why it is important that the JSE exists, and why our growth is important for the growth of Jamaica.” PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES JSE also offers financial services education through a number of accredited courses. “We call it our e-Campus,” explains Ms. Street Forrest. “It was set up about ten years ago and contributes to the long-term sustainable development of the JSE. This e-Campus trains not only participants in the market but also offers advice and education to people that know nothing about the capital markets at all. We have a course that speaks to the ABCs of investing in the market, for absolute beginners. Then 10 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

courses range all the way up to postgraduate degrees and diplomas in financial services management. All of our course are accredited by the University Council of Jamaica. We also have accreditation from the Continuing Professional Development body in the U.K. We even have a program for directors. This is based on corporate governance at directorship level, and is intended to ensure company directors have good understanding about corporate governance. The e-Campus is not a free service but its cost is reasonable when compared with the opportunities provided.” TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY Technology plays an important part in JSE’s operations. Today, JSE has an entire department to keep on top of technological advancements. “Technology changes so quickly, so we have a division dedicated to looking at the changes,” says Ms. Street Forrest. “We’re currently looking into developments to improve our efficiency. Recently, we put most of our activities in the cloud to ensure safety, quicker processing time, and efficiency. By doing this, we believe we will drive down costs, which can then be passed onto our end users.” JSE has also released mobile apps to make the market more easily accessible to everybody. “Our mobile app for Apple devices launched recently, and this follows two years after we launched an app for Android devices,” explains Ms. Street Forrest. “We are now putting in place all the facilities to

ensure that everyone can take part in the market. Out online trading platform is a great example of this. We put this in place because this is what millennials and the younger generation wanted. The next major development may result from our investigation into the potential of blockchain technology.” NEW STRIDES Looking to the future, JSE believes a combination of technology and their existing strengths will allow them to expand beyond Jamaica. “In the near future, we are going to put in place other services,” says Ms. Street Forrest. “For example, we have modified our rules to allow for short-selling, margin trading, et cetera. Many of these things are typical of what you would find in exchanges globally. It will allow us to provide more volume and throughput in our markets. As a member of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative, we are looking at how the social will meet the financial in order to expand the market, and to grow and develop our country. Beyond this, we are based in Jamaica, but we don’t necessarily see ourselves as serving just this country. Our intention is to embrace the entire region and even further. For example, we have started a foray into Canada and other parts of the world, in order that others can use our market. We’re already rated the number one performing stock exchange in the world, so why not allow others to take advantage of that?” c

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BARBADOS STOCK EXCHANGE

“WHAT WE PROVIDE IS A CONDUIT FOR INVESTORS TO CREATE WEALTH FOR THEMSELVES.”

CREATING WEALTH

FOR BARBADOS Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Marlon Yarde, Managing Director of the Barbados Stock Exchange, about driving investor confidence, embracing new technologies, and expanding internationally.

Barbados Stock Exchange Inc. (BSE) is an integral part of Barbados’ economy, a hub for the fluid movement of capital in, out, and throughout the Caribbean nation, as well as a key player in creating a secure environment for investors. “The stock exchange helps people to mobilize capital and allows that capital to be used in the most efficient and cost-effective way,” says Marlon Yarde, Managing Director of the Barbados Stock 12 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Exchange. “What we provide is a conduit for investors to create wealth for themselves.” The BSE was founded in 1987 as the Securities Exchange of Barbados (SEB). The SEB was primarily responsible for the trading of securities, but was also tasked with capital market regulation for the country. This continued until 2001 when the two responsibilities were bisected to form two separate companies: a) the BSE, which was incorporat-

ed and licensed as a self-regulatory organization (SRO) by the b) newly-formed Securities Commission (SC) of Barbados. The BSE as an SRO has regulatory oversight over market participants, including listed companies and brokers. The BSE also has responsibility for securities trading. The SC became the regulatory body for the securities market. The SC is now the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Barbados, which has the regulatory

corporate governance practices. Once they do that, people have the confidence to invest in those companies and create wealth for themselves. It allows them to achieve their various financial goals they set for themselves. We help them by providing a platform that is well-regulated and transparent. In doing this, the wealth spreads out into wider Barbadian society.” The BSE is committed to the Objectives and Principles of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). “We adhere to the IOSCO objectives and principles,” says Mr. Yarde. “Ensuring the protection of investors is a key objective of those principles, because it ensures that markets are efficient and transparent. One of the main objectives of IOSCO, which are international standards for securities markets, is the reduction of systemic risk. We ensure that the BSE operates and adheres to those IOSCO objectives, thereby securing investor confidence in the efficacy of our trading platform and ecosystem. This is important because Barbados was sometimes functions for all non-banking financial institutions. In December 2015, by way of a High Court-sanctioned Scheme of Arrangement, the BSE demutualized and shifted from being a member-owned to an investor-owned organization, turning it into a for-profit institution. This loosened the BSE up to work better with potential trading partners, as well as giving it the level needed to become an international exchange. “Our focus now is on becoming an international exchange,” says Mr. Yarde. “The BSE has a clear vision of being a great and lasting Caribbean financial institution, creating wealth for the people of the region.”

MARLON YARDE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BARBADOS STOCK EXCHANGE.

EXCELLENT CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The BSE provides a well-regulated trading platform for Barbadian companies. “All companies have to meet certain standards for listing,” explains Mr. Yarde. “They have to demonstrate whether they have the capacity to run their businesses in accordance with the law, and in accordance with good SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BARBADOS STOCK EXCHANGE if they can demonstrate they’re genuine and above board.” Each year, the BSE hosts a major corporate governance conference. “This is not only to educate professionals in the area, but also to highlight the importance of corporate governance across the board,” says Mr. Yarde. “It enhances the profitability of all companies by engendering trust and confidence. For example, you can show you’re eliminating conflicts of interest that can easily occur between management and directors of the board. The term we want to promote is ‘excellent corporate governance’. That means we’re not just satisfied with ‘good corporate governance’. That supports confidence and trust in the companies listed on the BSE, as well as the capital markets. Once confidence and trust are there, investors will be much more willing to participate in the market.”

CROSS SECTION OF ATTENDEES AT THE BSE’S 6TH ANNUAL CORPORATE GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY CONFERENCE HELD AT THE HILTON BARBADOS RESORT.

seen as being favorable for tax structuring arrangements by companies. In fact, our commitment to IOSCO principles means that when people operate here they have to

maintain a substantive business presence on the island, essentially ensuring that they are adding real value to the companies they are part of. A company can only list on the BSE

EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY At the heart of the BSE’s work is trading platform technology. “Our trading is done through a new trading system that we put in place last year, which is shared by other exchanges in the Caribbean,” explains Mr.

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Yarde. “This trading platform technology is cloud-based and means we don’t need to invest in the purchase or maintenance of a physical system ourselves. That created efficiencies and reduced our costs, which has made our operations much more cost efficient.” “The other side of our interest in technology is that we are very much into what is happening in the distributed ledger technologies space,” says Mr. Yarde. “The BSE is investigating how we can use distributed ledger and blockchain technology in our operations. Technology and the evolution of technology is core to what we do. We want to take full advantage of technological progression to make us more efficient, reduce our costs, and provide the BSE with new opportunities for revenue generation, including the listing and trading of security tokens.” While the BSE is a for-profit outfit, the exchange’s activities have long lasting benefits for the Barbados economy as a whole. “Having a social conscience means you are concerned not only with economic development, but that development doesn’t degrade the ability of the economy to continue providing for its people,” says Mr. Yarde. “As a stock exchange, we want to make sure that we ensure the continued survival of the econ-

omy. We want to make sure it can sustain itself – not only for the existing generation, but for generations to come. NEW MARKETS In a bid to expand its reach internationally, the BSE launched its International Securities Market on March 15th, 2016. “We are currently working on gaining recognition in various markets that we think would fulfill our strategic objective,” says Mr. Yarde. “For example, we want to gain recognition in the United Kingdom. We’ve already submitted documentation for recognition with HMRC to facilitate cross-listings on our board. We will also be seeking recognition on markets in Canada, the United States, and Hong Kong. Another approach is that we’re looking at alliances with international exchanges to bring listings to our markets by facilitating cross-listings with those markets. Promoting and developing our international securities market is key to our long-term success and also that of the Barbados economy. We won’t be neglecting our local businesses, though, as we will be relaunching our Junior Market for smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). That will enable local businesses to raise capital on our platform.”

“The other key plank of our long-term strategy is to provide greater opportunities for innovation,” says Mr. Yarde. “We want to create a space for the listing and trading of digital assets, including securitized tokens. Recently, the government of Barbados, through the Central Bank of Barbados (CBB) and the Financial Services Commission (FSC), launched the Barbados Regulatory Sandbox (BRS) to allow innovative companies using new technologies to be able to test their business models. This allows Barbados’ regulatory authorities to determine what legislative framework is applicable – or needed – for companies operating under the BRS. These companies can also demonstrate to the CBB and FSC that they are not a systemic risk to the Barbados financial system. The BSE wants to be part of the compliant developments in this space, particularly as it relates to companies raising capital using securitized tokens. We want to able to list and trade those security tokens on our platform. In addition, we will continue to be a beacon for excellent corporate governance practice in Barbados and throughout the region, and as a truly international stock market. The future is bright.” c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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PERCIVAL

ADAPTABLE CSD SYSTEMS Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Dr. Chris Richardson, Founder and CEO of Percival, about software solutions for stock exchanges, the importance of flexibility, and staying on the cutting-edge. Percival is a United Kingdom-based software developer, specializing in products for central securities depositories (CSDs) and share registration and transfer agents (RTAs). Percival solutions can be found at the heart of stock exchanges and banks around the world, from Barbados to Arme-

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nia to Kenya. The company was founded in 1986, focusing initially on share registration systems. By 1991, Percival had implemented their first central securities depository and registry (CSDR) in Malta, after the Group of 30 (G30) recommended the use of CSDs in all capital markets.

“WE’VE CONSTRUCTED OUR PRODUCTS SO THEY HAVE A WIDE FUNCTIONAL SCOPE TO APPEAL TO AS WIDE A MARKET AS POSSIBLE.”

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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PERCIVAL DR. CHRIS RICHARDSON, FOUNDER AND CEO OF PERCIVAL.

BY PRODUCING CLEAN, STREAMLINED SOFTWARE, PERCIVAL ARE ABLE TO FACILITATE GREATER FLEXIBILITY AND CUSTOMER COMPREHENSION.

“At that point, all the capital markets everywhere shifted, and everyone wanted a stock exchange,” says Dr. Chris Richardson, founder and CEO of Percival. “The G30 said that if you want a capital market, you must have several things, and one of those things was a CSD. Back in those days, it was a relatively short bridge between a functional share registry system and a CSD system. Percival just added a very simple algorithm that turned a share registration system into a CSD. We had our first customer set up by 1991. So we’ve really been there since the very beginning.” LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS Longevity means experience and knowledge. Percival is now in its seventh devel18 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

opment cycle, and the Percival team has remained unchanged for a remarkable fifteen years. “All of the people that work for us are lifers,” says Dr. Richardson. “We look for people who can become experts and stay with us indefinitely. This isn’t a job for life; it’s a commitment for life. I’ve been working with some of my colleagues for 20 years, and it really is like a little family in here. And that’s important, because we find those who are committed to that level of quality make much better employees.” Today, Percival has four major products. DEPEND is a CSDR system, used by the central securities depositories of Barbados, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Armenia, and Malta, as well as the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières serving

eight West African countries, and the integrated CSD of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. REGARD is an RTA system, currently used by Ascendant Group in Bermuda, Royal Bank of Canada in Trinidad & Tobago, Kerry Group, Ghana Commercial Bank, and Co-operative Bank of Kenya. Percival’s CAPSULE system is a corporate actions processing system used as a part of DEPEND and REGARD, and also available as a stand-alone product. And HUBBLE is an enterprise service bus (ESB) solution which enables message-based communication between Percival products, client systems, and external systems. FLEXIBLE SOFTWARE Key to Percival’s software is flexibility, with a high degree of customization. “We’ve

“That means where the customer has very specific requirements and we do just that, nothing else. If we took that approach, nothing would get developed unless a project is ongoing. You end up with an eclectic mix of customer demands all botched together into a single product with no standard approach to common industry problems that are faced by most. Percival tries to avoid that.” ELIMINATING WASTE By producing clean, streamlined software, Percival are able to facilitate greater flexibility and customer comprehension. “You keep waste to a minimum and try to get rid of the ‘entropy’ from your processes and products,” says Dr. Richardson. “Even our developers looking at code are looking at the best ways to slim that code down so we can consolidate software and make it much simpler. We try to construct our products so that you can do a lot of changes without having to resort to expensive development work. Percival empowers its customers. That strikes a positive reaction in many of our clients.” Percival also embrace the capability of technology to minimize physical waste as well, cutting down their environmental impact “We try to do as much digitally as possible,” says Dr. Richardson. “There is no paper use or production at any point during our work, not even within the office. We try to do everything electronically. From the customer’s point of view, sustainability means different things. Trying to reduce paper, trying to make your processes as efficient as possible, delivering functionality to do that: Those are all very important. But

we try to think imaginatively as well. For example, we’ve asked all investors to have a bank account, so that we’re paying directly into a bank account instead of sending checks through the post.” NEW FRONTIERS Since Percival started out thirty years ago, markets have changed. In order to keep up with the shifting landscape, the company is looking at developing into new areas of technology, in order to become competitive with some of the world’s leading CSD suppliers. “There’s always been a sad tendency for open tenders to favor a single vendor that can provide multiple diverse systems in one bid,” explains Dr. Richardson. “Stock exchanges won’t usually go to tender just for a CSD. Quite often, you see a joint tender for not just a CSD, but a trading platform and a CSD. Percival doesn’t have trading system at present, we’re only CSD experts, but we’re aiming to begin to lever our knowledge of areas where we have some expertise but don’t currently have a product. Central counterparty clearing (CCP) services and trading platforms are good contenders for that. It means we can go then into tenders with a trading system, CCP, and CSD, and be a single-system vendor. It’s important to keep growing the business, to remain relevant. At the same time, it’s vital that we continue to improve our existing products, which clients already value. We love what we do, and we’re going to continue meeting our customers’ needs, and do the rounds of international conferences to spread the word about our products.” c

constructed our products so they have a wide functional scope to appeal to as wide a market as possible,” says Dr. Richardson. “Our programs can handle high volumes of data. At the same time, they are very adaptable and configurable to different business models. The programs can mold to many different ways of doing business, and bits and pieces of our software can be configured and reconstructed by the customer or implementation team for working in widely different legislative and regulatory environments.” With their CSD software in its seventh iteration, Percival has maintained a grip on the cutting edge of what technology can offer. “We try to avoid a situation where our development is driven by exclusively by what the customer needs,” explains Dr. Richardson. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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VIRGIN ISLAND HOUSING AUTHORITY

VIHA IS GOING TO CONVERT OLD, OBSOLETE PUBLIC HOUSING TO COMPLETELY MODERNIZED DEVELOPMENTS.

A NEW APPROACH

TO PUBLIC HOUSING Sustainable Business Magazine speaks with Robert Graham, Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Housing Authority, about environmentally-friendly technologies for public housing, the importance of vouchers, and the transformative potential of mixed-income housing developments. The Virgin Islands Housing Authority (VIHA) is a public housing corporation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, responsible for providing and maintaining residential homes. Headquartered in Saint Thomas, VIHA’s origins lie in 1941, when the councils on Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix combined the local public housing authorities into a single entity tasked with removing and replacing sub-standard housing, the Virgin Islands Housing and Redevelopment Authority, 20 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

which became the Virgin Islands Housing Authority in 1962. Today, VIHA is responsible for approximately 15% of the total rental housing stock in the territory. At its most expansive, VIHA managed 4500 public housing units. By the 1980s, however, maintenance and repairs on public housing stock had begun growing rapidly, and by 2018, the estimated cost of improvements had risen to $200 million. As a result, VIHA made the decision to redevelop

its portfolio rather than repair it, in order to provide the highest quality housing possible to the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands. GREEN HOMES Over the past seven years, VIHA has carried out four major new building and rebuilding programs. “There has been a three-phase project on Saint Croix to build approximately 240 housing units,” explains Robert Graham, Executive Director of the Virgin Islands

LOUIS E. BROWN PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

Housing Authority. “Nearly 200 family units and 40 senior units were built as part of the Louis E. Brown public housing development. More recently, we’ve also completed 80 senior units for the Sugar Estates development on Saint Thomas.” These houses have replaced old housing stock that was no longer considered fit for purpose. With a blank slate available, VIHA seized the opportunity to create homes that would meet modern requirements. “It is absolutely critical that we build housing to incorporate as many energy efficiency and alternative energy elements that we can afford,” says Mr. Graham. “We started with solar panels in our initial developments, for example. Those panels provided electricity for the common areas. Since our first development, we learned to capture rain water in cisterns. That is used to provide

potable water for residents, supplementing mains water from the utility company. In that design, we also utilized water catchment areas to provide gray water to feed landscape developments. We utilize cisterns in every new development now. We’ve learned that we can do even more, though, so we are moving towards the utilization of micro-turbines that can provide energy independence from the grid.” After Hurricane Irma and Maria, it took months for grid power to be restored to many Virgin Islanders. Energy independence has become a primary concern, anticipating future hurricanes. “We were reticent about jumping into energy independence as a design requirement because of the initial cost,” explains Mr. Graham. “But the hurricanes were a sharp lesson that energy independence is worth the upfront cost.

More than that, it provides lower operating costs both in the common areas and for the individual homes. So for all the right reasons, in the Virgin Islands, we will build as much energy independence as we can afford in every development.” RENTAL ASSISTANCE DEMONSTRATION Since the start of the twenty-first century, public housing in the United States has begun to embrace the role of privatization and vouchers – which in turn has changed the way public housing corporations like VIHA operate. “The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) decided to change the way it provided housing subsidies to low- and moderate-income families,” says Mr. Graham. “HUD wanted a greater use of vouchers in what it calls the ‘Rental AssisSUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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VIRGIN ISLAND HOUSING AUTHORITY SUGAR ESTATE BEST VIEW.

tance Demonstration’ (RAD) program. HUD believes in combining operating subsidy and capital funds subsidy together to have those funds create a voucher for subsidy. It will enable greater utilization of third-party property management companies. That means they will be able to maintain lower cost, because there will be investors to satisfy.” “HUD has changed the voucher allowance so that it will support families up to 80% of average monthly income (AMI),” explains Mr. Graham. “Furthermore, it means the low-income housing price supports up to 60% AMI. So, for example, you can have a 100-unit

project with 30 families above the AMI. Then you can have individuals at the regular low- to moderate-income blending into the same developments as higher income individuals as long as it averages out to 60% of AMI. Affordability is increased for those individuals normally priced out of the market.” ECONOMIC INTEGRATION VIHA also plan to increase the number of housing developments. “We will increase from 24 to 27 over the next ten years,” says Mr. Graham. “This will be accomplished with funding from three primary sources. Firstly,

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the 9% and 4% low-income housing tax credit. Secondly, FEMA funds for disaster recovery. And thirdly, Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) funds from HUD. We’re using those three primary sources to fund the redevelopment of our entire inventory.” These redevelopments offer an opportunity to further integrate energy efficient and environmentally friendly technologies into VIHA housing. There is also an opportunity to reimagine the nature of public housing developments. “The essence of what are doing with the asset repositioning and redevelopment plans is creating greater economic integration,” says Mr. Graham. “By that, I mean mixed-income developments allow for a better mix of people. We’re reducing the density, which reduces the crowded developments. It reduces the number of cars in any given area, as the original developments do not have sufficient vehicular and pedestrian paths for easy flow of traffic through the developments.” TRANSFORMATIVE VISION “VIHA is going to convert old, obsolete public housing to a completely mod-

LOUIS E. BROWN PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

ernized developments over a ten-year period,” says Mr. Graham. “We’re going to redo our entire portfolio of public housing. And we’re going to double the utilization of vouchers, too. At the moment we have approximately 2000 vouchers. We’re going to increase that to approximately 4000

to assist with deconcentrating poverty in the large public housing communities. By lowering density and replacing old stock with affordable housing that looks like market-rate housing, you also reduce violent crime, improve failing schools, and reverse capital disinvestment in that neighbor-

hood. By building affordable housing that is in demand, desirable, and attractive, the quality of housing becomes an important factor in everyone’s life, including for children. It has a direct causal relationship with educational attainment, overall health, and future income.” c

LOUIS E. BROWN PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

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LUCELEC

LUCELEC HAS PROVIDED SAINT LUCIANS WITH POWER SINCE 1964.

TREVOR LOUISY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ST. LUCIA ELECTRICITY SERVICES LIMITED (LUCELEC).

RENEWABLE

DIRECTION Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Trevor Louisy, Managing Director of St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC), about automation, investing in renewable energy generation, and driving national growth in Saint Lucia. St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) is the primary electricity generation and distribution company for the island nation of Saint Lucia. LUCELEC has provided Saint Lucians with power since 1964, when the company was established

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as a government entity jointly owned by the Government of Saint Lucia, Castries City Council, and the Commonwealth Development Corporation. In 1994, LUCELEC went public, and today, shareholders include EMERA Saint Lucia, First Citizens

CUL DE SAC POWER PLANT.

ENGINE OVERHAUL.

Bank, the National Insurance Corporation, Castries Constituencies Council, the Government of Saint Lucia, and individuals. “The 1970s saw an explosion in the demand for power as hotel development and banana production transformed the Saint Lucian economy,” explains Trevor Louisy, Managing Director at LUCELEC. “Average demand grew by about 50%, and we saw a doubling of capacity every three years. This put huge strains on manpower and resources. The result was the commissioning of two new power stations and an 11 kilovolt (kV) sub-transmission distribution system. Although we have moved on from those power stations, the distribution system remains in place today.” INFORMATION SYSTEMS SERVERS.

“By 1990 a new generation and transmission line system was commissioned, which redefined the standards that had previously been applied to all of our operations,” says Mr. Louisy. “Cul de Sac Power Station inaugurated an era of highly professional and efficient operations. It led to the development of new standards for the company, and a 66kV transmission system, which allowed a more efficient flow of power around the island. Today, all of our generating capacity comes from Cul de Sac. We have two 66kV transmission rings around the island in order to deliver electricity to the population. One covers the south of the island and the other covers the north of the island. These rings provide redundancy in the transmission system.”

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LUCELEC SOLAR FARM.

LUCELEC IS DRIVING IMPROVED EFFICIENCY, REDUCED COSTS, AND A FUTURE-PROOFED GRID.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES By upgrading technology and infrastructure and investing in increased automation, LUCELEC is driving improved efficiency, reduced costs, and a future-proofed grid. “We’ve just completed an upgrade of our Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system,” says Mr. Louisy. “It serves

as an interface between our generating capacity and our transmissions system. This gives operators remote control over a number of devices across our entire network. The operators can sit in a control room and see what’s happening outside. Similarly, we’ve nearly completed an automated metering infrastructure that uses electronic meters.

As a result, we don’t go out into the field to read meters anymore because we can do all of that remotely. We also have some meters that allow us to remotely disconnect and reconnect. We’re installing more of those so we can reduce costs there as well.” What’s more, LUCELEC is also looking into bringing online some low-carbon and

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renewable technologies. “There’s a few concepts we’ve also begun looking at, systems that will work together to improve our sustainability,” says Mr. Louisy. “We recently commissioned a 3MW solar farm and are working on developing a 12MW wind farm, for example, and are now looking at the possibilities of battery storage. Geothermal technology is also on the cards. From a more visible point of view, we’re looking at the installation of some electric vehicle charging stations, because people over here are talking a lot about introducing electric cars. I believe serious progress will be made very soon on this front.” RENEWABLE FUTURE Renewable energy, in particular, will play an increasing role in Saint Lucia’s energy gen-

eration moving forward. “LUCELEC is now transitioning to renewable energy generation,” says Mr. Louisy. “There is a National Energy Transition Strategy approved by the Saint Lucian government in April 2018. That strategy is a blueprint for the whole country. We have been identified for taking on a significant role in executing that plan. Based on that, we are anticipating by 2023 that we will have installed approximately 31MW of renewable energy technology. That’s primarily split between solar and wind. LUCELEC also hopes to install 9MW of battery storage by 2021.” “In terms of geothermal exploration, that initiative is being driven by the government and a private developer,” says Mr. Louisy. “We are an interested party. The government has brought us on board, and we’re involved

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Allied Cables

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LUCELEC CUSTOMER CARE.

SCIENCE FAIR.

TREE PLANTING.

in all the discussions. Ultimately, we will go into a power purchase agreement with the developer. We see it as a major game changer because, unlike wind and solar, we see it as a possible direct replacement for some of our existing diesel generators.” SUPPORTING NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LUCELEC’s work enables a modern economy, gives people across the island access to their communities and the world, and creates new and future possibilities for Saint Lucia to thrive. The company also affects communities across the country in other, subtler ways. “Our company supports every single pillar of national development,” says Mr. Louisy. “That means education, entrepreneurship, innovation, health and well-

ness, environment, youth empowerment, sports, arts, and culture. We also support a number of faith-based organizations. By crossing the island and going into all communities, we understand where our efforts can help local people. We have a scholarship that we award every three years for engineering at the University of the West Indies. It’s named the Bernard C, Theobalds Scholarship, after my predecessor. Mr. Theobalds was fundamentally responsible for transforming the electricity sector in St Lucia. We also sponsor a number of events, including the world-famous Saint Lucia Jazz Festival. The list goes on and on.” LUCELEC has a fully formed vision for the future of the company and of Saint Lucia. “We want to do something that ensures our transition to renewable SCIENCE LAB.

energy is well-planned and managed in order to avoid chaos,” explains Mr. Louisy. “LUCELEC is absolutely in consonance with the National Energy Transition Strategy because we are already looking at the three critical outcomes for consumers in our country. First is energy security and independence. Reliability, affordability, and sustainability are also critical factors that form the foundation of our future work. Finally, we are also looking into diversification into electricity-related business opportunities. That will primarily be to improve shareholder value. In the end, we will continue to pursue these strategies while remaining a model energy utility and best practice company within the business environment of Saint Lucia, and the Caribbean as a whole.” c ELECTRONICS LAB.

SCHOOLS FOOTBALL FINAL.

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WASCO

WASCO WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO PRESERVE THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE SAINT LUCIAN ENVIRONMENT.

WATER FOR ALL

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Cherry Ann Gaillard-Williams, Communications and Marketing Officer at Saint Luciaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Water and Sewerage Company, Inc., about developing water infrastructure, protecting the environment, and embracing new technologies.

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The Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO) is the primary supplier of potable water in Saint Lucia. The Eastern Caribbean island nation has been served by WASCO and its predecessor companies since 1964, when the Government of Saint Lucia passed the Water Authority Act, No. 24, creating the Saint Lucia Central Water Authority (CWA), the first national water authority. In 1984, the CWA also became responsible for sewerage, and it was renamed the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), becoming WASCO in 1999 when the government restructured the sector and incorporated the Authority under the Companies Act. Today, WASCO continues the hard work of building and maintaining an efficient and effective system to supply potable water to all communities in Saint Lucia. In the north of Saint Lucia, the Thomas R. Theobalds Water Treatment Plant in Ciceron, Castries, supplies treated water to local communities. “The raw water coming into the treatment plant is primarily drawn from a large reservoir formed by the John Compton Dam in Millet,” explains Cherry Ann Gaillard-Williams, Communications and Marketing Officer at WASCO. “Apart from the treatment plant, there are several pumping systems that assist with the distribution of the water across the network. We also have the Hill-Twenty Treatment Plant in Babonneau, which supplies this large community with water in the north of the island. The raw water supplied to the Hill 20 Treatment Plant comes from the La Sorciere, Talvern, and Marquis intakes.”

CO’s largest projects ever is currently underway. The Vieux Fort Water Supply Redevelopment Project was launched in 2015, with the aim of making the south of Saint Lucia as well-supplied as the north. “WASCO has secured funding from the Caribbean Development Bank, to undertake this project,” explains Ms. Gaillard-Williams. “The project will include the complete redesign of the water distribution system in the southern town of Vieux Fort and its environs. There will be a new intake, water treatment plant, pump houses, as well as water storage tanks and distribution pipelines. The government sees Vieux Fort as a new economic frontier for Saint Lucia, with many new development projects planned for the town and its environs, and the availability of a reliable water supply system is central to development.” DESILTING PROGRAM The water supply to the already well-served north of the island also requires constant

VIEUX FORT But it is in the south of Saint Lucia where some of the greatest challenges lie for WASCO – and it is there that one of WASSUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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WASCO

maintenance. One of the crucial ways WASCO is delivering this is through a desilting program at the John Compton Dam. Tropical Storm Debby of September 1994, Hurricane Tomas which was a Category 5 hurricane in 2010, and storms associated with the passage of the Christmas Eve Trough of 2013, have resulted in severe soil erosion in the watershed areas around the dam and filled two-thirds of the reservoir with silt, causing a significant reduction in the capacity of the reservoir. “After several years of planning, a project aimed at desilting of the reservoir was developed, and following negotiations

for financing and implementation of a bidding process, we have actually started Phase 1 of the project,” says Ms. Gaillard-Williams. “It is known as JCD01. A local contractor has successfully secured the bid to undertake JCD01. The involves the construction of a sediment disposal area downstream of the dam, where silt from the reservoir will be disposed of. This is in preparation for the desilting of the dam which will happen in Phase 2 of the project, when suction dredging will occur. Phase 2, also referred to as JCD02, is slated to begin during the 2019 rainy season. We want to minimize water supply interrup-

tions to our customers during the desilting exercise, and so the project operations will be planned and executed with this in mind.” Another major infrastructure project which WASCO is implementing is the Arsene James Water Project. This project includes the laying of pipes from a treatment plant located in the village of Micoud to a water storage tank in the nearby community of Ti Rocher. When the project is completed, it will supply residents of Ti Rocher with a more consistent supply of water. “Currently, water rationing and usage rotation take place in that area,” explains Ms. Gaillard-Williams.

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passion • teamwork • clarity • quality • integrity

“The project will seek to make that system a thing of the past. For this reason, we have installed the new pipes to supply the existing storage tank. The project is almost completed and tests are now being conducted to ensure that the system is working as intended, before it is commissioned.” CLEAN WATER In addition to their infrastructure development work, WASCO work closely with the community to preserve the natural beauty of the Saint Lucian environment. “As a company we assist with tree planting activities, encouraging schools, local groups, and other organizations and the general public to join us in that drive,” says Ms. Gaillard-Williams. “We also do our own advocacy, because without a clean environment, the amount of water need to supply the entire population will be insufficient. We encourage people to conserve water and changing several negative behaviors, some of which can be done at home.” With assistance from the Water Resource Management Agency and other partners, WASCO also works with farmers to educate and sensitize them on the effects of bad agricultural practices on the water supply. “We know crops are essential for farmers,” says Ms. Gaillard-Williams. “It is their livelihoods, a way of sustaining their families. But we also want them to be very conscious and aware of the effects that their actions and their crop cultivation methods can have on the environment. We also want them to know that the way they plant their crops can help mitigate erosion, which will reduce siltation and

turbidity in the water supply. Poor irrigation practices can also affect how much water is available for distribution.” GREEN AND RESILIENT Next, WASCO’s five-year Strategic Plan for the period 2019 to 2023 places much focus on reducing water wastage and improving efficiency. “Our Strategic Plan will address non-revenue water,” says Ms. Gaillard-Wil-

liams. “Because of our aged infrastructure, for example, we have many challenges relating to leakages due to broken pipes. However, we have been making upgrades to the infrastructure in an attempt to make it more modern and efficient, and through the Strategic Plan we will intensify these upgrades. Taking climate change issues into consideration, we are also seeking to make our infrastructure more climate-resilient and able to stand the test of time. Green energy is also a major focus, particularly tapping into solar energy. A lot of what we do depends heavily on electrical power, and our pumping systems consume large amounts of electricity. We are developing plans to reduce our electricity consumption, and the use of solar power could offer a cheap and environmentally friendly way of doing that.” “Technical upgrades and improvements across our existing systems also feature heavily in WASCO’s Strategic Plant,” says Ms. Gaillard-Williams. “We want to move with technology and use it to save time and money. We understand that in this era it’s not necessarily about working hard but working smart – to save the company money, save clients time, and improve efficiency. We want to incorporate new technologies into our operations to bring benefits to the company and our clients”. c

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MEGA CONTRACTING INC

MEGA CONTRACTING CONTINUES TO GROW AS THEIR PROJECTS DIVERSIFY, AND THEIR REPUTATION FOR PRECISE AND ECONOMICAL CONSTRUCTION PRECEDES THEM.

CONSCIENTIOUS

CONSTRUCTION Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Ned Samuel, Managing Director at Mega Contracting Inc., about major projects, embracing new technology, and investing the Saint Lucian community. Mega Contracting Inc. is a Saint Lucian construction company. Founded in 1998 as Ned Samuel Construction Services, the company adopted the name Mega Contracting

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in 2011. By emphasizing quality, efficiency, and professionalism, and by treating all their projects with equal respect regardless of the scale, Mega Contracting have risen to the top of the Saint Lucian construction industry, recently working with the government of Saint Lucia on the high-profile John Compton Dam rehabilitation project, as well as continuing their long-standing working relationship with luxury hotel giant Sandals. Mega Contracting continues to grow as their projects diversify, and their reputation for precise and economical construction precedes them.

“We have more or less continued as the same business since our humble beginning in 1998,” says Ned Samuel, Managing Director at Mega Contracting Inc. “We are now involved in a number of different areas, including marine works and road construction, as well as more general construction projects. Obviously when you are starting out as a business, you start on a relatively small scale and grow from there, so when we began we were focused on residential building construction and renovation. But since then, the company has expanded to

include commercial and wholesale construction, as well as working particularly closely with hotels and resorts on the island, building some of the finest rooms available here. We have also worked on the kitchens, restaurants, outdoor pools, and other luxury projects for those same hotels and villas, and have created a diverse and notable portfolio of projects for ourselves.” SEDIMENT DISPOSAL AREA More recently, Mega Contracting has begun executing complex work for the Saint Lucian government. “In the last five years we have done a lot of work for the government,” says Mr. Samuel. “These projects include road construction, building and retaining walls, and working on other important pri-

mary infrastructure. Most recently we have been working with the government on a sediment disposal area (SDA) as part of the John Compton Dam rehabilitation project.” The John Compton Dam, formerly the Roseau Dam, is the most significant dam in Saint Lucia, acting as the principal water supply to the north of the country. Over the last two decades, flood waters caused by hurricanes have repeatedly deposited silt in the reservoir, lowering the capacity by 30%. Now, the state-run Water and Sewerage Company Ltd (WASCO) is leading a project to desilt the dam and restore it to full capacity. “This project is due for completion in August 2019, and is one of the largest projects being developed on the island currently,” says Mr. Samuel. “The existing

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MEGA CONTRACTING INC

John Compton dam has been filled with sediment and waste over the years from rainfall and storms, and the government have been looking to address this issue for some time but have only very recently been able to act.” “It’s a big project and very important for the island,” explains Mr. Samuel. “Our involvement in the operation entails constructing the SDA itself. To do so, we must build a dyke to retain an area in which the material dredged from the existing dam can be deposited, managed, and filtered, so that the clean water can be fed back

into the river and the sediment can be set aside. So a lot of engineering is required to design and construct this area, specifically the dyke. Once this project is completed, the capacity of the dam will be greatly improved because the volume occupied by sediment will be freed up. If there is a drought on the island, that difference in capacity makes an enormous difference.” LUXURY CONSTRUCTION Mega Contracting have also worked on several high-profile private sector projects, including a longstanding partnership with

luxury hotel chain Sandals. “We have now worked with Sandals for years, and they are one of our longest-standing clients,” says Mr. Samuel. “They actually have several hotels on the island, and we have worked on all of them in some capacity. Most notably, the highest end villas which are known as the ‘Million Dollar Suites’, as well as the second highest-end selling properties to date, which are known as the Rondovals, consisting of eighteen luxury villas at the Sandals Grande Hotel. There are also many other smaller scale projects we have worked on for Sandals including room renovation, building restaurants, et cetera, across these and other hotels and properties.” INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS “Before every project begins we have a meeting with our team,” explains Mr. Samuel. “We get specialists from every area, a quantity surveyor, a land surveyor, engineers, project managers, and so on, including a well-rounded selection of general experts who make up that team and enable us to handle any project. It is our company policy to provide high quality, well-designed building solutions through a professional approach to the construction process, with special emphasis given to management of costs, scheduling, attention to detail, and flexibility in analyzing and resolving complex problems.” By using new technology, Mega Contracting are able to maximize efficiencies and achieve better results for clients. “We

36 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

of our clients as well as other members of the construction industry is very important to us, and we strive for excellence at all times.”

always try to keep up with technology, as this tends to be what ensures our work is as quick and effective as possible,” says Mr. Samuel. “We even have drones available to help with aerial photos. Most of the latest industry technology we developed in house or had designed with our specific purposes in mind. We also keep on top of more general industry innovations as they develop. Our goal is to evaluate demands from clients and use our technical expertise to ensure those demands are met. Understanding the needs

GROWING FOR SAINT LUCIA By developing a thriving local business, Mega Contracting have been able to share the benefits of success with the Saint Lucian community – and ensure the pristine natural environment of the island is protected. “All of our projects island-wide contribute to the local community,” says Mr. Samuel. “We use our in-house management team, of course, but otherwise we always give priority to skilled locals to work on a project within their own community. On the John Compton Dam, most of our skilled workers are from the surrounding area. In terms of environmental protection, we are always mindful of preserving rivers and neighbouring environments when depositing debris and waste material from our construction sites. Most of our projects will have an environmental specialist on board as standard, so on a weekly

basis this person will walk through the site with our health and safety officer to ensure that everything meets our high standards. All water is regularly tested and all projects are carried out in this conscientious way.” “As we continue growing as a company, our aim is still to satisfy customers with the highest quality of work in the construction industry,” says Mr. Samuel. “We will continue to ensure prompt and professional delivery on all projects. Mega Contracting Inc. are committed to minimizing construction waste and pollution, and we take full responsibility for implementing environmental procedures. The company sees environmental awareness as absolutely essential within the construction industry. We will continue to strive towards bigger and more exciting projects as our company continues to expand and grow. We want to focus on originality, quality, and innovation. Because we are experienced in building everything and anything, from high rises to hotels, we have the expertise to perform any and all aspects of the industry.” c

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CARIBBEAN LED LIGHTING

BY INSTALLING LED LIGHTING, IT ALSO BECOMES EASIER FOR COUNTRIES TO TRANSITION TO A ‘SMART GRID’.

FOR BETTER COMMUNITIES Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Jim Reid, Founder of Caribbean LED Lighting, about the impacts of streetlighting, energy-efficient technology, and the potential for Caribbean manufacturing. Caribbean LED Lighting is a Barbadian LED lighting manufacturer for commercial, residential, and industrial use. Currently

38 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

exporting to eighteen countries, Caribbean LED have supplied street lights to major utilities in Barbados, Grenada, Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, the Bahamas, Antigua, Dominica, Suriname, Guyana, and Jamaica. In 2013, the company won the Compete Caribbean Innovation Award for their off-grid renewable energy system, WinSun, marking the first time a Barbadian company has ever won the award, and in 2015, the Caribbean LED factory received a visit from Ban Ki Moon, the then-Secretary General of the United Nations, recognizing their contribution towards sustainable energy usage in the Caribbean.

“We set up the company in 2011,” says Jim Reid, Founder of Caribbean LED Lighting. “I realised that LED lighting was going to be one of the next big things specifically in the Caribbean, bearing in mind that we have the second highest electricity costs of all after Denmark. We researched a potential base and looked at locations on several islands, eventually settling on Barbados because of its existing infrastructure, electricity, and the access we would have to a skilled labour force. After getting set up in Barbados we realised within 18 months that we needed to expand the operation, and we moved

to new premises to triple our space, three years later moving to triple that space once again. Last year, we moved into a brand new, state-of-the-art clean technology manufacturing facility, which is very exciting. We are currently supplying some major companies in the Caribbean, including Cave Shepherd, Regis, Courts, Unicomer, et cetera, and we have a large portfolio of companies who are all utilising our products.” LIGHTING AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION Streetlighting is linked to reductions in automobile accidents, along with improved socialization and reduced crime. But electricity can be expensive, and countries around the world are adapting to a low-carbon future by seeking ways to reduce energy consumption. LED technology allows streetlighting infrastructure to be installed while reducing

electricity costs and environmental impacts. “We have just finished a project in Antigua where we have retrofitted the entire island with 16,000 LED streetlights,” says Mr. Reid. “There is a similar project in Grand Bahama, and we are working in Suriname on a major project there and have put in about 12,000 streetlights so far. Suriname is a particularly good example of the work we’re doing. The large population outside of Paramaribo needs electricity and streetlights, and the CEO of EBS, the utilities provider, has a vision to provide people with cutting-edge technology and services via a streetlight network, leapfrogging from old technology. We have been working on this project for about two and a half years. We are going straight from the old, high-pressure yellow streetlights to bright LED streetlights with

improved visibility. This means improved safety, but also reduces the energy costs by 67%. So it has been a triple bottom line in Suriname: Environmental, social, and financial benefits for the country.” “A project with comparable social impact is one we have rolled out in Bridgetown,” says Mr. Reid. “About three years ago we were approached because around 39% of Barbadian predatory crime happened in the very centre of Bridgetown across an area of just forty streets. We worked with Barbados Light and Power and the government electrical department, raised sponsorship money, contributed some capital ourselves, and in the end managed to light up forty-two streets with our cutting-edge LED floodlights. This took the environment there from very dark to being extremely well lit, which SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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CARIBBEAN LED LIGHTING

impacted the local community in a huge way. Bars and shops were open later, and people sat out in the street playing dominoes and told us that they felt safer in their home neighbourhoods than they did before. So from 39% of all predatory crime in Barbados taking place in those streets, there is now 0%. This is a remarkable progression that shows how our technology helps to improve communities through more than just the obvious effects of improved lighting.”

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY LED lighting has come a long way since its inception. “The advent of light-emitting diodes really leapt forward with the development of LED televisions,” says Mr. Reid. “Those first LEDs didn’t last very long because it was hard to manage the junction temperature between the diode and the circuit board, and they ultimately burned out. However, with every degree of reduction to the junction temperature,

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the lifespan of the LED is doubled, so we now have LEDs that will last over 120,000 hours – or 20 years. The great thing about these modern LED lights is there is no heat at all, due to the effective heat management between the diode and the circuit board. The other huge positive is the low amount of energy required for an LED light to operate, so we’ve got 7W screw-in LED bulbs that replace 60W incandescent bulbs. We’re looking at replacing 150W and 250W sodium lamps with 20 or 30W LED lamps. This reduction in energy is truly huge. Furthermore, the LED tubes we use have a five-year warranty. People are realising that you can buy a cheap but short-term imported product, or you can buy a quality product made in the Caribbean for the Caribbean people, and it comes with a full warranty. There are actually products that customers bought eight years ago that we are still servicing today. There is an enormous financial and environmental impact. In the Caribbean consumers are acutely aware of the high cost of electricity, so the idea of fitting a product that will reduce the cost dramatically has been embraced.”

a location that enables them to pinpoint exactly where the noise came from. We can control irrigation via the street lights with motion sensors, meaning farmers can make decisions and act remotely too. Aruba has already rolled out smart grid technology, Antigua is running a pilot, Suriname is running a pilot, while Barbados Light & Power has started using smart metering and they want to move to the smart grid technology too. Just about every utility we are working with at the moment wants to go that route.”

“Another good point of comparison is that fluorescent lights are flickering all the time,” explains Mr. Reid. “Even if the naked eye can’t see these flickers, the brain can, making them quite unhealthy if people are exposed to them for long stretches of time. LED light, on the other hand, is a healthy, consistent light. There is also no mercury in an LED light, whereas in the average fluorescent tube light there can be enough mercury to contaminate seven thousand units of drinking water. All of our LED lights are fully recyclable, and we will take back the outdated lamps that we are replacing for processing and shipping to an EPA recycling facility in California. Living on a coral island such as Barbados, anything that is placed in landfill permeates into the drinking water, so this is another way in which our clean methods of operation can have a huge impact.” BETTER, STRONGER, SMARTER By installing LED lighting, it also becomes easier for countries to transition to a ‘smart grid’, and to integrate other technological advancements. “LED street lighting creates a base network for utilities and countries to take a leap forward, including the managing those lights remotely,” explains Mr. Reid. “Once these lights are actually fitted we can attach all sorts of sensors to them and create a network that can be easily managed. Through smart meters, utility company employees can check on efficiency and safety remotely, rather than having to go out in person. We can also achieve other things with these streetlights. They can be Wi-Fi hotspots, or even calculate available parking spaces. We can fit environmental sensors to measure the air quality and determine the weather, or acoustic sensors that will report gunshots to the local law enforcement with

LOCAL INVESTMENT Employing local skilled workers and contributing to the Barbadian economy are also high on the Caribbean LED agenda. “What we’ve been able to do with our company is create green-collar jobs in the industry, seeking out and employing talented Caribbean individuals,” says Mr. Reid. “We realised we would have to invest quite a lot in training, which is maintained and continuous. We currently have a predominantly female senior management team, as well as most other key roles in the company. This is very exciting and is reflective of the social change happening in Barbadian society.” “Despite us showing that Barbados is an excellent place to build and operate a manufacturing facility, I think people remain a little skeptical about starting their own projects here,” says Mr Reid. “So while Caribbean LED is showing growth and social progression, there has not been as much growth in manufacturing generally as we had thought there might be following our example. Manufacturing is a great way to move the country forward, but does need a lot more support and encouragement internally and externally. We have a very

aggressive National Energy Policy, with a target to be 100% renewable by 2030. But in our opinion, there is no sense in pushing renewable energy if it is powering totally inefficient technology or lighting, so we regard phase zero as reducing consumption, thereby making renewable energy much more affordable and viable.” This emphasis on social change, new technology and continual advancement is something that underpins everything that Caribbean LED does. “We plan to continue to invest and focus on smart grids, smart networks, and all related services that come from that,” says Mr. Reid. “We are on the cutting edge of creating smart networks and smart countries right across the Caribbean. This requires investment in renewable energy and in technology. We believe partnership is the secret to many exciting advancements, so it makes sense to nurture relationships with other groups and organisations carrying out exciting work. In addition to Nova Scotia company LED Roadway Lighting, we are partnered with Trilliant Networks who are headquartered in the United States, working on the smart networks in Suriname, Antigua, and St. Vincent, as well as several other countries. Ultimately one of the things that utilities and governments want is 24/7 support in these areas, and smart networks are the best way to facilitate this. But all of this starts with people, and we believe if you put the right people in the right places then great things happen.” c

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WILLIAMS SOLAR

“SOLAR PV IS NO LONGER AN UNTESTED LEAP-OF-FAITH FOR USERS; THE TECHNOLOGY IS LONG-ESTABLISHED, AND PANELS ARE BETTER AND MORE AFFORDABLE THAN EVER.”

POWERING THE FUTURE Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Gleeson Roach, Operations Manager at Williams Solar, about the renewable energy industry in Barbados, customized solutions, and sustainable partnerships.

Williams Solar is an experienced developer of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects based in Barbados. With over 7MWp of installed solar PV to date, Williams Solar’s flagship project was to provide Engineering, Procurement, 42 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

and Construction (EPC) services for their parent company Williams Industries Inc. (WII) “Williams Solar is the trading name of Williams Evergreen Ltd.,” explains Gleeson Roach, Operations Manager at Williams

Solar. “The company was initially started in 2008, and at that time it would have focused on energy management and energy control systems. During those early stages we had just begun to take a closer look at renewable

AERIAL VIEW OF PV INSTALLATIONS ON WILLIAMS INDUSTRIES BUILDINGS, WARRENS ST. MICHAEL.

continued expanding up to this day. In short, we are essentially now an EPC company providing engineering, procurement, and construction of renewable energy systems, but specialising in solar PV.” TURNKEY SOLUTIONS Williams Solar have worked on several notable projects in recent years, carrying out work in both the commercial and residential sectors. “In 2018, we fitted solar generation systems to commercial banks, insurance companies, shopping complexes, and the list goes on,” explains Mr. Roach. “A number of residential projects were completed as well, and we have done several sister companies too. Overall, we are talking about a cumulative capacity of over 2.5 MWp. In the previous year, we also did some work elsewhere in the Caribbean, including a 1MW peak solar PV rooftop system for a manufacturing company.” “Renewable energy systems are an increasingly popular avenue for investment,” says Mr. Roach. “So someone who has a residence or a business will contact us and let us know what their intentions and goals are. We review the information and arrange visits to the locations to conduct assessments. Then we move to a proposal stage, where we outline our plan of action based on their requirements, and if they accept that proposal then we move forward to obtain approvals from the relevant entities. Once the approvals have been granted we proceed into the procurement and construction stage. So it’s a complete turnkey solution that we offer to our customers.”

CUSTOMIZABLE PACKAGES A cornerstone of the Williams Solar business model is that of customizable, practical packages tailored to the customer’s specific needs. “In some cases, it’s not just about putting in a solar system, but it is also about recognising where there can be more general improvements,” explains Mr. Roach. “This can be in terms of saving energy by installing energy saving devices, or simply paying more attention to energy management. These simple actions are incredibly important and compliment the PV systems in an extremely effective way. It really comes down to the individual needs of the customers. Sometimes we will find that a customer is very sustainability minded – for example, maybe their operation is very sensitive, and they want reliability above anything else, so in this instance we would design a system perhaps with some form of backup power, running through all the different designs that would suit their specific priorities. Another practical consideration is the physical space in which the PV system equipment will be installed, as some facilities may require us to be very cautious about the type of products we select and how the installation is executed.” “When designing a system or planning an installation we carefully consider all the different elements that must be incorporated to achieve a successful project and a satisfied customer,” says Mr. Roach. “These specifications can be very general or very specific, and we carefully consider all available options in order to achieve the best results. I would say the longevity of our systems is where the real value is for our clients. When AERIAL VIEW OF ONE WELCHES LTD. CAR PORT.

energy technologies, and we had already installed a 30 kW solar PV system on one of our parent company's buildings for the purpose of data collection and data analysis.” Four years later, the renewable energy arm of Williams Industries Inc. had evolved into a much larger-scale operation. “In 2012, under the guidance and direction of Williams Industries Inc., Williams Solar had installed several PV systems on the rooftops of WII buildings, accumulating approximately 1.4MW peak of solar PV,” says Mr. Roach. “Following on from that success, Williams Solar branched out into providing a similar service for other customers, and we have SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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WILLIAMS SOLAR you think about a solar PV system, you are really looking at a twenty- to twenty-fiveyear minimum investment. To have a system that really lasts that long, the quality of the installation is as important as the quality of the components. For example, here in Barbados, we must take into account the fact that we are in a hurricane zone and how we can mitigate the associated risks. Therefore we really look at all aspects that will help to preserve the life of the system for the full twenty-five years. Often clients can expect a return on their investment in just six years or less, beyond which they will experience the benefits of having a quality and long-lasting system in place.” ACCESSIBLE ENERGY Williams Solar are mindful of the importance and accessibility of solar power. “The ingredients of success within this industry always start with the quality of the product, as well as the quality of the installation services offered,” explains Mr. Roach. “Williams Solar is a Williams Group company, and from that standpoint we are a household name within our sector. Williams Industries Inc. has been around for approximately forty-four years, and is extremely well-known; people are familiar and comfortable with the fact that we have been in business and successful within

that time. The Williams brand is another one of the major ingredients for us.” Solar PV is no longer an untested leap-of-faith for users; the technology is long-established, and panels are better and more affordable than ever. “The fact that it’s a proven technology helps to lower the number of risks for the person investing,” says Mr. Roach. “It is very accessible, since the source of the energy is sunlight and pretty much everyone can access this in some capacity. This makes it relatively simple, and means that the way energy generation has been known to many persons over the years has changed drastically, since any person can have a generation system right on their property from a natural and sustainable source. In terms of access to financing, there are also avenues that individuals and businesses can explore, as solar is something that most financiers are familiar with and understand the risk-reward. We are based in Barbados, but we have already done work in the Bahamas, in Saint Lucia, and there are other islands showing interest where we have looked at potential projects.” SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Williams Solar are mindful of supporting others in the renewables sector, as well as educating the public. “What comes next PV INSTALLATION - SBRC, BARBADOS.

is that William Solar will continue to work closely with others in the industry,” explains Mr. Roach. “We will also continue to educate and promote renewable energy, while working towards the 100% renewable energy target which has been set by the Barbados government. The Chairman of Williams Industries, Dr. Ralph ‘Bizzy’Williams, is very active in supporting the development of the renewable energy industry and has been doing so for a very long time. We have a very knowledgeable and dedicated team at William Solar and within the Williams Group of companies. Our involvement with the various industry entities in Barbados continue to be fruitful, and quite recently we have been involved with some exciting local fundraising” “We are also affiliated with the Barbados Community College (BCC) and Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI),” says Mr. Roach. “We have contributed to the development of a PV course at 44 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

WILLIAMS SOLAR ARE MINDFUL OF SUPPORTING OTHERS IN THE RENEWABLES SECTOR, AS WELL AS EDUCATING THE PUBLIC.

MILLENNIUM HEIGHTS GROUND MOUNT.

these institutions which will effectively train and certify several persons with C/NVQs. We have played and will continue to play a role in training and educating the workforce here in Barbados with regards to renewable energy, and particularly solar PV, which is

something that we really believe in. We are a proud member of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA), which gives the industry one powerful and collective voice. Through BREA, we are able to communicate and discuss industry and regulatory issues

and come to reasonable proposals and solutions. BREA have been working very hard to address the issues within the sector and promote renewable energy here in Barbados, as well as other Caribbean countries. We are powering our way to a sustainable future.” c

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HONEY BUN JAMAICA

THE RISE OF

HONEY BUN Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Daniel Chong, Chief Operating Officer at Honey Bun Jamaica, about driving Jamaican growth, purchasing locally, and investing in the community. Honey Bun Jamaica is a wholesale bakery based in Kingston. Honey Bun specializes in individually-packaged baked goods, produced to have a longer than average shelf life to suit Caribbean and other international distribution. The bakery operates 24 hours a day, and has been run as a family business for over thirty-five years. Their products can be found as far afield as the United Kingdom, where mainstream supermarkets such 46 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

as Tesco and Asda stock Honey Bun products, as well as many small independent stores catering to the Jamaican diaspora. Honey Bun has a reputation for innovation, dedication, and good corporate governance. Over the years the company has been steadily increasing their domestic and international distribution, and in Jamaica they are a significant employer and economic contributor.

market. While all this was happening within the area of distribution, our production and our products themselves also evolved, moving from very short shelf life pastries into products with longer shelf lives for even wider distribution and increased accessibility. This is the point at which our brand really began to grow, so instead of just being available in our retail store or in local shops, our products became available island-wide in supermarkets. In 2012 Honey Bun went public, though it is still majority-owned by my family and run much as it has always been. We continue to focus on high-quality products and high-quality service.” GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION Honey Bun occupies a unique corner of the baked goods market, utilizing innovative approaches to both production and marketing. “As the company evolved, we had also been developing products for export,” elaborates Mr. Chong. “This is a challenging task for products such as short life baked goods. Among the items we developed for export are Easter buns, which are similar to loaves of bread but a bit sweeter. We found that markets with a large Jamaican diaspora, like the U.K., Canada, and the United States all contained significant markets for these products. We developed our liquor cakes line, which has some new products lasting even up to six months – in short, products that we could easily export for sale in airports and to foreign tourist markets. We have been developing these new products for a market which has not really been fully catered for before.” Last year, Honey Bun achieved a turnover over approximately J$1.3 billion, which is roughly US$10 million per year. “We measure our own distribution against the mark-up that a third-party distributor would add if they were to buy it from us to sell, so we manage our costs to within those margins

very carefully,” says Mr. Chong. “Ultimately we are trying to ensure that we are operating at least as efficiently as an independent distributor. We now have a fleet of trucks which we use for our distribution, we have a fleet manager for them, and we have even partnered with some local gas stations who are customers of ours, which allows us to buy all our fuel at a significant discount.” SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY In addition to maintaining the quality of their products and services, Honey Bun are dedicated to both minimizing the environmental impact of production and supporting worthy causes in Jamaica. “There are a number of things we are proud of as a local employer,” says Mr. Chong. “In terms of energy, we have started a solar project, basically filling up our headquarters roof with panels, so we are able to harvest some natural energy for our facilities. We partnered with Sofos, who are a Barcelona-based company with an operation out here. We also recently built a new building where we are catching more than 90% of the water that falls on the roof, saving on our water bill. Storing water in Jamaica is especially important, due to frequent shortages. We have named this building the Sushil Jain building, after our board director who passed away earlier this year. It has been a landmark project for us.” “With short-dated and returned products, we are currently partnered with some

“Honey Bun was bought in 1982 by my parents,” says Daniel Chong, Chief Operating Officer at Honey Bun Jamaica. “At the time they bought it, Honey Bun was just a small retail pastry shop, slowly evolving over the years into what we have today. We moved from that modest shop into wholesale baking for Jamaican street vendors to sell locally. Then, continuing to grow, we moved into the distribution sector ourselves. We initially hired two drivers, bought two vehicles, and started distributing to wholesalers and to retailers to get our products out there and be more widely available in the SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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HONEY BUN JAMAICA we then sponsor. The competition has been completed and the film is in production now, so will be coming soon.”

charities over here who help to feed poor people and who are able to use products that are fit for consumption if not for sale,” says Mr. Chong. “The main organisations we work with are Missionaries of the Poor and Missionaries of Charity. We also sup-

port the Jamaican creative industries with a program where we sponsored a competition for the production of a movie made by some local people. The competition involved writers creating a script and partnering with producers to create a movie, which

SUPERIOR JAMAICAN PRODUCTS Honey Bun source their natural ingredients extremely carefully, but they also manage to support local business at the same time. “In terms of the products themselves, we are not in the business of including a lot of preservatives or additives,” explains Mr Chong. “Despite their long shelf life, we try to keep our products as natural and as healthy as possible. Also, more than 95% of our ingredients are purchased locally. When ingredients have to be imported out of necessity, we make sure they are processed locally where possible, to add value. Flour is a perfect example, since we are a bakery and use more flour than any other ingredient. Since wheat is not grown at all in Jamaica it has to be imported, but all of our flour is made locally from imported wheat. We use a lot of cheese and eggs and support local industry in that way. It’s also worth noting that we employ around 400 Jamaican people currently. There are also a lot of technological projects that have been

JAMAICA’S LEADING SUPPLIERS of Refined and Icing sugar as well as Fruit Juice concentrates and Purees to the food processing sector for over twenty years. We support the local food processing industry by facilitating the supply of first quality raw materials sourced either locally or internationally.

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48 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

going on for the last few years as we have been looking towards the automation of our processes. The reality of automation is that it is creating more and more jobs, as we are having to employ technicians, plus ultimately we will be producing more products and be operating more efficiently, meaning more growth and more jobs.” LEADING THE MARKET Honey Bun has grown a huge amount over the last three decades, and look set to continue expanding. “In the future we plan to significantly grow our markets outside of Jamaica, as well as continuing to cater for our domestic market here of course,” elaborates Mr. Chong. “We are also mindful of the fact that really we are only doing business with a small corner of the local market, and aspire to grow that too. After constructing this new building, we have more capacity, which was an issue for us previously. We have new equipment and have just added another production line a few months ago, which has afforded us an even larger capacity. With these developments, we will be able to supply more of Jamaica, and with our

new products too, the reception we are getting from the market has been tremendous. Ultimately it is just about finding those distribution channels in order to further grow in the export market. Currently we are focusing our energy into product

development and distribution to achieve this. The thing that we are most proud of, that we feel we do best, is innovation. We always come up with innovative products and lead the market with the items that we produce and distribute.” c

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PORT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE CARIBBEAN

THE PORT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE CARIBBEAN (PMAC) WAS ESTABLISHED IN JUNE 1998.

CARIBBEAN

MR GLENN ROACH, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, PMAC.

Most countries in the Caribbean region are relatively small island-states. Despite the small size of the physical real estate which limits the accommodation of many international airports, actual shoreline space facil50 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

PORTS A foreword to the ‘Caribbean Ports’ series by Glenn Roach, Executive Secretary of the Port Management Association of the Caribbean. itates a large number of marine ports and harbors through which regional and international maritime trade readily flows, as well as a relatively substantial segment of cruise tourism. These Caribbean island-states

collectively operate over two hundred seaports/harbors, the smaller of which are used for inter-island and schooner trade. Though these facilities are not physically alike, they all service the social and economic needs of

their respective countries while confronting similar institutional issues and concerns. Accordingly, such a situation demands a high level of effective management and operational efficiency. It is against this background that the Port Management Association of the Eastern Caribbean (PMAEC) was first founded in May 1988 to promote meaningful dialogue and foster better relations and networking among port managers. After ten years of existence, the scope of the organization was broadened to include the wider Caribbean, and the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC) was established in June 1998. DRIVING CONCERNS As the maritime industry became more technologically advanced, there was the requirement for greater reforms, incorporating increased productivity, provision of cost-effective services, and new training

methodologies in order to address the issues facing Caribbean ports. PMAC’s driving concerns therefore include the control of port cost and improvement of the technical skills of port staff within a safe and secure working environment. Moreover, the broader issues related to sustainability, including environmental issues such as climate change and its associated adverse weather effects, pollution, the requirements of the cruise industry for ever-increasing port infrastructure and services, and cyber security in a world where ship and cargo movement are increasingly being monitored by wireless technology and internet-based systems, require that the Association has a mandate to ensure these matters are meaningfully addressed. STRATEGIES EMPLOYED PMAC, being a focused and responsible organization, has sought to build its capability

and profile by effecting a five-year strategic plan aimed at enhanced training and empowerment of port personnel through appropriate workshops and international seminars. Accordingly, in order to enhance its instructive capabilities, the Caribbean Maritime University has been firmly engaged and continues to significantly contribute to the Association’s development, both in an advisory and training capacity. Furthermore, PMAC has also incorporated a significant number of Associate Members into its fold, as well as established a number of strategic alliances through the signing of MOUs with organisations such as the American Association of Port Authorities, the Association of Caribbean States, the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency, the Caribbean Shipping Association, the Gulf Ports Association of the Americas, the Inter-American Committee on Ports of the Organization of American States, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Central to its public outreach, PMAC’s profile was dramatically raised with its endorsement of Portside Caribbean, and the collaboration with that publication and the Caribbean Maritime University in staging a new regional event, the Caribbean Port Management Workshop. This event attracted the participation of seventy port management and port sector personnel from the four language groups of the Caribbean, and was a resounding success at its inauguration in January 2018. In light of the various challenges currently facing the maritime industry, PMAC, in collaboration with its strategic partners, continues to fulfil its mandate, and will spare no effort in facilitating the development of a sustainable and progressive future of this industry. c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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PORTS AUTHORITY OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

AS THE PORTS ARE MODERNIZED, THE PORTS AUTHORITY INTENDS TO ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE SECURITY AND EFFICIENCY.

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

Established

2008

The

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Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Delton Jones, Deputy Director of Ports at the Ports Authority of the Turks and Caicos Islands, about improving infrastructure, preparing for climate change, and supporting the government. The Ports Authority of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI Ports Authority) is a statutory body tasked with managing the ports of Grand Turk, South Caicos, and Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Ports Authority operates the ports and other transportation infrastructure, and is also responsible for regulating stevedoring services at the ports and providing pilotage when required. With several strategic alliances with other organizations in the maritime sector, including the Port

Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC), the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), and the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), the Ports Authority of the Turks and Caicos Islands has recently been rebuilding port infrastructure following hurricane damage in 2017, aiming to substantially update and improve their operations over the coming five years. Established in 2008, TCI Ports Authority is headed by a board of directors, with an appointed chairman in turn reporting to the

Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, currently Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson. “Our functions are related to general management of the port, emphasising a positive safety culture, ensuring that there is compliance with relevant international security codes, and overseeing budget management,” explains Delton Jones, Deputy Director of Ports at TCI Ports Authority. “In addition to our three primary ports, we have minor ports on North Caicos and Salt Cay. We also have a number of functions in terms of the safety of navigation, both in the territorial and the internal waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and we have a role in the management of aids to navigation and the safety of navigation, including hydrographic services and the like.”

economic boom in the country,” explains Mr. Jones. “This has meant that the main development in our operations has been responding to the increased shipping coming to the islands. For a small country, we now actually have close to twenty thousand TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year. While Grand Turk is the capital island, the main centre of economic activity and commerce is

actually Providenciales, which is where close to 90% of all port shipping and container processing takes place.” While shipping has grown explosively, port infrastructure has not kept pace with the increase in volume. What’s more, in 2008 and 2017, the Turks and Caicos Islands were struck by the major hurricanes Irma and Maria, inflicting serious damage each

MODERNIZATION AND REDEVELOPMENT Having experienced major hurricane damage to ports over the last few years, TCI Ports are looking to repair and improve their facilities. “In the last ten years or so we have had an SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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PORTS AUTHORITY OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS modernization and redevelopment work that needs to be done.”

time on the port facilities. “Because we are in a hurricane area the port is the first point of contact for relief supplies and production materials for rebuilding efforts, so it was essential we got back on our feet as quickly as possible,” says Mr. Jones. “Now that we’re up and running, our plans for the future are focused on repairing and rebuilding the port infrastructure while incorporating modern and cutting edge changes to

accommodate recent and future growth. All of the port infrastructure across our three primary ports is close to reaching the end of its useful life anyway. We also have a lot of hotel-related development and construction taking place at Providenciales, and the port must be updated to match capacity. We carried out a redevelopment consultancy and a twenty-year plan for the redevelopment of that port, so we are just finalizing the major

GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP An essential part of the new strategic plan involves understanding the Ports Authority as a partner in government and community objectives. “This means really working towards prosperity, focusing on poverty reduction, and so on,” says Mr. Jones. “The sector is a source of good jobs and sustainable livelihoods. Also, the government is currently trying to promote balanced development to give each island the opportunity to realize its development potential, including reasonable tourist development on all the islands. Naturally, the ports are critical in this due to the importation of construction materials and so on. If the port infrastructure is falling short, this affects the development plans for everyone across all of the islands.” The ports are on the front lines for several other ongoing challenges. “Another part of our plan for supporting sustainable development is increasing the resilience of the Turks and Caicos Islands to withstand disastrous events in the face of climate change and the increased likelihood of these things

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occurring,” explains Mr. Jones. “We intend to build effective infrastructure to maintain Turks and Caicos against natural disasters. We also want to be integrated into the national security arrangements, since as an archipelago we have relatively open borders and the ports are the gateway through which illegal immigration takes place; we have a responsibility for management of the territorial waters. We need to create greater awareness in the community of the port’s role in the economy of the Turks and Caicos Islands. We are currently a part of the government’s national disaster plan, and we also sit in on the Infrastructure, Transport, and Logistics Committee. We need now to be further integrated into government planning and the operational framework.” IMPROVED PORT TECHNOLOGY As the ports are modernized, the Ports Authority intends to adopt new technology to improve security and efficiency. “We intend to utilize new technology to improve and streamline our operations, particularly in the area of access and security using alarms and access cards,” says Mr. Jones. “Other areas where we hope to use technology include the management of the container yard. This would enable us to have efficient tracking of containers, facilitating efficient loading and offloading as well as distribution of those containers to end users and after that their exportation from Turks and Caicos again. As the country moves into a customs single-window system, we want to ensure that

the efficiency of our supply chain is maximized, reducing lost time and minimizing transactional costs through single-source transactions and ensure that everything is electronically and efficiently monitored. Cutting-edge technology will be instrumental in our rebuilding process and improving our port systems to fully maximize our effectiveness and efficiency.” LOOKING AHEAD “After we have completed our refurbishment and expansion work, this will be followed by the introduction of management and maintenance programs,” says Mr. Jones. “Our new infrastructure will be better equipped, organized and managed to deal with the effects of climate change, such as hurricanes. We intend to focus on incorporating new technology into our operations, as well as developing staff and ensuring they are as effective and well-equipped as possible. We will continue embracing energy conservation and renewable energy. We’re also considering our role in the regional industry. Freight traffic in the Caribbean is very high and almost exclusively exports, so in the foreseeable future we hope to be part of the regional dialogue concerning freight reduction and how best to utilise local shipping lanes and the possibility of new partnerships.” Currently, TCI Ports Authority are reviewing their twenty-year plan. “Some of the things coming out of the consultancy will be in our strategic plan for the future,” says Mr. Jones. “Part of this is something

REBUILDING OF SECURITY GATEHOUSE AT PROVIDENCIALES.

we are calling the 530 Plan, initially laying out that in the next five years we should have completely rebuilt, refurbished, and increased the resilience of all major ports. This will mean that we can have good, modern ports that will sustain routes for the next thirty years. We are improving security, emphasizing a better segregation of cargo, streamlining container management, and incorporating new technology wherever possible. Beyond the next five years, we will be focusing on things like maintenance, staff building and enhancement, changing technology, and ultimately better management. In short, we are striving for modern, well-maintained ports which embrace new technology, promote a good safety culture, have innovative security systems, and employ professional staff. This will support and enable any future developments across our archipelago via our network of ports.” c LED LIGHTS.

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CARIBBEAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY

UNITED BY THE SEA

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Professor Fritz Pinnock, the President of the Caribbean Maritime University, about international co-operation, investing in innovation, and the Blue Economy. The Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) is a Jamaican public tertiary education institution, specializing in maritime and logistics education and training. Formerly known as the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI), the CMU main campus is at Palisadoes Park in Kingston, with additional teaching offered in partnership with the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in Granville, just outside of Montego Bay. “We started out back in 1980 as a joint venture project between the Norwegian gov56 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

ernment and the government of Jamaica,” explains Professor Fritz Pinnock, President of the CMU. “We were established to serve the maritime and logistics industry as a whole, encompassing air, land, and sea. At the time, Jamaica had five merchant ships but no crew to work on them, so even though there were a lot of unemployed people we were still having to hire skilled workers from overseas to crew our vessels. We started with just thirty students, and ever since we have been effectively training Jamaican workers

in the maritime sector, benefitting both the industry in general and the Caribbean region in particular.” Since the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC) was founded as a successor to the Port Management Association of the Eastern Caribbean in 1998, the organization has been closely tied to the CMU. “The CMU is of course very much integrated into the Port Management Association of the Caribbean,” says Professor Pinnock. “We are an industry-focused university who are

dedicated to solving problems, developing workers, and creating jobs.” FRESH APPROACHES In 2001, The CMI was handed over in its entirety to the Jamaican government, and a Jamaican Executive Director was appointed. Since then, the institute has rapidly expanded, culminating in the adoption of a charter in September 2017, at which time the name was changed to Caribbean Maritime University. “We had been basically operating as a university for some time previously,” says Professor Pinnock. “Since the charter, we are officially Jamaica’s second national university and the first public specialized university in the Caribbean. We now have six thousand students, five faculties, and the largest capacity for engineering and technology in the Caribbean, so we work with a lot of the ports and try hard to not only apply appropriate technology but really be on the cutting edge of things in general. We are continually developing patents, using drones, artificial intelligence, robotics, hydraulics, virtual reality, and all these new exciting areas.” By its very nature, the maritime industry is international. The CMU has a new drive to further globalize, going beyond regional partnerships to become an international hub for maritime education. “I recently signed an MOU with the Vice President of the Republic of Nigeria,” says Professor Pinnock. “They have just established the Nigerian Maritime University and we wish to form a partnership with them. This will mean we can share our curriculum and other information, and pro-

vide them with support borne of our experience. We have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Lagos, which currently has over seventy thousand students. Another colleague of mine is in Israel with specialized security because we are also involved in security, counter terrorism, and non-proliferation. So once again a lot of our focus is on globalization and working with other institutions, specifically related to the impact and reach of our university and the development of more skilled workers.” WORLD-CLASS TRAINING In September, The CMU opened the world’s largest FESTO Authorized and Certified Training (FACT) Centre. “FACT training centres certify people in mechatronics, which is the integration of mechanical and electrical informatics and engineering,” explains Professor Pinnock. “This is a brand-new discipline. There are about sixty sub-centres in the world, and FESTO powers one hundred and seventy-nine countries, so naturally we have people travelling from all over to come to Jamaica and train and become certified. We are also running training in Spanish as well as in English, since we have a big focus

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CARIBBEAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY

on the South American market and want to ensure this education is accessible. The centre offers global certification which is recognized internationally.” As maritime technology develops at an ever-increasing rate, ports across the Caribbean needs to stay ahead of the curve. “We have tried to be available to ports as a source of advice and support,” says Professor Pinnock. “We have helped them upgrade their staff at all levels, from executives right down to the port workers, ensuring best practices, health and safety protocols, and so on are trained and adhered to. Just a few months ago, the Chairman of PMAC graduated from a Masters in Logistics and Supply

Chain Management. Their Deputy Chairman also graduated with a Masters, and seven other managers recently graduated as part of their overall development strategy. We are working with the Port of Saint Lucia and doing some training with the staff there, and we have done the same with Barbados. Right across the region, the CMU is a practical, applied university that has been properly integrated into the industry.” SMART TECHNOLOGY In late 2017, the CMU opened the new stateof-the-art Centre for Digital Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing, CDIAM, where new technologies can be prototyped and manufac-

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tured. “The executive director of that centre is Mrs. Erica Simmons,” says Professor Pinnock. “Mrs. Simmons used to work with Siemens, and she is leading the project to increase the possibility for remotely-operating smart equipment, accruing data through sensors, and these kinds of exciting innovations. This will help lessen the impact of breakdowns, and the technical support required for these new ideas will be something we can also train through the university. We are developing these sensors, which will be placed at various points within appropriate and commonplace port equipment, and we will be able to monitor and collect useful and relevant information via the cloud. The pilot operation will be

Congratulations to the

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running out of Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines initially, and, if successful, will continue across the Caribbean.” OCEAN SUSTAINABILITY The CMU also recently established a new Centre for the Blue Economy and Innovation. “This is where we are focusing on the sustainability of the oceans in particular,” explains Professor Pinnock. “We recognize that the Caribbean in particular depends very heavily on the sea. The average Caribbean country is 80% dependent on tourism, which more often than not is related to the sea. We have 40% of the global cruise ship deployment, but less than 7% of employment. You can understand that with 40% deployment there is also a lot of waste but no effective mechanism in place for monitoring and processing that waste. This is something that we are working on.” The CMU has several projects related to the sustainable use of waste. “We are currently working with PMAC on a special project concerning Sargassum seaweed, which has shut down several beaches and hotels in recent years,” says Professor Pinnock. “Our research is concerned with practical alternative uses for the weed, as well as transportation and so on. We also have a project in the Kingston Harbour concerning plastic pollution, centered on around collecting the

waste plastic and converting it into exportable sheet plastic using renewable energy. Another project we are doing is looking at increasing the number of oysters, which naturally filter the water and will help further with pollution. This will also be something that we can get the community and school kids involved with, teaching them about climate change and the environment in a fun, practical, and educational way.”

fisher-folk about sustainable fishing. Hundreds and hundreds of workers are now able to go offshore, use GPS, and so on, getting them off the over-fished coral reef, and getting them out elsewhere, working in a way that is environmentally sound. Currently we have close to fifteen-hundred high school students who are cadets, already covering three-quarters of the island and continuing across the rest of the region, changing those attitudes towards the ocean with practical education and training.” “Another exciting project related to accessibility is our rapidly developing online platform,” says Professor Pinnock. “This is particularly useful because Caribbean countries are segregated by the sea, and we want the sea to unite us rather than separate us. We want to facilitate even more training that people will be able to undertake remotely even if they are unable to travel here, so you will be seeing more and more of this kind of studying available at the CMU. We are also taking on more and more high-level projects with PMAC, serving them more and lifting the level of training, as well as setting up a database for them. We hope to encourage people to link up more with the global industry. Ultimately, we hope to play a greater and more pro-active role in these things in the future, and to be able to lead the industry by example.” c

LEADING BY EXAMPLE Over nearly four decades of hard work, the CMU has contributed to a transformed maritime industry in the Caribbean. In addition to working with students and industry professionals, the CMU is also leaving a lasting legacy through work with young people. “We have created a whole new uniform group called the Caribbean Merchant Marine Cadet Corps (CMMC),” says Professor Pinnock. “What we are doing here is going into high schools and teaching them about the maritime conscience. Around 60% of the fisher-folk here in Jamaica cannot swim, so we teach the youth practical skills as well as sustainable ways to utilize and protect the oceans, which effects cultural change and new attitudes towards the sea and the natural environment. The greatest challenge to sustainability is altering the mindset, so this is what we are doing in training SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GLOBAL EVENTS

MAY 2019

6th - 9th

Waste Expo 2019 Las Vegas, NV, USA www.wasteexpo.com

Over the past 50 years we’ve helped usher in more significant innovations in the solid waste industry than any other event. And the future looks even more promising. From big data to big trucks and bioconverters, more new products and services are unveiled at WasteExpo every year.

7th - 8th

Canadian Water Network. Blue Cities 2019 Toronto, ON, Canada www.bluecities.ca

Blue Cities will focus on high-level strategic issues of importance across the country related to municipal water management. The exchanges between leading edge speakers and conference participants generate insights that just can’t be obtained anywhere else.

8th - 10th

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit New York, NY, USA

Green materials continue to make headway in cosmetic & personal care applications. An update is given on the raw materials that have lower environmental and / or health impacts. The disruptive influence of new technologies on ingredients and finished products will be covered.

www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com

20th - 23rd

3rd - 6th

Sustainable Brands: Global Flagship - Detroit Detroit, MI, USA www.sustainablebrands.com/events

AWEA WINDPOWER 2019 Conference & Expo Houston, TX, USA www.windpowerexpo.org

The SB Community will once again convene in Detroit for their flagship event. Join the global dialog about how together, through their vision for the aspirational lifestyle of the future, brands are Delivering the Good Life.

6th - 7th

Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2019 New York, NY, USA www.cse-net.org

This challenging two-day training offered by CSE aims to give you all the latest practical tools and resources required to implement or upscale corporate sustainability in order to drive your initiatives to the next level by generating value and creating effective strategies.

11th - 13th

Global Petroleum Show Calgary, AB, Canada

Global Petroleum Show (GPS) is North America’s Leading Exhibition & Conference, where oil and gas professionals convene to engage in dialogue, create partnerships, do business and identify the solutions and strategies that will shape the industry for the years ahead.

www.globalpetroleumshow.com

21st - 23rd

The Energy Fair Custer, WI, USA www.theenergyfair.org

The Energy Fair is the nation’s longest running clean energy and sustainable living event of its kind. This conference relates to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living topics.

24th - 25th

Solar Power Texas Austin, TX, USA events.solar/texas/

Solar Power Texas gives solar professionals a place to gain updates from local policy drivers and learn from leading businesses in the region. Enjoy the networking reception at this premier event for professionals looking to take advantage of this growing market.

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AWEA is the voice of wind energy in the U.S., promoting renewable energy to power a cleaner, stronger country. Join top deal makers and mid- to senior-level professionals from around the globe at this energy conference in May 2019.

JUNE

2019

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