4 minute read
Donna Ramsammy - Impact of the Pandemic on Sustainability Issues - Editorial 2020
It has been a roller-coaster ride for much of the region, with people adapting to ever changing Covid-measures to protect themselves from the virus, and with many businesses struggling as customers and clients remain largely sequestered at home. Closed, open and then closed again. This has become the rhythm across the region as sporadic spikes in contagion accentuate the uncertainty of the prevailing busines environment.
Essential workers faced the risk at the onset of the pandemic – many of them from the health and protective services. But along with these, were workers in food and beverage manufacturing. Many of them braved public transport systems, armed themselves with PPE and adopted new HSE protocols to protect fellow employees as well as their loved ones waiting for them at home. One thing is certain – no will ever again take the simple things in life for granted. Covid-19 has proven it is no discriminator of persons – no one is immune.
Jamaica was the first to reopen for business, giving the island a jumpstart on market gains as others lagged behind in addressing economic recovery. The country began welcoming international travellers on June 15 with an extensive set of protocols for visitors, including health screening before entry and upon entry.
In Barbados, the island is seizing on the opportunity to market the destination as the perfect Covid-19 escape. The packaged offer of sun, sand and sea presents a rather attractive alternative offer to business tourists seeking new remote workspaces.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Covid-19 has compounded a period marked by sustained low oil prices. The country followed a reopening of the economy with a partial shutdown as infections suddenly spiked after a long period of stability. The measures have had negative effects on business – particularly SMEs. The extended deployment of social programmes is also costing the government and tax payers. Clearly there is no
single prescription for getting this right as every territory has unique challenges.
This edition of the Review was designed around the Sustainable Development Goals as we aim to benchmark how corporate social investment programmes are helping to progress SDG plans and targets. The unexpected arrival of Covid-19 has provided an interesting lens for measuring how effective the region is being in realising the SDGs.
In our features segment, we look at the impact of the pandemic on sustainable issues of health, tourism, agriculture, meaningful work and climate change, through a series of interviews with the Caribbean Public Health Agency, Franka Costello of the Trinidad & Tobago Manufacturers’ Association, Diana Francis of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, Dr Patrick Gomes who is interviewed as our 2020 Conscious Leader. In an interview with Lawrence Arjoon, the Heroes Foundation installs a new CEO who is bringing different ideas to youth engagement and transformation of the energy industry.
Companies have responded to the crisis by working with government, agencies and civil society groups to distribute PPE, food and relief programmes to address the massive social fallout that has resulted from prolonged closure of business and loss of jobs, as well as the lack of digital infrastructure and tools needed to return students to learning in virtual classrooms. The disparity in access to technology, water and healthcare are just some of the issues that the pandemic is showing up – and this is altering the way in which business is delivering and strategizing CSR programmes.
In our corporate segment, Atlantic is “Transforming lives by passionately energizing our world”; ANSA tells it’s Covid story from the perspective of family; BPTT undertakes a million-dollar relief drive; Nestle prioritises employee health and comfort; the National Gas Company integrates sustainability into its business; and Shell T&T invests in major equipment to bolster capacity at hospitals.
In Guyana, SME business GameXpress sparks a national cleanup campaign when it hires a man made homeless by Covid-19; and TechnipFMC is part of the global and regional services provided by TechnipFMC plc to the new local energy sector. Our Regional Roundup gathers stories from all across the Caribbean to give readers a glimpse of how business is contributing to building better societies.
