Environmental Programme
Renewable Energy
Trinidad and Tobago
Megan Hearn
Forest Hills Eastern
Reliable and available energy is vital to all nations development. Without access to consistent energy sources, governments cannot prosper. Multiple nations in Africa such as Niger and Sierra Leone hardly have access to any source of energy. Energy freedom would allow each nation to create reliable energy sources at their own pace. Implementing renewable energy resources to developing countries would increase the chances of economic growth. Fossil fuels should no longer be the prominent source of energy for nations, due to causing extreme pollution. Fossil fuels emit numerous air pollutants that are harmful to the environment as well as people. Many nations have plans to ban vehicles that use fossil fuels. The United Nations needs to furthermore implement ways to convert from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources.
Trinidad and Tobago are conscious that renewable energy sources would be a sustaining source. Switching to renewable resources would greatly affect Trinidad and Tobago economically in a negative manner. Trinidad and Tobago is a major producer of fossil fuels, causing energy prices to be extremely low for citizens. Switching to renewable energy would cause an unsuitable increase in the price of energy. Over ten percent of citizens are currently employed by natural gas and fossil fuel companies. Eighty percent of Trinidad and Tobago’s exports are fossil fuels, this is due to being the largest supplier in the Caribean. Over forty percent of Trinidad and Tobago’s GDP consists of fossil fuels. In the Western Hemisphere, Trinidad and Tobago hold the largest natural gas facility. Switching to renewable energy would be a long and economically challenging process. Trinidad and Tobago understand that fossil fuels cause pollution and legislation is presently trying to find a cost-effective way to switch.
Trinidad and Tobago strongly urge the United Nations to create a more efficient, cost-effective way to switch to renewable energy resources. Financially not all nations are willing nor ready to make the switch to renewable energy, especially when fossil fuels are more readily available. Financial help would cause Trinidad and Tobago to move in the renewable energy direction quicker.
- Megan Hearn
