Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 23, 2021 (SKNIS): The Department of Environment held a two-day capacity-building workshop aimed at exposing key stakeholders to a modelling software dubbed “Low Emission Analysis Platform (LEAP).
The workshop, which was held on October 19 and 21, saw over twenty (20) participants primarily consisting of officers from the Energy Unit, as well as the Utility companies including SKELEC and NEVLEC. The two-day session was facilitated by experts from the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute (GHGMI) and the MRV Hub.
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According to Cheryl Jeffers, Conservation Officer within the Department of Environment, as a Party to the Climate Change Convention, St. Kitts and Nevis is required to not only report on the actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond to the adverse impacts of climate change but also build national capacity across various sectors.
Ms. Jeffers said that the training puts the Federation one step closer to implementing its national communications which would include as many local experts as possible. This national communications is one of St.Kitts and Nevis’ obligations as a Party to the Climate Change Convention.
“It is our vision at the Department that in years to come a national technical team with minimal regional or international technical support may be in a position to compile and prepare our national communications. Simply put, exposure to such training is a first step towards compiling such an important piece of document,” she said.
Project Coordinator, Meshach Alford, noted the value of having the expertise of the Caribbean Cooperative Measurement, Reporting and Verification Hub commonly known as the “MRV Hub”).
“The MRV Hub and Ministry of Environment and Cooperatives share a very amicable but professional relationship. As a regional body the Hub brings with it a wealth of work experience in the Caribbean region and an appreciation for the culture and national circumstances of the twin island Federation,” he said.
The MRV Hub is a unique, sustainable, and country-driven partnership designed to foster regional technical excellence and generate stronger policy-relevant carbon accounting.
Ms. Jeffers noted that the main objective of the training was to introduce the modelling software which will be used for the mitigation assessment pursuant St. Kitts and Nevis’ Third National Communication and First Biennial Update Report. At the end of this training, all trainees will have garnered a general understanding and practical use of LEAP sufficient enough to override the usual challenge of accessing climate data necessary to support the work of the MRV hub to build the country’s specific model in the LEAP software.
