As Cayman awaits government’s national budget plans, young environmental activists are hoping greater emphasis will be placed on reducing local reliance on fossil fuels.
Protect Our Future leader Evie Sweetman, in a comment to the Cayman Compass on her budget wish, pointed to the need for further development in the area of renewable energy.
“A great and meaningful step for government would be to devote spending towards both promoting renewable energy use, and also to start real movement towards a public transport system. This would make it easier for us to use less fossil fuels as we transfer toward renewables,” she said.
Though there have been discussions around a public transport system, government has yet to announce a formal plan to take the issue forward.
It was also one of the measures touted as a traffic-congestion solution, as well as private schools introducing a school bus service.
On 15 Sept., Protect Our Future will lead a climate demonstration on the steps of the Government Administration Building as they join the global #Endfossilfuels protest taking place on the same day.
Sweetman said Protect Our Future does see government moving its green agenda forward, “but not at the speed we believe is necessary”.
“The government’s review of the National Energy Policy is a great and cheering step, but the scale of climate change and extent to which fossil fuels are harming our planet means that really drastic action needs to be taken,” she said.
Sweetman said primarily moving towards renewable energy usage is a step Cayman can take towards helping in the fight to end fossil fuels.
“We are a small island and do not have huge energy demands, so we are in a good position to transfer toward renewables and get back on track with our energy goals,” she said.
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