ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, Dec 4, CMC – The inaugural Grenada–European Union (EU) task force meeting on Sargassum Valorisation got underway here on Wednesday with the organisers hoping to explore opportunities for transforming the challenges posed by sargassum into sustainable economic
The meeting here is a follow up to the second EU–Caribbean Global Gateway Conference on Sargassum held here earlier this year at which Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell’s pledged to collect and process sargassum by 2026.
It is being held under the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy and one the highlights is the launch of an open Expression of Interest process, inviting private sector companies to submit costed proposals for sargassum valorisation to the Government of Grenada.
The meeting here has brought together representatives from the Grenada government, private sector, international financial institutions (IFIs), multilateral development banks (MDBs), European development agencies, and other key stakeholders.
The discussions will also focus on offshore collection, resource mobilisation, and developing scalable pilot projects to address the regional sargassum challenge.
Ahead of the meeting, a field visit was conducted to provide participants with firsthand insights into potential sites for sargassum valorisation activities with an official statement indicating that it “offered a unique opportunity to explore the environmental and economic potential of the project and engage with stakeholders on-site.
“The Grenada–EU Task Force Meeting on Sargassum Valorisation represents a significant milestone in Grenada’s journey toward a sustainable, resilient, and economically viable sargassum value chain.
“Through innovative partnerships and targeted investments, Grenada and the EU are jointly addressing sargassum’s environmental challenges, while unlocking its potential for economic growth, job creation, and climate resilience,” the statement from the Ministry of Climate Resilience the Environment and Renewable Energy dded.
CMC/gk/ir/2024