The isolation of being an island nation creates both our beauty and vulnerability and therefore requires a combined effort to ensure success at energy transition.
Siana states that Trinidad and Tobago is in a wonderful position to leap frog with the current momentum and existing skills to an economy driven by renewable energy. Her condition however is that we must be proactive and thoughtful to engage this energy transition. Maybe the biggest challenge lies in the cultural transformation needed to change ingrained practices developed over years of enjoying one of the lowest global electricity consumer rates.
Siana is a Senior Project Manager at the non profit Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Two projects included in her portfolio are support for the “Integrated Resource and Resilient Plan for Belize” and the development of renewable and resilient installations across the Caribbean.
“Our energy source is being used against our best interest?” is the title of her TEDxPortofSpain 2019 Talk.
At 15:00 Clint Williams, CEO of Corbin Advertising takes us back to the the 14th century rise of the Medici Dynasty in Italy from which came the Medici Principles. The time has come for Trinidad and Tobago to create our own Medici Principles where we bring together a cross section of stakeholders and influencers to redesign a future to which we can all aspire.
He reminded us of the astonishing creative power of our people as evidenced by our ability to tell stories, strike up a rhythm and tell a joke about the simplest of exchanges. Covid has dealt a devastating blow to the creative sector but the fissures existed before March 2019. Creatives now have to dig deep to sell ideas to a screen full of dots and boxes while knowing that creativity requires the energy of the room for it flourish.
For the creative sector to thrive, there must be a movement away from the attitude of only valuing tangibles to placing equal value on ideas and concepts. Creativity allows us to develop an ecosystem which facilitates those moments of reflection which can move us in different directions.
Despite the disruption of the revenue streams in the advertising industry he is convinced that the creativity of our people will help in the shaping of the different future.
Dennise Demming 