Branson hosts clean energy summit in Caribbean

Caribbean politicians and renewable power experts gathered on Tuesday for a summit hosted by Richard Branson and organised by the Carbon War Room with the agenda centred on the transition to clean energy and climate change adapation.

Branson, the CEO and founder of the Virgin Group, is hosting the three-day meeting at Necker Island, his home in the British Virgin Islands where he has developed an eco-resort showcasing renewable energy technology.

The Carbon War Room is a non-profit organisation Branson co-founded to promote cutbacks in greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions through smart private enterprise.

Representatives from 13 countries and territories are attending the summit and numerous private companies and multinational organisations will also be present.

Rising energy costs and an alarming lack of energy security are major regional concerns and have been highlighted by Jose Maria Figueres, former Costa Rica president and current president of the Carbon War Room.

On Necker, attendees are participating in renewable energy workshops across five areas: schools, hospitals, transport, tourism and utility scale renewable energy distribution for small islands.

Last year, Branson hosted Caribbean political leaders and corporate executives on his private island to advance a conservation initiative dubbed the “Caribbean Challenge.”