By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Prime Minister yesterday said the world must move from awareness to action on combating the growing threat posed by climate change and associated natural disasters.

In his keynote address at the second annual Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) conference, Philip Davis KC called for climate change solutions to be integrated into sustainable development strategies and urged greater awareness of the significance of SDGs.

He said: “Moving forward, in acknowledgement of the all-encompassing impact climate change has had - and will continue to have - on our economies and societies, we must fully integrate climate solutions into all of our sustainable development strategies.

“As we accelerate the SDG agenda, we need to be mindful that not everyone in our society is aware of the SDGs and their importance to global development. They are not aware of the goals we have achieved or those where we still need significant progress. It is critical to promote greater awareness of the SDGs, their importance and the decisions we are making in relation to them.”

Mr Davis maintained that climate action must not be dependent on the level of awareness but, instead, implementing “action-oriented policies” more individuals will support and elevate their understanding of sustainable development due to its positive impact on their lives.

He said: “People don’t need to be fully aware for us to take action. In fact, it is through delivering action-oriented change that more people will become aware and buy into our collective vision.

“Awareness isn’t always the prerequisite for action. Sometimes it takes those who are aware to take the necessary action to drive widespread support. Nothing increases awareness like the implementation of action-oriented policies that make a real, positive impact in people’s lives.”

Mr Davis said The Bahamas is taking action to meeting its sustainable development goals in a number of ways including upgrading medical facilities in the Family Islands.

He said Grand Bahama’s new $210m hospital, the $290m specialty hospital slated for New Providence, medicinal cannabis and longevity and regenerative therapies legislation recently passed in Parliament are all examples of the “healthy strides” the country is taking towards achieving its good health and well-being goal”.

For education, Mr Davis said the Government has secured $43m from the Caribbean Development Bank to construct a school in Grand Bahama and invest in the development of the sector.

He said: “Quality education is another key priority for this administration. The Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training (MOETVT) is committed to increasing the high school graduation rate from 50 percent to 85 percent by 2030.

“To achieve this end, this administration has implemented the Bahamas Education Sector Transformation (BEST) Project – a $43m undertaking in conjunction with the Caribbean Development Bank. This project involves the construction of the East Grand Bahama comprehensive school and upgrades to schools across Grand Bahama, but also the development of a modernised IT strategy for the Ministry and professional development opportunities for some 2,000 administrators and teachers.

“By investing in our scholastic infrastructure, our educators and our promising young pupils, we are well on our way to securing a sustainable future for all Bahamians.” Mr Davis said The Bahamas is also taking action to increase food production, “modernise” the power grid and increase employment through the National Apprenticeship Programme.