By Amílcar Demetrio Carrasco Rodríguez

Participating in the “Renew Our Power” program of the global organization 350.org, represented a deeply uplifting and transformative experience, especially for those of us who develop climate actions from vulnerable contexts like the Caribbean. This initiative not only strengthened our technical and organizational capacities but also rekindled our commitment to climate justice and community empowerment.

The Caribbean, as a region highly exposed to the impacts of climate change—more intense hurricanes, rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, and water crises—requires an immediate and sustained response. In this context, access to clean and sustainable energy is presented as a key tool to mitigate these effects and break the historical dependence on fossil fuels, which, in addition to being expensive, aggravate the carbon footprint of our islands.

During the program, we were able to reflect on the importance of promoting alternative energy models that prioritize community energy sovereignty, promote equity, and foster participatory processes. We learned that renewing our power is not just a slogan, but a concrete invitation to transform our territories from within, building solutions that are both ecological and social.

Clean energy should not be seen solely as a technological alternative, but as a catalyst for structural change. When communities have control over their energy—whether through community solar systems, energy cooperatives, or local energy efficiency programs—their decision-making capacity, economic resilience, and their role as agents of change in the face of the climate crisis are also strengthened. Ultimately, this experience reaffirmed to us that the climate struggle cannot be separated from the fight for social justice and that the Caribbean has a crucial role to play in building a just, grassroots, and decentralized energy transition. We will continue working with conviction and hope, knowing that the power to transform our future is in our hands.

Amílcar Demetrio Carrasco Rodríguez
President, Caribbean Classification Society CCS, Inc.