Gebhard Rainer, Sandals Resorts’ Group chief executive officer, has called for increased regional partnerships between governments and the private sector to promote growth and optimize investment and capital expenditure in the Caribbean.

Rainer made the comments ahead of his participation in the 15th Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum in Miami, Florida, where he will be a panellist.

The Caribbean-based resort chain, has incorporated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs throughout its company, including smart infrastructure and sustainable processes.

The company has invested millions of dollars in infrastructure to reduce its carbon footprint, such as installing solar water heaters, treatment plants to recycle water for irrigation, and eliminating single-use plastics from its resorts.

However, Rainer has stressed that without robust legislative infrastructure, particularly for subsidies, the energy problem will inevitably evolve into an energy crisis. He urged coordination of efforts into a regional policy that focuses on advocacy and legislation to prepare for the further effects of climate change.

At the upcoming conference in Miami, Rainer will join a panel of Caribbean CEOs to discuss distributed electricity generation technologies, ESG implementation, regulatory and legal interventions, productivity, and competitive advantages.

Rainer also advocated for greater education on prevention and existing avenues, highlighting the work of Sandals Foundation, the resort chain’s philanthropic arm, as a key advocate for waste recycling in the region. The foundation’s recent program in Curaçao recycles discarded fishing nets to make football goals for local schools.

The Sandals Resorts CEO will be joined in the panel discussion by Anthony Ali, CEO of Goddard Enterprises Limited, and Ralph S. Williams, CEO of Williams Industries Inc. The panel discussion will be moderated by Anaitee Mills, Chair of the Jamaica Energy Resilience Alliance and Climate Finance Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica.

Sandals Resorts International has been a regional voice on climate change preparedness and continues to be recognised by EarthCheck, the world’s leading certification, consulting, and advisory group for sustainable destinations and tourism organizations.