Barbados celebrates two winners in regional Sustainable Energy Awards

Two Barbados-based professionals have been recognised among the Caribbean’s leading champions of clean energy at the CARICOM Women in Sustainable Energy (WISE) Awards.

Barbadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Gabrielle Gay, founder of The Erline Bradshaw Foundation, received the 2024 award for Social Impact, Community and Advocacy, acknowledging her dedicated work to empower communities through sustainable energy education.

Joining her among this year’s honourees was Charmaine Gill-Evans, sustainable energy specialist at the Caribbean Development Bank, who earned recognition in the Business, Entrepreneurship and Finance category for her contribution to strengthening regional energy resilience through innovation and investment.

Both women were celebrated at a ceremony held on November 28 in Georgetown, Guyana, one of the final highlights of CARICOM Energy Month 2025. In total, eight women received awards spanning 2024 and 2025 as part of the WISE programme alongside the Sustainable Energy Youth Awards, which spotlight the achievements of young innovators in the sector.

Director of Sectoral Programmes at the CARICOM Secretariat, Ambassador David Prendergast, congratulated all recipients, commending their leadership in driving the region’s just energy transition.

He emphasised that Caribbean progress in clean energy must “reflect and embrace the vital contributions of women and youth”, whose involvement, he said, enhances innovation and ensures long-term success.

Representing the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Dr Neibert Blair highlighted the human dimension of energy transformation across CARICOM.

“Your achievement reminds us that the energy transition is not simply technical but is profoundly human,” she told the awardees.

Blair added that women and youth remain central to climate action and sustainable development, leading community adaptation, advancing research, influencing policy, and inspiring the next generation of energy leaders. (PR/BT)