CARIFESTA XIII will be as conscious of the environment as it is of the region’s rich cultural heritage.

In an effort to raise awareness of sustainable practices among key stakeholders such as vendors, visiting delegations and the wider Barbadian community, CARIFESTA XIII has embarked on an initiative titled Be CARIFESTA Conscious.

It will focus on reducing, reusing and recycling, while creating a verdant legacy of the festival across the island.

Shade and fruit tree plantings, the establishment of litter-free zones at the Grand Market, Buyers Mall and Youth Village, Green Team volunteers and the creation of supplemental water stations to reduce reliance on bottled water are a few of several initiatives being employed to pave greener paths for the pan-Caribbean cultural showcase.

One of the landmark events of Be CARIFESTA Conscious is a tree planting ceremony on August 18, 2017 at Queen’s Park, the City. Various delegations will plant trees before participating in a parade from the park to Kensington Oval, where the official start of the festival is scheduled to take place.

Tree-planting exercises will also occur across the island at various schools, and plans are also in the pipeline to engage local communities to plant trees as well.

Other initiatives will include:

• Calculating the carbon emissions footprint from visiting delegations.
• Providing tips and information related to being sustainable during the festival for visiting delegations and the Barbadian community participating in CARIFESTA.
• Raising the awareness of sustainable practises on the CARIFESTA XIII website, newsletter, on display screens at the Grand Market & Buyers Mall and on social media.
• Providing coloured recycling bins to be used the Grand Market and Buyers Mall.
• Providing park and ride options to reduce carbon emissions during the festival.