TTIA - Sustainable Architecture for the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME)

Amongst the many things that one can do to mitigate climate change, some of these are in the hands of our CSME governments. And of CSME government actions, tax incentives should be relatively easy to implement and should work very well for all CSME players.

Tax incentives, already adopted by many states in the U. S. (interestingly, prior to the formal IPCC reports this year, the U. S. counted as one of the most climate-change-fact-resistant countries world wide), illustrates that CSME governments can support renewable energy if they need or want to. CSME Government policies can include the following:

1. exempt value of renewable equipment from CSME property tax valuations;
2. provide income tax credits and deductions for the cost of purchasing and installing a renewable power source;
3. permit accelerated depreciation of renewable energy equipment; or
4. exempt such equipment from CSME regional sales taxes.
5. protect and provide Transferable Credits for Emissions Reduction. Your CSME Prime Minister or President can direct the local and regional Energy sectors and relevant Energy Divisions to recommend reforms to ensure that CSME businesses and individuals that register reductions are not penalized under a future climate policy, and to give transferable credits to companies that can show real emissions reductions
6. Your Prime Minister or President can establish a Cabinet-level Committee on Tax Credits for Climate Change Mitigation to oversee all requirements, laws, approved products etc.

In addition to providing tax savings, high-efficiency products will make it much easier for CSME homeowners to reduce energy consumption and lower their energy bills so that the long-term benefits are felt by all. To qualify for CSME tax credits, homeowners will definitely need to verify the efficiency and make of the equipment (whether or not it is from an approved energy-efficient manufacturer), the date when it was placed in service, amongst other fair requirements to be set by your CSME policy makers.

If you’re not sure what the CSME is about, apart from visiting the links on our blog, you can read this neat summary of the CSME and related subjects such as implementation and the Treaty of Chaguaramas at the CARICOM Secretariat FAQs page:

http://www.axses.com/encyc/caricom/nt/faqs.cfm

Welcome to the new Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) information blog feed on sustainable building and architecture in the interest of reversing the effects of climate change for the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) Region; this a temporary information feed to enhance our website www.ttia-architects.org. The feed presently serves to provide easy access to all documents issued by the TTIA to its members pertaining to green building and designing for sustainability.

With the advent of email came too many documents into our members’ email folders. This feed provides a ‘one-stop shop’ to pick up your information and documents or to read them online at your own convenience - unless confidentiality plays a key role in the distribution of information to its members and principals, the blog opens up the posted information to all those interested in the TTIA’s work in its attempts to help mitigate climate change and its effect on our environment and citizens.

TTIA members are encouraged to contact us to assist in maintaining this site for the benefit of its members and the general public.