Barbados Environmental Sustainability Fund (BESF) Board Appoints First CEO, Ms. Kemi Linton

The Board of Directors of the BESF appointed its first CEO, Ms. Kemi Linton, effective 1 September 2023. Kemi is an International Trade and Sustainability Specialist with a leadership career spanning over 10 years. She has a passion for community service and civic advocacy, focusing primarily on the environment, youth and women’s advancement. This passion has resulted in her serving in various leadership positions in Rotaract, the youth arm of Rotary International, President of the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC)-Barbados Chapter and Vice-President of the Governing Council of WiMAC. WiMAC is part of the International Maritime Organisation’s gender programme. 

Kemi is also an Alumni of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI), which is administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State.

Kemi’s academic achievements are a testament to her expertise in the field of international trade and sustainability. She holds an M.Sc. in International Trade Policy (Distinction) and a B.Sc. in International Relations (First Class Honors), both from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Kemi is also an Organization of American States (OAS) Scholar, currently pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Sustainable Development and Climate Finance. These academic qualifications, coupled with her professional experience, make her a formidable leader for the BESF.

Under Kemi’s leadership, the BESF is poised to make significant strides towards its vision of “A Barbados where citizens are environmental stewards for the sustainability of the nation’s marine and terrestrial heritage.” The fund will focus on channeling new and existing resources to support projects aligned with the country’s environmental conservation and biodiversity protection goals. The primary initial funding stream, a debt-for-nature transaction between the Government of Barbados, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), is expected to provide approximately $50 million USD in funding over the next fifteen (15) years. One of the key outcomes of these efforts will be supporting the Government of Barbados in achieving its conservation commitments, particularly the development of the Marine Spatial Plan (MSP), being implemented by the Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification (MENB), Green and Blue Economy,  and led by the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU).

Kemi is passionate about building the capacity of the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) sector and leveraging their participation, along with that of the Government and the Private Sector, to effectively contribute to managing and implementing projects and programmes that support our progress toward achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Aligned with the aforementioned and of critical importance is achieving 30% protection of Barbados’ marine waters as a Marine Managed Area (MMA) by 2030.

 In this regard, within the first 12 months, Kemi is keen to:

-Fully establish and operationalise the BESF; 

-Disburse at least $ 1 million in funding from the Government Strategic Allocation (GSA) to directly support Barbados with the implementation of the Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) and;

-Release the 1st Call for Proposals competitively grant at least $1.5 million BDS as part of the Grant Awards Programme (GAP). 

About the BESF 

The Barbados Environmental Sustainability Fund (BESF) is a recently formed NGO that is deeply committed to being the leading agency in Barbados, providing grant financing to support projects that can help preserve the environment and improve the long-term sustainability of the island—particularly the blue economy, aligned with Government’s commitment to the global goal to protect 30% of the ocean space by 2030. The BESF was established to source and provide financial resources to enable environmental conservation and sustainability initiatives in Barbados. 

For further information or media queries, please get in touch with the BESF CEO, Ms Kemi Linton, by email at [email protected] or by phone at (246) 244-1823.