The Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (OAS), through the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP) and the Energy Efficiency Working Group of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), hosted a workshop on energy efficiency designs for office and public buildings in tropical climates. The event took place at the Bay Gardens Inn in Rodney Bay from February 28 through March 1^st, 2013.

The workshop addressed the capacity of governments and energy stakeholders in charge of developing energy efficiency standards in buildings and provided guidance on opportunities and challenges linked to energy efficiency measures and renewable energy conversion technologies. A roundtable was held to debate future challenges, gaps and barriers linked to the implementation of energy efficiency standards, ways to advance discussions on this topic with policymakers, and next steps for their successful deployment. The Delegates also highlighted the need to create greater public awareness in the Caribbean with regard to energy efficiency.

About 40 guests from the National Standards Bodies of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia, delegates from the European Union, the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), the Embassy of Mexico in Saint Lucia, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat, the Government of Germany, through its Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme (CREDP/GIZ), and engineers and members of the Saint Lucia Institute of Architects attended the event.