Section 72 of The Environmental Management Act (EM Act) Chapter 35:05 of 2000 established an Environmental Trust Fund for the purpose of funding the operations of the Authority and other purposes authorised under the EM Act.
The main sources of funding available to the Trust Fund are as follows:
- Annual appropriations from the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago;
- Permit application fees and fees for services rendered;
- International grant funding and loan funds.
The EMA is authorised to use the Trust Fund to cover its operational expenses and fixed asset purchases and expenditure on projects outlined in its annual work plan including:
- Incentive measures for reducing environmental pollution;
- Demonstration projects of innovative technologies toward the reduction of pollution;
- Emergency Response Activities including remediation of degraded sites;
- Public awareness and education programmes to enhance understanding of national environmental protection and natural resource management issues.
Five Trustees are selected from the Board of Directors and designated to act in this capacity by the President of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.
The Trustees are charged with the responsibility of:
- Ensuring that proper accounting records are kept;
- Submitting the audited financial statements of the fund to the Board of Directors by three months after the end of the financial year.