Vulnerable Pacific islands urged to take action on renewable energy sources [1]
Friday, April 24, 2009 - 11:06. Updated on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 12:35.
Pacific Forum member countries need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and make renewable, sustainable and clean energy our ultimate goal, Pacific Energy Ministers were told in Nuku'alofa yesterday.
In a keynote address to the Pacific Energy Ministers Meeting April 23-24, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, spoke of the precarious position of island communities with regards to both climate change and a heavy reliance on the import of fossil fuels.
"Energy is and will remain high among the region's key priorities, and certainly this is the clear direction from Forum Leaders " he said, speaking on a theme Strengthening the Fragile Pacific Islands Energy Sector - addressing energy, environment in a period of rapid change.
"The question of energy, like no other, gives full exposure to the vulnerability of Pacific Island countries," he said. "[it] clearly demonstrates the precarious position of small island communities and their inability to ensure any condition of security.
"Equitable access to reliable and affordable energy is a fundamental requirement for achieving national development.
"Predictable energy supply is critical in supporting economic growth and delivery of basic services."
He said the correlation between energy and national wealth "suggests that no country has substantially reduced poverty, increased human health conditions or improved access to education in modern times without massively increasing their use of energy."
Tuiloma Neroni said it was commonplace in all Forum countries that the fluctuation in the price of oil had a direct bearing on the price of food, and had consequential impacts on the costs of transporting goods and services; the costs of maintaining infrastructure to manage generation, and the supply and distribution of energy was high and ongoing.
High risk
He also pointed out that geographic isolation and heavy reliance on imports, including fossil fuel imports, meant that many small island developing states carried high levels of risk with little ability to pursue policies of domestic import substitution.
"These have been matters of concern for Forum Leaders before, and they certainly were in the Forum Meeting in Niue last year, and without question will remain concerns for the future."
He emphasised that, "efficiency must remain our immediate goal, improving national action to better support efforts in reducing heavy reliance on fossil fuel and wasteful energy should be a clear and central objective."
Pacific plan
Forum leaders had decided on the need to continue the implementation of the Pacific Islands Energy Policy and the actions mandated under the Pacific Energy Ministers 2007 communique.
He said there was a strong and demonstrated case for integrating energy and economic development in national strategic development plans and policies, and suggested that appropriate regulatory, pricing policies and programs are essential and would be appropriate incentives for more efficient energy supply and consumption.
"Our response must be collective, as must our view of what energy means, for this reason."
"We need clear articulation of the roles and responsibilities of regional agencies," he added.
Focus areas
The Pacific Energy Ministers meeting was deliberating on the focus areas of: Implementative of National Energy Policies; Pacific Petroleum Project and National Petroleum Import policies; Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and Conservation.
Ministers will adopt Recommendation and Communique at a retreat at the end of the meeting.
In attendance are 14 Pacific Energy Ministers from New Zealand, Cook Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Vanuatu, Niue, Nauru, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Palau, Samoa and Tonga with representatives from Australia, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea.
Prior to this meeting, a Regional Energy Officials Meeting was held in Nuku'alofa on April 20-22.