Monday, July 23, 2018 — The OECS Commission is pleased to partner with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on two key initiatives, the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) and the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative (LHI) understanding the importance of partnerships in addressing the specific challenges facing Small Islands Developing States in their transformation to clean energy.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future.

Under IRENA, both the Global Geothermal Alliance and the SIDS Lighthouse Initiative aim to exchange international experience and facilitate the development of enabling technical, regulatory, policy, and financial frameworks to unlock the vast available renewable energy potential of their members.

Global Geothermal Alliance

The Global Geothermal Alliance, with over 70-member countries and partner institutions, offers a global platform to enhance dialogue, cooperation and coordination action between industry, policy makers and other geothermal stakeholders.

SIDS Lighthouse Initiative

The SIDS Lighthouses Initiative was developed by IRENA to support the strategic deployment of renewable energy in SIDS, to bring clarity to policy makers regarding the required steps, and to enable targeted action.

In this context, the SIDS LHI brings together 36 SIDS and 19 development partners to support all operational steps in the energy transition, from resource assessments and planning to project development support.

OECS Member States have been very proactive in setting ambitious renewable energy targets and in adopting enabling frameworks to scale-up renewables deployment. The region’s remarkable progress can be attributed to the strong political commitment and the significant cost reductions in technologies such as solar photovoltaic and on-shore wind, which have made renewables affordable solutions for countries with limited financial and technical resources.

The implementation and revision of the Nationally Determined Contributions as well as the actions taken towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals represent crucial opportunities to enter a new phase of accelerating the energy transformation in the region.

Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules, welcomed the partnership which he deemed both valuable and timely.

“Sustainable Energy has emerged as a priority area for the OECS as we seek to drive economic development, ensuring a better quality of life for our people, and contend with mitigation against the global phenomenon of Climate Change. As such the OECS Commission is looking to collaborate with recognised energy partners to respond to the needs of Member States,” Dr. Jules noted.
He commended IRENA on its work, particularly under these initiatives which could greatly support the OECS’ sustainable energy transition and achievement of the region’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

IRENA Director General, Adnan Z. Amin, stated that,

“We look forward to working closely with OECS Commission in areas related to geothermal energy, renewable energy assessments, and national energy portfolios for development under the SIDS LHI and GGA umbrellas with a view to supporting OECS’s Member States in their ongoing efforts to strengthen resilience against the impact of climate change and pursue sustainable socio-economic development.”