By: Rebecca Theodore
May 24, 2024
Access to clean, affordable and reliable energy, for small island developing states constitute a key module for achieving goal # 7 of the United Nations sustainable development goal agenda. (UNSDGs). However high energy costs coupled with the disastrous effects of climate change, are now major issues in providing reasonably priced and sustainable energy for the economic development and resilient prosperity to satisfy the basic economic needs of all.
On point, the lack of adequate energy in small island developing states is now creating a social issue where transportation cost of energy is leading to a high cost of electricity. The energy mix for electricity production in small developing island states is dominated by fossil fuels, therefore, a sustainable energy transition for small island developing states now requires integrating renewables into existing electrification schemes.
Although capacity support to develop attractive investment environments through appropriate regulatory frameworks are an enabling factor for meeting sustainable development goal #7, lack of finance remains a key barrier to clean energy transitions. Consequently, dependencies on imported fossil fuels must be significantly reduced across sectors, thereby also strengthening local capacities and resources.
In this light, the SIDS 4 international conference on the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda is a fundamental United Nations sustainable development goal 7 challenge on how to engineer the infrastructure for green sources of energy to promote prosperity, and economic opportunity, for small island developing states. The SIDS4 conference is also an excellent opportunity to review the present state of energy affairs in small island developing UN member states and a review of the means to overcome barriers to accessing energy finance.
Even though it is true that renewable energy development in small island developing states is hampered by institutional and technical barriers, renewable energy technologies offer many benefits to small island developing states. Renewable energy offers a clean, cost-effective source of energy that is highly adaptive and suited to the specific geographies of small island developing states, and can be used both for grid-based and decentralised energy production and electricity access, while significantly decreasing dependence on fuel imports.
Essentially, access to clean, affordable and reliable energy provide opportunities for reducing hunger, poverty, and inequalities and can also raise the quality of education, and health care for small island developing states.
While global efforts towards a sustainable and resilient future are urgently needed, if there is to be progress in energy efficiency in small island developing states, then geothermal productivity needs to speed up to achieve global climate goals and the United Nations Sustainable development goal agenda of 2030. For this, the call to action by President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Dennis Francis, for a tripling of global investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2030 for small island developing States (SIDS) must also be strengthened by international dialogue on energy by UN Member States, civil society, and stakeholders. Moreover, geothermal energy must also be linked to national plans, budgets, and accountability frameworks of the United Nations sustainable development goals agenda as small island developing states (SIDS) are amongst the most neglected group with regard to energy access needs.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), there are 1.2 billion people without access to electricity globally, and around 2.7 billion people still rely on traditional fuels for cooking and heating purposes in the world. This means that the contribution of geothermal production in small island developing states towards reaching United Nations sustainable development goal 7 must be included in policies and investments related to sustainable energy.
In synthesis, if small island developing states must aim for a sustainable future through renewable energy, then there must be a greater understanding of expansion of research in the field of geothermal energy in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development 2030 agenda as well.
(Rebecca Theodore is an international journalist and syndicated op-ed columnist based in New York. She writes on the platform of national security, politics, human rights and the environment. Email her at rebethd@aol.com )
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