<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/solar-batteries-and-electric-boats-100-pct-renewable-plan-to-aid-pacific-islands-avoid-crippling-cost-of-diesel/>
"A plan outlining how the Pacific Islands can shed their crippling dependence
on expensive and important diesel fuel and go 100 per cent renewables for
electricity – and for some transport – is to be presented at the Pacific
Islands forum this week.
The
100 per cent Renewables Pacific plan has been prepared by the Smart
Energy Council and the Renewable Energy Council Asia Pacific, and is designed
to reduce and possibly eliminate their dependence on imported fossil fuels,
which amounts to up to one quarter of their GDP.
Thom Woodroofe, an international counsellor with the SEC, and a former key
advisor to UN climate talks that helped seal the Paris Treaty in 2015, says the
green paper to be released this week will “start the discussion” on how 100 per
cent renewables can be achieved.
Scott Hamilton, a senior adviser to the SEC and professor at Monash University
says Pacific nations currently spend $6 billion a year on fossil fuel use.
“That’s up to about 25% of their GDP,” Hamilton said at the SEC conference in
Brisbane on Tuesday. “It’s enormous in terms of the amount of money that goes
straight into diesel fuel.”
The green paper notes that renewable energy sites are already underway in 14
different South Pacific islands and some – such as the Cook Islands, Fiji,
Nauru, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have all pledged to achieve
100 per cent renewables by 2030.
It now suggests a “regional political commitment”, that could draw support from
key international bodies such as the Asian Development Bank, and the UNDP to
support the transition.
Australia would also play a key role, given its technology expertise, its
access to funds and its desire to be a regional leader as it bids to host next
year’s UN climate conference. It is being signalled as key plank of the COP31
partnership between Australia and the Pacific Islands.
The technologies involved will mostly come from solar, battery storage and even
electric boats, although the green paper emphasises there is no “one size fits
all” approach."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
