SIDS DOCK and IRENA signed MoU that will support CCREEE and PCREEE

7 November, United Nations Headquarters, New York, U.S.A.:

SIDS DOCK and IRENA announce partnership to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy systems in small islands

Projects will support the transformation of the energy sectors and economies to low carbon

SIDS DOCK, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Organization, has signed an agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), to collaborate on promoting the accelerated deployment of sustainable renewable energy systems in SIDS. The signing ceremony took place on Thursday, 5 November 2020, by means of a virtual conference between representatives in New York City, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

In signing on behalf of SIDS DOCK, His Excellency Mr. Ronald J. Jumeau, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Seychelles to the United Nations (UN) and Chair of the SIDS DOCK Executive Council, welcomed the partnership with IRENA. “The intention is to jointly collaborate on information sharing, resource mobilization, support with project development and policy frameworks, and global and regional initiatives to help small islands meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, and meeting their commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement and their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs),” he said.

The agreement is part of the SIDS DOCK work programme for “Building Resilience to Climate Change in Islands through the Energy Sector: South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Energy Development in Small Islands.”

Welcoming the new partnership, His Excellency Mr. Francesco La Camera, the Director-General of IRENA, said, “Small islands possess abundant renewable energy resources including solar, wind and ocean energy. These resources can play a significant role in building more robust, resilient and sustainable economies on small islands and will be the foundation of sustainable development. This agreement is yet another example of IRENA’s steadfast commitment to accelerating the transition to a low-carbon energy system in SIDS. The Agency will mobilise its full capabilities to support this transformation.”

Ambassador Jumeau noted that prior to the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in early-2020, the fifth Assembly of SIDS DOCK noted in September 2019, the progress countries were making in promoting the Blue Economy in SIDS, and that the establishment of the two regional sustainable energy centres in the Pacific and the Caribbean had helped kick-start a renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE&EE) revolution in SIDS.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IRENA will help speed up a number of activities, including supporting the institutional strengthening and build-out of the technical and information infrastructure for the regional centres; development, review and implementation of energy policies, roadmaps and renewable readiness assessments; and the exploration and identification of marine energy potential will be a priority area of the cooperation and steps will be taken to build capacities and share knowledge on ocean technology.  

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SIDS DOCK is a United Nations (UN)-recognised international organisation established in 2015, with all the rights and privileges for addressing climate change, resilience, and energy security in small islands. SIDS DOCK represents 32 small islands and low-lying developing states across the globe, and is so named because it is designed as a “DOCKing station,” to connect the energy sector in SIDS with the global markets for finance and sustainable energy technologies. The organisation’s work is coordinated by the Secretariat, in Belmopan, Belize.

IRENA is the lead intergovernmental agency for the energy transformation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. With 161 Members (160 States and the European Union) and 22 additional countries in the accession process and actively engaged, IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.

Contacts:        

Christine Neves Duncan, Project Director, SIDS DOCK
secretariat@sidsdock.org

Damian Brandy, Communications Officer, IRENA,
dbrandy@irena.org; +971 2 417 9016