Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Brochure: A Renewable Energy Pathway To 100% Rural Electrification By 2030 in Vanuatu

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an international organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies.

GGGI was established in 2012, at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, and currently consists of 27 Member countries around the world.

GGGI’s mission is to support the transition of its Member countries toward a model of green growth by developing and implementing strategies that simultaneously achieve
poverty reduction, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and economic growth. By pursuing this mission, GGGI aims to achieve its vision of a resilient world of strong, inclusive and sustainable green growth.

A shared vision for Vanuatu

Supported by the traditional agriculture and fishing sectors, and the rapidly growing tourism industry, Vanuatu’s economy has experienced strong growth in recent years. However, a significant challenge affecting several aspects of the country’s development is low energy security. Vanuatu remains highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, and, in combination with high electricity costs and limited access to electricity in many rural areas, the energy sector is a constraint on further, and more widespread, economic growth. Crucially, a significant gap exists in electricity access between urban and rural areas across the islands. An estimated 30% of households and public institutions have electricity access via connections to a grid network, yet only four islands benefit from the grid. In rural areas, 85-90% of people have no access to electricity at all.

To tackle this challenge and bring energy security to every community, the Government of Vanuatu is working closely with GGGI to create new plans for green, inclusive
and resilient electricity. In collaboration with the World Bank, GGGI has helped the Department of Energy to update the National Energy Road Map (NERM), which highlights Vanuatu’s vision for 100% electricity access and 100% renewable energy by 2030. Alongside new energy efficiency targets, the road map explicitly adopts a green growth approach, linking Vanuatu’s economic growth in key productive sectors with opportunities in the renewable energy sector.