IRENA Emphasizes Urgent Renewable Energy Transition for Small Island Developing States to Enhance Resilience and Economic Growth

In Barbados, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director General Francesco La Camera stressed the critical need for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to transition to renewable energy. He noted the SIDS Lighthouse Initiative, involving 41 SIDS and 53 partners, aims to shift SIDS from fossil fuels to renewables. IRENA supports countries' climate action plans under the Paris Agreement and facilitates project funding. Finance remains a major barrier, but IRENA is working with the World Bank, using technologies from Israel and knowledge from Iceland, to support geothermal projects, such as in Dominica. La Camera highlighted the potential of solar, wind, and ocean energy in SIDS, aiming for net-zero or 100% renewable energy to boost wealth, livelihoods, and job creation, with renewables creating three times more jobs than conventional sources.