SUVA, (IUCN) – Three new countries have recently participated in the initiated International Union of Conservation for Nature Oceania Regional Office (IUCN ORO) Energy projects, as it continues to make positive impacts to the livelihoods of pacific countries.
The project “Managing the Ecosystem and Livelihood implications of Energy policies in the Pacific Island States” (Pacific SIDS-EESLI), has been carried out in six countries: Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Republic of Marshall Islands, Palau, and Vanuatu with the support of the Pacific Island Development States and the governments of Italy, Austria, Luxembourg, and Spain.
Fiji, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea have recently joined the initiative bringing the number to nine in total.
IUCN Energy Programme Coordinator Anare Matakiviti said the increase has a significant impact to Energy conservation.
“The more countries we have engaged in the initiative, we can be able to help spread the message on environmental conservation through the sustainable use of energy,” he said.
The EESLI project provides assistance in building energy systems that are ecologically efficient, sustainable, and socially equitable.
Reports of the project outcomes from 2008-2012 have shown that the Pacific SIDS EESLI projects have annually saved over 900 tons of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to 297 thousand litres of oil, yielding a positive impact on the reduction of carbon dioxide and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in those first six countries.
Ensuring fair and accessible energy solutions is a priority for the Pacific, particularly in countries where electricity access remains low.
The IUCN’s Energy Programme helps to address this, by supporting processes that accelerate the transition to energy systems that incorporate renewable energy, increase energy efficiency, and minimize impacts on biodiversity while being sustainable and socially equitable.
By Natasha Eddie
