AOSIS
SIDS recognize that energy is a key driver of economic growth, with a significant direct
and indirect bearing on education, environment, health and social welfare in SIDS.
Energy dependency, in particular on fossil fuels, is a major security risk and source of
economic vulnerability for SIDS and many remote and rural small island developing
states have little or no access to modern and affordable energy services.
This being said, there is a need for urgent action by the international community to:
1. Assist SIDS integrate and prioritize energy issues into their NSDS, or the like,
and identify opportunities to improve their policy environment and regulatory
framework that will encourage cost-effective, efficient, environmentally sound
and more secure and sustainable energy options for sustainable development;
2. Assist with the development of projects, including pilot projects, in SIDS to
enable them to utilize their renewable energy resources and geothermal sources as
viable alternatives to address prohibitive energy costs, focusing in particular as a
minimum, on;
i. Solar
ii. Wind
iii. Biofuels
iv. Hydro
v. Biomass
vi. Landfill gas
vii. Geo-thermal
viii. Wave
ix. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).
3. Urgently establish a global renewable energy fund to assist in research,
development and dissemination of renewable energy technology to developing
countries, particularly SIDS.
4. Establish innovative and predictable funding modalities that should include grant,
debt and equity financing options and should also allow for private sector
involvement.
5. Support the regional cooperation efforts of developing countries, particularly
SIDS in the area of indigenous research and development for SIDS-appropriate
applications of renewable energy and energy efficiency such as the Caribbean
Renewable Energy Development Programme and the Pacific Islands
Sustainable Energy Development Partnership.
Madam Chair
We further emphasize that given their current dependence on sources of expensive
fossil fuels, and extreme vulnerability to oil price shocks, SIDS should be supported
in their efforts to gain economies of scale through initiatives such as regional bulk
fuel procurement to facilitate access to more affordable energy.
In SIDS the majority of green house gases come from the combustion of fossil fuels
from electricity generation. The current levels of inefficient operation of many power
utilities and distribution facilities in SIDS are unacceptably high and that efficient and
transparent utility governance and pricing of energy and energy services are essential
given current dependence on fossils fuels, and high power losses. To overcome these
difficulties SIDS require assistance in their efforts to;
a. Ensure energy utilities and networks are efficient and energy losses are
substantially reduced;
b. Set and implement best practice tariff structures and billing practices
such as pre-paid meters by 2009; and
c. Encourage the adoption of best practice maintenance policies and a
preventative maintenance culture by energy utilities.
Respectfully Madam Chair
In reference to the current Negotiating Text prepared by the Secretariat, the AOSIS /
SIDS Group consider that energy for sustainable development should be environmentally
friendly and sound.
Consider that there is the absence of targets but within this context consider that these
should be voluntary targets so as to ensure that the natural market forces are not
compromised, where this applies equally for cross subsidies.
In this regard there should be greater emphasis given to the emphasizing and enhancing
the opportunities for increasing renewable energy technologies in the energy mix and that
there is the requirement for further work in research and development to improve the
efficiency of renewable energy technology systems.
The AOSIS / SIDS Group do not support the nuclear energy nor the concept of carbon
storage as referenced in the Chairs text.
There is the need to incorporate climate change giving due consideration to green house
emissions and that these need to be integrated into national energy policies.
Further more there is the need for longer term support to be given renewable energy
projects especially where new technologies are being deployed so as to ensure that a
sustainable infrastructure for the longer term management and maintenance of the
renewable energy projects is established.
In this regard establishing an interactive cyber network will be an important initiative on
which immediate action can be taken.
In closing Madam Chair, we wish to re-emphasize that CSD is the major
intergovernmental vehicle to address the implementation of the BPoA and MSI and we
would wish to see greater emphasis given to this in the Chairs document.
Thank you Madam Chair
and indirect bearing on education, environment, health and social welfare in SIDS.
Energy dependency, in particular on fossil fuels, is a major security risk and source of
economic vulnerability for SIDS and many remote and rural small island developing
states have little or no access to modern and affordable energy services.
This being said, there is a need for urgent action by the international community to:
1. Assist SIDS integrate and prioritize energy issues into their NSDS, or the like,
and identify opportunities to improve their policy environment and regulatory
framework that will encourage cost-effective, efficient, environmentally sound
and more secure and sustainable energy options for sustainable development;
2. Assist with the development of projects, including pilot projects, in SIDS to
enable them to utilize their renewable energy resources and geothermal sources as
viable alternatives to address prohibitive energy costs, focusing in particular as a
minimum, on;
i. Solar
ii. Wind
iii. Biofuels
iv. Hydro
v. Biomass
vi. Landfill gas
vii. Geo-thermal
viii. Wave
ix. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).
3. Urgently establish a global renewable energy fund to assist in research,
development and dissemination of renewable energy technology to developing
countries, particularly SIDS.
4. Establish innovative and predictable funding modalities that should include grant,
debt and equity financing options and should also allow for private sector
involvement.
5. Support the regional cooperation efforts of developing countries, particularly
SIDS in the area of indigenous research and development for SIDS-appropriate
applications of renewable energy and energy efficiency such as the Caribbean
Renewable Energy Development Programme and the Pacific Islands
Sustainable Energy Development Partnership.
Madam Chair
We further emphasize that given their current dependence on sources of expensive
fossil fuels, and extreme vulnerability to oil price shocks, SIDS should be supported
in their efforts to gain economies of scale through initiatives such as regional bulk
fuel procurement to facilitate access to more affordable energy.
In SIDS the majority of green house gases come from the combustion of fossil fuels
from electricity generation. The current levels of inefficient operation of many power
utilities and distribution facilities in SIDS are unacceptably high and that efficient and
transparent utility governance and pricing of energy and energy services are essential
given current dependence on fossils fuels, and high power losses. To overcome these
difficulties SIDS require assistance in their efforts to;
a. Ensure energy utilities and networks are efficient and energy losses are
substantially reduced;
b. Set and implement best practice tariff structures and billing practices
such as pre-paid meters by 2009; and
c. Encourage the adoption of best practice maintenance policies and a
preventative maintenance culture by energy utilities.
Respectfully Madam Chair
In reference to the current Negotiating Text prepared by the Secretariat, the AOSIS /
SIDS Group consider that energy for sustainable development should be environmentally
friendly and sound.
Consider that there is the absence of targets but within this context consider that these
should be voluntary targets so as to ensure that the natural market forces are not
compromised, where this applies equally for cross subsidies.
In this regard there should be greater emphasis given to the emphasizing and enhancing
the opportunities for increasing renewable energy technologies in the energy mix and that
there is the requirement for further work in research and development to improve the
efficiency of renewable energy technology systems.
The AOSIS / SIDS Group do not support the nuclear energy nor the concept of carbon
storage as referenced in the Chairs text.
There is the need to incorporate climate change giving due consideration to green house
emissions and that these need to be integrated into national energy policies.
Further more there is the need for longer term support to be given renewable energy
projects especially where new technologies are being deployed so as to ensure that a
sustainable infrastructure for the longer term management and maintenance of the
renewable energy projects is established.
In this regard establishing an interactive cyber network will be an important initiative on
which immediate action can be taken.
In closing Madam Chair, we wish to re-emphasize that CSD is the major
intergovernmental vehicle to address the implementation of the BPoA and MSI and we
would wish to see greater emphasis given to this in the Chairs document.
Thank you Madam Chair
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