Pacific NDC Dialogue: Enhancing and Implementing the Pacific SIDS Commitments to the Paris Agreement through Energy Transformation

The Small Island Developing States played a pivotal and cohesive role in the lead up to the adoption of the Paris Agreement and were amongst the first countries to ratify and submit their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).  Despite all this, climate change continue to pose an existential threat to SIDS, making adaptation, resilience, and disaster risk reduction a priority. Most of the island countries submitted ambitious mitigation measures mainly by increasing renewable energy generation capacity, energy efficiency, and the electrification of the transport sector.

In the first NDC submissions, IRENA analysis showed that all 14 Pacific SIDS mentioned renewables, whilst 13 of the Pacific SIDS had quantified renewable energy targets in their NDCs that equated to 1.979 GW. A total of USD5.2 billion will be needed by 2030 to implement these NDC RE targets, of which 93 percent will be conditional that would need external investment. This scenario would definitely change given the ongoing NDC enhancement currently being undertaken by SIDS. From the Pacific, Marshall Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga have already submitted their enhanced NDCs.

IRENA, in partnership with UK COP26 Presidency and the Regional NDC Pacific Hub, hosted a one-day, virtual dialogue on 23 February 2021, 7:00-9:00 Gulf Standard Time (GST) on the COP26 Climate Dialogue in the Pacific. The dialogue acted as a forum for cross-regional discussion on driving and building momentum on climate action in the lead up to COP26, through enhanced NDCs, understanding of the domestic energy sector transformations and through long-term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS), and exploring the vital role that energy transformation is contributing to the Pacific SIDS recovery efforts from COVID-19, climate action and sustainable development.

The dialogue aimed to encourage more ambitious climate action, provide an avenue for the Pacific SIDS to share national and regional experiences on the transformation of their energy systems, to broaden the knowledge and understanding of the role of NDCs in achieving the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement, and demonstrate practical approaches to green recovery, mobilizing investment that contributes to the Pacific SIDS building back better and stronger.

The detailed agenda is available here