High-level event on the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) just energy transition

Al Waha Room, Blue Zone, COP28, Dubai, UAE

The high-level event focused on the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) just energy transition taking into consideration:

  • Holistic decarbonization and sustainable development strategies, appropriate financing and regulatory frameworks that will facilitate a resilient and just transition.
  • Complementing the global stocktake, highlight SIDS progress and impacts on energy transition efforts in SIDS as aligned to the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative twelve priority areas.
  • SIDS perspectives on the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund.
  • Discussions on the focus and priorities of SIDS LHI 3.0 (green hydrogen, ocean and offshore renewables, nexus points, aggregation of regional projects, lives and livelihoods) in the lead up to the 4th International Conference on SIDS in Antigua and Barbuda in 2024 and the SIDS LHI 10th Anniversary.

Speakers included:

  • SIDS Leaders including Heads of State and Government, Ministers responsible for Energy, Environment and Climate Change
  • Developed Countries who are partners of the SIDS LHI – United Arab Emirates, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, France
  • Development Partners such as the Green Climate Fund, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, Asian Development Bank
  • Regional Organisations such as the Pacific Community, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
  • Representatives of other relevant regional and international organisations, development and multilateral agencies, financing institutions, private companies, research institutes and non-profit organisations that are partners of the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative.

As aligned with the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative priority areas, the event focused on:

  • Promoting all renewable energy resources including geothermal and ocean technology, energy efficiency, green hydrogen, battery storage, transport.
  • Linking RE uptake to climate resilience and disaster recovery.
  • Reinforcing nexus points between renewables and non-energy sectors (agri-food, health, water, tourism, fisheries, education, ICT) for broad socio-economic development (SMEs and entrepreneurship, job creation, gender equality, youth and women's empowerment).

SIDS LHI, being a partnership initiative will coordinate closely with the Alliance of Small Island States, SIDS DOCK and other SIDS focused initiatives on just energy transition.