The following is from ABC Asia Pacific News. Many small island states face immersion if the sea levels keep rising; the whole world has to follow their lead if we are to have any impact!

Pacific pledge to switch to renewable energy

Pacific Island nations have pledged to dump diesel and similar fuels they use to produce energy and replace them with renewable power sources.

Tuvalu, Tokelau and Cook Islands’ leaders outlined their renewable energy targets this week.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Kausa Natano has told Pacific Beat the implementation of renewable energy schemes in small island states is very important.

“I think everyone’s supported the idea of energy efficiency as it will save a lot of funds from their budgets and could be used for other social developments in respective countries,” he said.

Their pledges came at a meeting of small island states in Barbados, West Indies.

Their nations plan to rely on sources like coconut biofuel, solar energy and wind energy by the end of the decade.

Their declaration will be taken to the Rio Plus 20 Earth Summit in Brazil next month.

Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, of the United Nations Development Program, told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat it was “tremendous leadership on the part of small island developing states.”

“They have stepped out, they have set themselves targets that they are willing to work towards to achieve,” she said.

“We had some donor partners – Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom – that actually also made the commitment to support these small island states as they move forward to try and support the transformation of their societies.”

He says donor partners – Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom – have committed to support the small island states in their transformation.