9 September, 2021 – Suva, Fiji. The Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) will support the United Nations Office of South –South Cooperation (#UNoSSC) in undertaking a study to provide recommendations to governments on enhancing sustainability of the off-grid solar systems in #PSIDS as a #greenrecovery solution from COVID-19. The study will also promote knowledge sharing and identify South-South cooperation opportunities for solar energy development among PSIDS and introducing the existing platforms/mechanisms and what needs to be done to promote these South-South cooperation opportunities.
The study is timely considering the challenges now compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic due to economic shock and supply chain disruptions it brings. In fact, many PSIDs has been forced to defer achieving their 100% electrification goal due to the pandemic. However, as identified in the United Nations’ Socio-economic Impact Assessment of COVID-19, #renewableenergy development is a key solution to green recovery in the Pacific region, and steady energy supply is crucial for delivering COVID-19 vaccines. Results of the survey on priorities for COVID-19 recovery and South-South cooperation in Asia-Pacific launched by UNOSSC in September 2020 also indicated a strong concern from the Pacific on addressing environmental and climate challenges in the process of recovery.
There is a clear demand for promoting the use of renewables in the region. The study will support the PIDF strategic cluster of Adaptive Solutions for Island Resilience.
