Tuvalu and renewable energies
Tuvalu is a small island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, known for its vulnerability to climate change, particularly rising sea levels. With a total land area of just 16 square miles and a population of approximately 11,733, Tuvalu faces significant challenges in ensuring its sustainability and survival. In response to these threats, the country has emerged as a leader in promoting renewable energy, aiming for 100% of its electricity generation to come from renewable sources. Despite a heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels, which constituted 96% of its energy supply in 2021, Tuvalu has made strides in solar energy implementation, including the establishment of the first grid-connected solar power system in the Pacific Islands, supported by the e8 Alliance.
Tuvalu's commitment to renewable energy is outlined in its National Energy Policy, which emphasizes energy efficiency and reducing dependence on imported fuel. Although the ambitious goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2020 was not fully realized, ongoing efforts reflect a dedication to sustainable development. The geographical limitations of Tuvalu pose challenges for large-scale renewable projects, highlighting the need for international cooperation and action to effectively address climate change impacts. Without significant global efforts to combat rising sea levels, Tuvalu's future remains uncertain, underscoring the importance of collective responsibility in safeguarding vulnerable island nations.
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Tuvalu and renewable energies
Official Name: Tuvalu.
Summary: Tuvalu, the world’s second-smallest island nation, is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Tuvalu, therefore, has gradually become a leader in the promotion of renewable energies as a means to fight climate change and mitigate its effects.
Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. It consists of four reef islands and five atolls. (An atoll is an island or islands, built of coral, that encircles a lagoon.) The total land area is 16 square miles (26 square kilometers), with a population of 11,733 as of 2024. One hundred percent of the total population had access to electricity as of 2022. according to the CIA World Factbook.
Since Tuvalu is a low-lying, small island developing state (SIDS), it is one of the most vulnerable places on Earth to rising sea levels and associated climate change impacts. The sea-level rise currently threatens the very livelihood of the Tuvaluans, increasing the level of climate-change-induced migration.
At the end of 2009, Tuvalu therefore seized the opportunity to give other SIDS a voice at the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Copenhagen. By delivering a strong plea for a legally binding agreement to be passed by world leaders to save low-lying island states, Tuvalu gathered support from other SIDS and proposed a new treaty to protect these nations. COP15 was eventually a springboard for Tuvalu to display itself as a leader in climate action, as illustrated by its established target of achieving 100 percent electricity generation through renewable energy sources by 2020.
Immediate action to fulfill this aspiration was supported by Tuvalu’s partnership with the e8 Alliance, an international organization representing leading electricity companies from the Group of Eight (G8) countries. In 2007–08, the e8 commissioned, in Tuvalu, the first grid-connected solar power system in the Pacific Islands. The solar system accounted for 5 percent of peak electricity demand in Funafuti (Tuvalu’s capital) and 3 percent of Tuvalu’s annual household electricity consumption. It contributed to powering Tuvalu’s households, healthcare facilities, small and medium enterprises, and other local development infrastructure. The first results showed that the project’s operation and maintenance activities were running well, generating the targeted 40 kilowatts of electricity.
This solar project echoed Tuvalu’s action during COP15 and sent a symbolic message about the importance and necessity of global and concerted actions worldwide to promote renewable energy and mitigate climate change impacts to save threatened countries. However, the majority of Tuvalu’s energy sources are imported fossil fuels. Petroleum has been the largest energy source since the 1990s, replacing biomass. In 2021, fossil fuels accounted for 96 percent of Tuvalu's total energy supply, while solar and other renewable energy sources accounted for 4 percent. Tuvalu’s economy is therefore highly vulnerable to fuel prices’ volatility, which is why it is critical to find alternative sources of energy for the country’s electricity supply.
Even before the e8 solar project, Tuvalu was one of the first Pacific Island countries to establish a solar energy company. However, because of various maintenance and management issues, the company ceased operations. The government drew lessons from this experience and renewed its interest in the promotion of renewable energy through the first Tuvalu National Energy Policy (TNEP). Released in May 2009 with the support of the Secretariat of the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) through its Pacific Islands Energy Policy and Strategic Action Planning (PIEPSAP) project, the TNEP has been made the responsibility of the Energy Department of the Ministry for Public Utilities and Industries. This policy emphasizes the importance of undertaking energy efficiency measures throughout the island in order to lower energy demand and help achieve the target of 100 percent electricity generated by renewables by 2020. While that goal was not reached, Tuvalu continued its efforts to further embrace renewable energy.
Tuvalu seems to be on the right path toward a more sustainable development of its islands. In 2015, the World Bank approved a grant for the Energy Sector Development Project to be established in Tuvalu to work toward its goal of reducing dependence on imported fuel. However, the geographical characteristics of Tuvalu make it difficult to develop large-scale renewable energy projects, especially because of a lack of available land. More importantly, although Tuvalu is managing to mitigate climate change impacts on its soil, its final destiny relies on world leaders’ decisions to undertake actions against the threats that are leading to rising sea levels for low-lying island nations such as Tuvalu. Tuvalu will only be able to save its land if the international community gets involved and takes appropriate measures to fight the impact of climate change on a global scale.
Bibliography
“Energy Profile: Tuvalu.” International Renewable Energy Agency, 2021, www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Statistics/Statistical‗Profiles/Oceania/Tuvalu‗Oceania‗RE‗SP.pdf. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.
Ritchie, Hannah and Max Roser. "Tuvalu: Energy Country Profile." Our World in Data, 2022, ourworldindata.org/energy/country/tuvalu. Accessed 9 Aug. 2022.
“Tuvalu.” CIA World Factbook, 7 Aug. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/tuvalu. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.
"Tuvalu Set for More Efficient and Renewable Energy." The World Bank, 26 Jan. 2015, www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2015/01/26/tuvalu-efficient-renewable-energy. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.