Source: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Aid and Development – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: Pacific sustainable energy: Maintaining pace
The Pacific Energy Conference in Auckland has generated over $1 billion in funding commitments for sustainable energy projects in the Pacific.
When combined with previous commitments and private sector investment, it means that $2.5 billion will be invested in sustainable energy in the Pacific between 2013 and 2024.
“For our part, New Zealand has agreed to provide a further $100 million to energy projects in nine Pacific countries, bringing our total contribution to $220 million,” Foreign Minister Murray McCully says.
Sustainable energy is a priority for the Pacific. Diesel is the dominant form of electricity for most Pacific nations, and diesel consumption costs the equivalent of around 10 percent so the region’s GDP.
Across the region, only around 25 percent of households have access to electricity.
Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and increasing access will have tangible economic, social and environmental benefits for Pacific communities.
The Pacific Energy Conference was co-hosted by the New Zealand Government and the European Union. It was attended by leaders and representatives across the Pacific and beyond, international development agencies, the private sector, and NGOs.
It was a follow-up to the Pacific Energy Summit in 2013, also hosted by New Zealand and the EU.
Read more:
Pacific Energy Country Profiles: Sustainable energy progress and challenges at country level.
Donors commit to Pacific energy projects