EU signs sustainable energy agreements with Pacific islands

The European Union has signed new agreements to cooperate on sustainable energy with six Pacific Islands.

European Commissioner for climate action and energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, has signed new joint
declarations between the European Union and Pacific countries that have chosen sustainable energy as a
focal sector in their National Indicative Programme (NIP), reinforcing cooperation in the field of sustainable
energy. These countries include: Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and the Republic of the
Marshall Islands. Niue and Tonga will sign in bilateral meetings later this week.
The agreements - signed at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting on 8 September 2015, aim to make the
national energy sectors more sustainable by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.
The EU will endeavour, in collaboration with the signatory Pacific nations, to contribute to improved dialogue
concerning the energy sector, provide technical assistance to the governments, and support the
governments in achieving sustainable development goals (SDG), particularly SDG 7: "Ensure access to
affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all"
"Sustainable energy is the fuel for sustainable development. This is especially true in small developing island
states like the Pacific Islands where dependency on imported fuel is so costly that it is hampering economic
growth, and where energy is even more interlinked with climate change issues than in other parts of the
world," Arias Cañete said.
Andrew Jacobs, Ambassador for the EU Delegation for the Pacific commented at the signing, saying, " With
this signature we reaffirm the commitment of the EU towards cooperation in the field of sustainable energy
with the Pacific Countries and we recognise the political leadership and the efforts of partner governments on
making energy sectors more sustainable by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency."
Similar agreements have already been signed around the world between Cape Verde and Austria,
Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal; Ivory Coast and France; Liberia and Norway, Rwanda and Togo.The agreements come in the run-up to the United Nations COP21 summit on climate change which will take
place in Paris this November.