Solar power brings big changes for Tuvalu: PM Sopoaga

Transcript

Over the past two years New Zealand and the European Union have helped make solar energy a reality for much of Tuvalu.

Before, the central Pacific group of islands, like much of the rest of the region, had been wholly dependent on diesel for electricity generation.

The country's Prime Minister, Enele Sopoaga, speaking with a group of journalists last week in a rainy Funafuti, says the impact of the solar development, along with an extended power grid, has been dramatic.

ENELE SOPOAGA: Absolutely. I mean dramatically it has changed the lives of the people, particularly on the outer islands. Now it used to be very sporadic, the services were not as good, and then the power would go off if there was no fuel on the island, and shipping between the islands is quite rare, but now of course with the arrival of the solar energy projects, kindly funded by New Zealand the European Union, the access, as we said almost 100 percent to electricity. And this has changed dramatically the life of the people, life standards of people, looking after their children and their families on the outer islands. So yes dramatically.

JOURNALIST: So is that 100 percent renewable energy?

ES: One hundred percent access to electricity. But as you heard, on the outer islands it is like 80 percent renewable. It is almost 100 percent access to electricity. Day and night - children can study day and night. On the outer islands the contribution of renewable energy is higher because the panels and the insulations there are better, with more panel capture and storage on the outer islands, relative to what we have on Funafuti.

JOURNALIST: So in terms of climate change is it really important for Tuvalu to be as Renewable as possible, in terms of your climate change doctrine?

ES: Absolutely. It is very symbolic for Tuvalu and that is why we are committed to this, because you are right. It is not only the cost that we are feeling. It is also environmental as a contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. So I think countries like New Zealand and the European Union, and of course hopefully some others, they should be encouraged, commended highly for their leadership in this. And of course hopefully others will join, because this is our global response to cutting down greenhouse gases and of course the root cause of global warming and climate change. So absolutely, yes. Now in terms of costs, because it's addressing poverty issues, we need to save that 35 to 40 percent of resources from the GNP, going into buying petroleum from all over the world, from outside Tuvalu. This percentage should go to health and education and addressing other social issues in Tuvalu, rather than spending it to the outside world to import petroleum. We always say every single shipment of oil tankers that come in, goes out 45 percent of the GDP of Tuvalu, that's a lot of money. And under my government it's totally unacceptable. We want to reduce that down as much as possible and use that money to develop education, to develop access to internet, to health and other human development. That money needs to be saved in order to help us adapt to the impacts of climate change.

JOURNALIST: You were very instrumental at the climate change conference in Paris in assisting the association of small island states to get that 1.5 degree into the agreement. It's been six months now, do you still feel that sense of optimism you did when you finished the Paris conference?

ES: I'm encouraged. I'm encouraged by the prevailing very constructive response from the international community. Particularly our neighbours, New Zealand in particular, they are trying to offer initiatives like the Prime Minister Key's initiative on reducing or eliminating subsidies on fossil fuels, these are all efforts and I think encouraged. Of course it is our high aspiration that the agreement would enter into force in order for the world to walk the talk, so to speak. But we want to encourage all our friends to ratify the agreement as soon as possible, without delay. I'm a little bit put back in New York that the 17 that signed and ratified, out of the 170 that signed, are only from small island developing places. We need a big commitment from the rest of the world to ratify the Paris agreement. That's a big achievement and I think the world must commend itself, every member country, but we cannot leave the job there, the job is not yet started. We must walk the talk of Paris.