Event: Island Climate leadership | Driving Clean Energy Transformation

CDKN and Independent Diplomat event: Expert Panel with Q&A

22nd September 2014 | 15:00 – 16:00

Morgan Library, New York, USA

This event will showcase examples of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)’ climate leadership in deploying renewable energy, reducing emissions, and enhancing energy security. We aim to demonstrate the significant economic opportunities and other co-benefits of making the transition from fossil fuels to clean, green energy, and encourage international support. This will be an important time to build political momentum ahead of the United Nations Secretrary General’s Climate Summit.

Background
For Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the twin challenges of ensuring energy security and tackling climate change lie at the heart of efforts to achieve sustainable development. Due to their small size and geographical isolation, SIDS are highly dependent on imported fossil fuels for power generation, sometimes absorbing up to 20% of national spending and subjecting them to the dangers of oil price spikes and supply volatility. At the same time, intensifying climate impacts, including more severe and frequent extreme weather events and unprecedented sea-level rise, are jeopardizing the national development strategies and raising serious questions about long-term viability and national survival.

Despite these challenges, SIDS are at the forefront of the global transition to renewable energy, in particular solar, wind, and ocean energy. Through initiatives like the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership and the CARICOM Regional Energy Policy, SIDS have brought forward some of the world’s most ambitious targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency, setting an example from the smallest and most climate-vulnerable countries for the big emitters to follow.

The event
As part of the opening day of Climate Week NYC at the Morgan Library, this one-hour event will feature a brief introduction on ‘Island Climate Leadership’ in the transition to renewable energy, followed by a panel discussion on past successes and future opportunities to stimulate further on-the-ground action. The event will then be opened up to the audience for questions and comments.

The event will feature the Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Hon. Tony de Brum; the Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Seychelles, Hon. Jean-Paul Adam; and the Foreign Minister of Barbados, Hon. Maxine McClean; as well as the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Mr. Adnan Amin; and the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Climate Change Mary Robinson.  Other high-level invitees include private sector and civil society leaders working on renewable energy projects in SIDS.
Register

This is an invitation-only event. Please contact Nadia Schweimler.