Island leaders want renewable energy action

Ministers and representatives of island countries and territories are calling for action on renewable energy to secure a safer and more prosperous future, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Comparative isolation, small market size and reliance on fuel imports leaves islands highly exposed to global economic fluctuations. But islands can learn from each other's experiences in solving energy problems, contends IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin.

"Most islands around the world today depend for the majority of their energy needs on imported fossil fuels, which are expensive at the best of times and subject to drastic price fluctuations," Amin said. "At the same time, we have found examples where island states have decisively overcome particular energy challenges by turning to renewables."

For more:
- see this report