Could islands cut ties with the fossil fuel industry?

Many islands have access to abundant wind, solar, hydro, tidal, biofuel, or geothermal energy resources and could significantly cut ties with the fossil fuel industry.

Why are island communities so vulnerable?

Islands also experience some of the highest energy costs and resource insecurity and are often home to important and unique ecosystems. These ecosystems can be extremely vulnerable to the existing energy infrastructure serving island communities.

Are island states a good investment opportunity?

There is also a unique investment opportunity inherent in island states: they face an acute version of the renewable energy challenges faced by the rest of the world—namely, limited land area and the inherent variability and intermittency of renewable energy resources.

Why do small island states have a unique economic and ecological vulnerability?

Small Island states share a number of unique economic and ecological vulnerabilities. Islanders depend heavily on the resources of an inherently limited environment, and any resources not provided by the island (fuel, food, labor, etc.) must be imported at great expense (Ewing-Chow 2020).

Can 'Island laboratories' help solve the green energy problem?

But as SIDS find solutions to their green energy conundrum, ‘island laboratories’ may just be able to generate some valuable lessons for the rest of the world to heed. This article is part of The Ethical Corporation's Decarbonising Industries series, which is being published over the course of this month.

Why do islands need a strong public policy?

They are the communities that are able to switch quickly and galvanize public buy-in through the use of another tool: strong and innovative public policy. Although islands often lack access to financing and affordable manufacturing, they have every reason to embrace renewable energy and sustainable local solutions.