Renewable Energy Targets in Small Island Developing States

In this technical paper, IRENA examines the renewable energy targets set by SIDS in their NDCS and national policy documents, and outlines key recommendations about how SIDS can adapt policy and strategic frameworks to bring the international community together to reach their ambitious goals. The paper reinforces how renewable energy deployment is driven by policy objectives beyond climate, including socio-economic development, energy security, and independence. SIDS have identified urgent areas of intervention to support energy transformation, building local financing capacity, innovative and customized financing approaches, and international and regional partnership and technology transfer. IRENA's SIDS Lighthouses Initiative priorities include promoting all renewable sources, supporting bankable projects, expanding focus beyond power generation, and linking renewable energy to socio-economic development, gender equality, and climate resilience.