MIAMI, Florida, USA, Might 12 (IPS) – The Renewable Vitality Coverage Community for the twenty first Century (REN21), a worldwide community that advances renewable power by collaboration and information sharing, has named James Fletcher of Saint Lucia and Dr Ramón Méndez Galain of Uruguay as its first Renewable Vitality Champions.
The achieved former power ministers had been launched as REN21 RE Champions on Might 9, on the seventeenth Caribbean Renewable Vitality Discussion board in Miami. They had been recognised for his or her exemplary management in driving power transition of their respective nations and area.
The RE Champions Initiative will join skilled policymakers with friends globally to share information, sensible steering, and successes and encourage much-needed motion.
Fletcher, who led Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Sustainable Improvement and Vitality, described becoming a member of the initiative as “one of many best choices I ever needed to make.”
He reiterated the urgency of power reform within the Caribbean, the place electrical energy prices typically go as excessive as 35 to 40 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour – a serious barrier to competitiveness.
“If we will crack that, if we will get that transition to occur rapidly, each single financial sector in our area turns into aggressive on all of our islands,” he mentioned.
“If we will crack that, if we will get this transition to occur rapidly,” Fletcher advised IPS, “each single financial sector in our area turns into aggressive.”
Dr. Méndez Galain, a physicist who was the architect of Uruguay’s transformation to a grid powered by 98 p.c renewables, spoke to IPS about that nation’s journey. He emphasised the significance of political consensus in attaining lasting change and mentioned he’s glad to share his expertise and experience with friends.
“One of many first and most essential issues we succeeded in doing was to have a long-term settlement that was backed by the whole Uruguayan political system. This was essential and allowed us to have continuity within the course of,” Méndez Galain mentioned. He added, “We proved {that a} energy system can work solely due to the complementarity of various assets. It was a technical difficulty, but it surely was not rocket science. On the finish of the day, it was comparatively easy to unravel.”
Uruguay’s transition, he famous, slashed electrical energy manufacturing prices by half and created 50,000 jobs, about 3 p.c of the nation’s workforce. “We proved that power transition can work, however it might not occur spontaneously. You must actually make adjustments within the insurance policies, rules, legal guidelines, and institutional framework within the markets. That is what we try to share with our present ministers and officers from our area,” he mentioned.
Fletcher, the Caribbean Group’s Local weather Change envoy, pointed to Uruguay’s success as proof that even grid programs reliant on intermittent sources like wind and photo voltaic can stay steady and environment friendly. “What Ramón has been in a position to present is that it may be completed with intermittent renewables, as a result of one of many issues that retains being hammered at us is that in the event you solely have intermittent sources of electrical energy, you can’t do that. He’s proven in Uruguay that he can do it. That it may be completed,” he mentioned.
Each champions emphasised the ability of South-South collaboration and the necessity to scale this mannequin to different areas.
“Establishing these partnerships by an organisation like REN21—with its international attain—was a no brainer,” Fletcher mentioned. “On the finish of the day, our purpose is to make sure that we see an entire phase-out of fossil fuels.”
Méndez Galain expressed enthusiasm for collaborating along with his Saint Lucian colleague and the REN21 community.
“Having the prospect to work with folks like Fletcher – it’s unbelievable to me as a result of he’s an inspiring man,” he mentioned. “REN21 is a strong community that embraces and boosts all the things that we will say with great potential hyperlinks to organisations that may assist governments to do their jobs.”
REN21’s Senior Advisor, Laura Williamson, advised the launch that the RE Champions Initiative bridges the hole between know-how, coverage, and management.
“It’s constructed round champions who deliver real-world expertise, who’ve overcome challenges to attain exceptional leads to their very own nations and might supply strategic partnerships to speed up power transition.”
“We have now the know-how; we’ve the assets. However what is de facto lacking is the alternate of data, the aptitude of partnerships, and the connections,” she mentioned in a sit-down with IPS. “It is actually to exhibit how connecting the decision-makers to the info, to the tales, to the experiences, can drive power transition. Additionally to exhibit that that is attainable, so let’s do it.”
The initiative is totally funded by philanthropic contributions and champions volunteer their time and experience. REN21 plans to broaden the programme to incorporate specialists from Asia and Africa, strengthening cross-regional collaboration and unlocking shared options throughout the International South.
The REN21 Champions say whereas a sustainable power future is inside attain, accelerating progress would require better urgency—and connection and collaboration will function the catalysts to drive it ahead.
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