MIAMI, Florida, USA, Might 12 (IPS) – The Renewable Power Coverage Community for the twenty first Century (REN21), a world community that advances renewable vitality by collaboration and data sharing, has named James Fletcher of Saint Lucia and Dr Ramón Méndez Galain of Uruguay as its first Renewable Power Champions.
The achieved former vitality ministers had been launched as REN21 RE Champions on Might 9, on the seventeenth Caribbean Renewable Power Discussion board in Miami. They had been recognised for his or her exemplary management in driving vitality transition of their respective nations and area.
The RE Champions Initiative will join skilled policymakers with friends globally to share data, sensible steering, and successes and encourage much-needed motion.
Fletcher, who led Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Sustainable Improvement and Power, described becoming a member of the initiative as “one of many best selections I ever needed to make.”
He reiterated the urgency of vitality 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 are able to crack that, if we are able to get that transition to occur shortly, each single financial sector in our area turns into aggressive on all of our islands,” he mentioned.
“If we are able to crack that, if we are able to get this transition to occur shortly,” Fletcher instructed 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 % renewables, spoke to IPS about that nation’s journey. He emphasised the significance of political consensus in reaching lasting change and mentioned he’s pleased to share his expertise and experience with friends.
“One of many first and most vital issues we succeeded in doing was to have a long-term settlement that was backed by your complete 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 because of the complementarity of various sources. It was a technical challenge, nevertheless it 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 % of the nation’s workforce. “We proved that vitality transition can work, however it will not occur spontaneously. It’s a must to actually make adjustments within the insurance policies, rules, legal guidelines, and institutional framework within the markets. That is what we are attempting 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 secure and environment friendly. “What Ramón has been in a position to present is that it may be achieved with intermittent renewables, as a result of one of many issues that retains being hammered at us is that if you happen to solely have intermittent sources of electrical energy, you can not do that. He’s proven in Uruguay that he can do it. That it may be achieved,” he mentioned.
Each champions emphasised the facility of South-South collaboration and the necessity to scale this mannequin to different areas.
“Establishing these partnerships by an organisation like REN21—with its world 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 together with his Saint Lucian colleague and the REN21 community.
“Having the possibility to work with individuals like Fletcher – it’s unimaginable to me as a result of he’s an inspiring man,” he mentioned. “REN21 is a strong community that embraces and boosts all the pieces that we are able to say with large potential hyperlinks to organisations that may assist governments to do their jobs.”
REN21’s Senior Advisor, Laura Williamson, instructed the launch that the RE Champions Initiative bridges the hole between expertise, coverage, and management.
“It’s constructed round champions who deliver real-world expertise, who’ve overcome challenges to realize exceptional leads to their very own nations and may provide strategic partnerships to speed up vitality transition.”
“Now we have the expertise; now we have the sources. However what is de facto lacking is the trade of information, the aptitude of partnerships, and the connections,” she mentioned in a sit-down with IPS. “It is actually to show how connecting the decision-makers to the info, to the tales, to the experiences, can drive vitality transition. Additionally to show 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 increase the programme to incorporate specialists from Asia and Africa, strengthening cross-regional collaboration and unlocking shared options throughout the World South.
The REN21 Champions say whereas a sustainable vitality future is inside attain, accelerating progress would require higher urgency—and connection and collaboration will function the catalysts to drive it ahead.
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