Mitigating Through Renewable Energy: An Overview of the Requirements and Challenges

Abstract

Renewable Energy (RE) provides one of the two main means of mitigating climate change. The requirements for the successful implementation of RE projects include RE and human resources, institutional capacity, science and technology infrastructure, policy and legislation, financing and the market-readiness of the renewable energy technology (RET).

This chapter considers each of these requirements in detail in the context of the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) with the help of illustrative examples from both the developed and developing countries, and in particular the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Developing countries are forced to resort to the device of capacity building in an attempt to make up for their deficiencies.

The chapter then addresses several challenges to the implementation of RE projects in the SIDS. Perhaps chief amongst these is the better ability developed countries have in providing for the requirements for RE implementation than their developing counterparts. This differential ability is amplified in the case of the SIDS, and in particular the PICs. Factors that discriminate against them include their remoteness, lack of manufacturing infrastructure and human resources, finance, institutional frameworks, policy and their difficulty to attract investors. Barriers to RE implementation that are specific to the PICs include the small sizes of their economies, the lack of awareness amongst their decision-makers of the importance of supporting infrastructure development, lack of funding and appropriate institutional support.

RE does not always guarantee a reduction in emissions, and a full Life Cycle Analysis is needed to assess this ability, especially in the case of biofuels.