Island Nation on the Front Lines of Climate Change Partners with
GridMarket and Island Resilience Partnership to Implement Strategic Energy Initiative
At the inaugural Island Resilience Forum hosted by EarthX, the Independent State of Samoa announced its intent to transition to clean, resilient energy generation. The IRF is the official platform of the Island Resilience Partnership, a public-private partnership designed to help small-island developing states achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals like Samoa, an island in the South Pacific that is especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As detailed in the executed memorandum of understanding, Samoa will work with partners GridMarket and the Island Resilience Partnership to transition to a low-cost, carbon-free energy future.
“The EarthX mission is to connect government and businesses to help bring about solutions that will have positive impacts for the planet, in this case, for Samoa,” said Tony Keane, chief executive officer of EarthX. “We can have all the good ideas in the world, but we also need to shepherd them and convene the right parties to help them come to fruition so we can take steps now for the betterment of our future.”
“We’re honored to be the chosen vehicle for the Independent State of Samoa’s national transformation,” said Nick Davis, CEO of GridMarket. “By expanding renewable energy integration, further decentralizing the grid, increasing distributed energy storage capacity, and driving additional operating cost reductions through leading-edge technology, Samoa’s new energy economy will experience sustained growth and strengthened resiliency in the face of natural disasters.”
EarthX brought together island leaders and champions from the U.N. and around the world at the Island Resilience Forum on Saturday, April 27. The IRF focused on the development of strategic national energy roadmaps and actionable, fundable projects like Samoa’s. The inaugural meeting brought together United Nations’ Ambassadors from Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, the Independent State of Samoa, and a delegation from Sint Maarten, led by the Minister of Justice overseeing national recovery and resilience. Other speakers included leading ocean conservationists, philanthropic champions, scientists, academic leaders, visionary filmmakers, and environmental organizations from around the globe. Attendees of the forum heard compelling calls to action and deployable solutions directly impacting the world’s most vulnerable populations.
“Our partnership agreement with the Independent State of Samoa reinforces the guiding principle of EarthX: action-oriented impact,” said Matt Tranchin, Executive Director of the Island Resilience Partnership. “Part of its founder’s original vision was to create a platform that could tangibly impact those communities on the front lines of climate change – and this is evidence of its influence on a global level.”
In addition to the Island Resilience Forum presented by EarthxOcean, the ninth annual EarthX included three days of exhibitions, a film festival, music, entertainment, learning experiences, discussions, forums, and conferences making it, once again, the world’s largest gathering to positively discuss achievable solutions for environmental change. This year, the event attracted more than 175,000 people interested in creating a sustainable world for all living things, and a healthier planet for future generations.