Policy and financingâ€”why is sea transport currently invisible in the search for a low carbon future for Pacific Island Countries?

Peter R. Nuttall,Amelia Bola,Biman Prasad,Alison Newell,John Kaitu'u

doi:10.3389/fmars.2014.00020

Abstract

The role of financing and policy in research, development, trialling and introduction of renewable energy technologies in the Pacific maritime sector is considered. Key research and trials of renewable energy technologies for sea transport in the Pacific from the 1980s and the critical role played by agencies such as the United Nations in leveraging support from funders such as the Asian Development Bank and European Union are reviewed. The lack of current policy on potential renewable energy technology use in sea transport at national, regional and development agency levels is discussed with the Asian Development Bank used as a case study. The urgent need for such technology to be commercially trialled as a means of reducing the region’s dependency on fossil fuels given the importance of sea transport to socio-economic development in the Pacific is outlined in light of the proportion of fossil fuel currently used by the maritime sector. The paper concludes that review of current funding strategies and policies to include both sea transport and the potential for use of renewable energy technologies in the maritime sector in the Pacific is a priority and current reliance on the private sector acting alone needs review.

Highlights

This paper questions why maritime fuel use is currently excluded from most debate over reducing Pacific Island Countries (PIC) dependency on imported fossil fuels
It examines the efforts made in exploring renewable energy use for sea transport in the Pacific during the last oil crisis and finds that the results showed strong potential, were achievable with relatively minimal financial investment, and were only curtailed because of the global fall in oil prices (Asian Development Bank (ADB), 1985; Satchwell, 1985, 1986; Clayton, 1987)
Deeper issues over the long-term financing of domestic shipping in the Pacific that were apparent in the 1980s were not addressed at that time due to the relatively short-term nature of the event and we suggest these should be reconsidered given that the current crisis is predicted only to escalate over time

Summary

MARINE SCIENCE

Policy and financing—why is sea transport currently invisible in the search for a low carbon future for Pacific Island Countries?. The role of financing and policy in research, development, trialing and introduction of renewable energy technologies in the Pacific maritime sector is considered. Key research and trials of renewable energy technologies for sea transport in the Pacific from the 1980s and the critical role played by agencies such as the United Nations in leveraging support from funders such as the Asian Development Bank and European Union are reviewed. The lack of current policy on potential renewable energy technology use in sea transport at national, regional, and development agency levels is discussed with the Asian Development Bank used as a case study. The urgent need for such technology to be commercially trialed as a means of reducing the region’s dependency on fossil fuels given the importance of sea transport to socio-economic development in the Pacific is outlined in light of the proportion of fossil fuel currently used by the maritime sector.

INTRODUCTION

Fiji soft sail retrofit

Needs assessment led to commissioning vessel build plans

Findings

CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS