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New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Small islands with big energy ambitions
12/2/2025
8 min read
Feature
Although they are responsible for a tiny fraction of the world’s total emissions, decarbonising small island states is still important for a just global energy transition, and often provides significant benefits for inhabitants. Charlie Bush reports on recent energy transition initiatives in often-overlooked areas of the world.
On Saturday 14 December 2024, Cyclone Chido swept over the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte, killing 35 people, destroying tens of thousands of homes and causing widespread destruction, including to electricity infrastructure. Scientists concluded that climate change intensified the storm – the most damaging in 90 years – and made it 40% more likely to occur. The event highlights the escalating risks of global warming and the vulnerability of small islands.
Small island nations are home to some 600 million people, most of whom live in coastal areas. Rising sea levels, more frequent and damaging extreme weather events, and other global warming-induced difficulties such as ocean acidification and coral bleaching present enormous threats. These countries also face unique challenges in their energy transitions due to their diminutive size, undiversified economies and remote locations. Many still use diesel-based mini-grids, leaving them dependent on expensive fossil fuel imports. It also makes them vulnerable to extreme price fluctuations. Consequently, small island states pay some of the highest energy bills in the world, according to a research paper on developing aid for energy in small island developing states.
But many of these remote communities also have significant renewable energy potential in the form of solar, wind and ocean power. Many small islands are actually leading in renewable energy generation. Small island developing states saw a 150% growth in renewable energy deployment from 3.4 GW in 2014 to 8.7 GW in 2023, according to the IRENA report on Small Island Developing States Lighthouses Initiative.