• Honourable Stuart Smith
• Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
• Talofa and warm greetings from Samoa
Acknowledgements
The UNFCCC COP 28 decision to transition away from fossil fuels,
although did not go as far as we the most vulnerable countries wanted, it
is the beginning of the end for Fossil Fuels.
The doubling of energy efficiency and tripling of renewable energy as part
of the COP 28 decision, we hope will turbo charge the transition with
financial flows to the needed private and public sector, innovation and
availability of efficient technology, policy changes to support affordability
and accessibility of such goods and services to the general public, and
more importantly, in keeping the 1.5% temperature goal alive and help to
stop us from signing our people and planet’s death certificates.
Transitioning away from dependence on fossil fuel is a key priority for
Samoa and for the Pacific as a whole. It has been the Pacific and small
island developing states biggest concern since the signing of the

UNFCCC in 1992, for even back then, we had already witnessed first-
hand the impacts of climate change on our islands, economies, and

people.

So it is quite encouraging to be part of this summit and to hear from
experts in the sector, the practical aspects that we need to be addressing,
the solutions that we need to be elevating, so that we are not too far off
from what my country and our region have been asking for – a cleaner
and sustainable development pathway.
Global Level
My attendance here is an opportunity for me to share views from the
various ‘hats’ Samoa wears, which are very much interlinked to the
discussions today. Samoa is currently the Chair of the Alliance of Small
Island States (AOSIS), so in that capacity, Samoa is responsible for
amplifying the voices of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from
around the world. Samoa is also the Pacific Political Climate Champion
for Mitigation consolidating the Pacific voices across all relevant forums
including the UNFCCC and opportunities like this.
As small island developing states, we are very clear that phasing out fossil
fuels is necessary to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This
is a scientific fact. More importantly, it is about ensuring that the future of
our nations remain secure. So these summits where we showcase
practical solutions to this issue that continues to be debated at the global
level, is critical. It highlights that the solutions are there and instead of
‘talking’ we need to be actioning them.
Regional Level
At the regional level, our Leaders aspire to a Just and Equitable Transition
to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific. Given the diversity of our region, they also
acknowledge that the pathway to achieving this is not immediate nor is it
one-size fits all.
The discussions today and tomorrow is something that I am very much
looking forward to. It looks at the full spectrum of issues that need to be
considered in order to harness the potential opportunities renewable
energy presents. We are hearing from practitioners who have gone
through the trials and errors that we can learn from and inform our vision
of a fossil fuel free Pacific.
Though this summit only focuses on the Electricity sector, it is the
innovation and the problem solving that is important and has the potential
to be replicated across other sectors. For the Pacific, the transportation

sector is one of the largest sectors highly dependent on fossil fuel and
presents a potential opportunity for more efficient and greener models.
National Level
In the context of electricity – the Pacific presents a diverse landscape.
Access to electricity can be as low as 12% of the total population for some
of our countries and up to more than 95% for others. Not all of our
countries have hydro and wind power capabilities. Ocean thermal energy
conversion (OTEC) could present potential opportunities but is very much
untried and the economics is still very risky. Solar energy is common
across the region, but even this can be a challenge for small motu or coral
atolls with limited land. But in presenting these statistics, the opportunities
to work with the Pacific is immense.
Some of our countries have set a goal of 100% renewable by 2020 while
others have set their goal to 2030. For Samoa, we have an energy sector
plan that will be implemented over a five-year period and currently is up
to 2028.
We have explored different kinds of renewable sources including wind,
biomass, solar and hydro. Petroleum products make up 70% of Samoa’s
total energy supply of which the transport sector accounts for 60% while
the electricity sector accounts for 25%.
Samoa’s Pathway for sustainable development 2022 – 2026, sets a target
of 70% of renewable energy use by 2031 with the aim to provide
affordable, reliable, safe, and clear energy supply for all in the long term.
However, we note the transition to renewable energy is not without its
challenges. Samoa like other Pacific Islands, is uniquely challenged in its
decarbonization efforts given its geographical isolation, financial and
technological constraints, and high vulnerability to climate impacts. To
address these challenges, Samoa is committed to collaborating closely
with international partners and interested investors to develop robust
policy and regulatory strategies as well as upgrading of these
infrastructures.
Samoa’s Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, and Sector is
leading the implementation of the Pacific Green Transformation Project in
Samoa which aims to decarbonize the transport sector, a priority action
under our Low Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS).

I am also pleased to share that our Ministry of Natural Resources and
Environment is scheduled to launch its Renewable Energy Rebate
Scheme this year with the aim to accelerate decarbonization of the
transport sector, the tourism sector and community sector through schools
and community centres with the support of the New Zealand Government.
Moreover, a National Carbon Offset Programme is also in the pipeline and
will provide for an innovative financial avenue to promote green and
renewable energy projects at the community level as part of our campaign
to create sustainable communities in the long term.
On raising awareness around renewable energy and its contribution to
climate change mitigation. Every year, Samoa celebrates Renewable
Energy Day in December to showcase our government’s commitment to
accelerate sustainable energy transition for our people. This annual event
brings together our Energy sector stakeholders, partners and
communities to reflect on the importance of renewable energy on our fight
against climate change.
Like the rest of the Pacific, Samoa is doing its part to increase its ambition,
to meet the urgency of the climate crisis, despite our negligible global
emissions. In this regard, Samoa’s 3rd Nationally Determined
Contribution or NDC will continue to enhance emissions reductions and
renewable energy adoption towards a low carbon economy. More focus
will also be on adaptation approaches as we consider also including Loss
and Damage as part of our NDCs.
Conclusion
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you again for the opportunity to be part of
this summit. I look forward to learning more over the next 2 days and I do
hope that this conversation continues and involves more of our Pacific
islands. And more importantly finding partners that can help us accelerate
our transition to clean energy.
Faafetai