New renewable energy sources, green energy development and climate change: Implications to Pacific Island countries

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the paper is to examine the renewable energy resources for enhancing a green energy development in the face of energy crisis and climate change, and to explore the prospects for “new” renewable energy sources and the green energy initiatives taken in the Pacific Island countries (PICs).

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collated from a wide variety of sources including policy documents, road maps, reports, research articles on renewable and green energy sources. The methodology adopted was primarily a qualitative one based on a “content analysis”.

Findings

The findings reveal that increasing emphases have been given recently to “new” renewable and green energy sources in the Pacific Island countries as mitigation and adaptation strategies to fuel crisis and climate change. PICs have taken a wide range of green energy initiatives including “biomass”, solar, wind and other non‐traditional renewable energy sources and bio‐fuels development. Prospects for coconut, copra and palm‐oil based bio‐fuels do exist in many PICs. Opportunities for ethanol bio‐fuels also exist especially in Fiji.

Practical implications

Renewable and green energy sources are of practical implications to PICs. There is, however, a greater need for framing sound energy policies by the PICs.

Originality/value

The author has brought out clear linkages between climate change and green energy development and analyzed the importance of new renewable energy sources, especially in PICs. The paper has higher policy relevance and it is of great value in the context of sustainable energy development in PICs.

Citation

Mohanty, M. (2012), "New renewable energy sources, green energy development and climate change: Implications to Pacific Island countries", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 264-274. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777831211217468