CoAct Database

The SIDS Lighthouses Initiative

The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Lighthouses initiative (LHI) is a framework for action to support SIDS in the transformation from predominantly fossil fuel dependence to a renewables-based and resilient energy system. SIDS LHI brings together 38 SIDS as well as 31 partners, including developed countries, regional and international organisations, development and multilateral agencies, private companies, research institutes and non-profit organisations. IRENA is the coordinator and facilitator of the initiative. The SIDS Lighthouses Initiative is committed to providing its SIDS partners (i) policy, regulatory and technical advisory services for RE roadmaps, assessments and grid stability analyses, project planning, identification, structuring and execution; (ii) capacity building for local policymakers, utilities, private sector, financing institutions and other relevant actors, (iii) funding for early-stage transactions and project finance aiming to attract private investments in RE projects and (iv) a platform to share information, knowledge, lessons learned and good practices.

Summit/ Mobilisation process: United Nations General Assembly, New York (2014)

Activity period	2014–present
Last CoAct update	2025
Web URL	http://islands.irena.org
Output effectiveness	0.68
Accountability Index	0.71
Inclusiveness Index	0.34
Num. actors	44
Functions	Knowledge production, Knowledge dissemination, Technical implementation, Institutional capacity building, Campaigning, Participatory management, Training, Funding, Policy planning
SDGs
Themes	energy
Policy focus	Equal focus
Sectors	Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
Implementation countries	Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas (the), Barbados, Belize, Cabo Verde, Comoros (the), Cook Islands (the), Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic (the), Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands (the), Mauritius, Mexico, Montserrat, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands (the), Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands (British)

Target	Target type
Securing commitments of the main emitters to increase ambition of their NDCs by 2020 with the view of cutting CO2 emissions by at least 45 percent by 2030 in line with the global objective of net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.	Net zero target
SIDS will need support to achieve as much as 100% renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) targets, in particular in the power sector, by 2030 within the framework of the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative (LHI).	Energy efficiency target
10 GW of installed RE capacity in all SIDS by 2030	Renewable energy target
Almost all SIDS have set indicative national renewable energy targets coupled with strong political commitments which resulted in 12 LHI SIDS partners targeting for more than 80% RE penetration in the power sector	Economic target
Mobilise USD 500 million by 2020	Funding target
The initiative is supported by all AOSIS countries and will leverage the already operational and ambitious IRENA LHI, additional and enhanced donor commitments will be made to support accelerated collective energy transition in SIDS. Secured new funding through LHI which include 7.5 Mio USD (2019-2023) from Denmark and 3 Mio EUR (2020-2022) from Germany.	Funding target
All by 2020: Mobilize USD 500 million, Deploy 100 MW of new solar PV, Deploy 20 MW of new wind power, Ensure all participating islands develop renewable energy roadmaps	Other target