Solar Head of State board members Dustin Jolley and Francesco Ranieri had the opportunity to attend the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery meeting on St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands last week.
At the meeting, Solar Head of State and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) declared their Commitment to Action, through which it will leverage the CGI Action Network.
A Commitment to Action – the defining feature of CGI – is a project, developed, and executed by CGI members, that addresses a significant challenge. Each commitment includes a detailed project plan that outlines clear and measurable objectives, a timeline and budget, and key steps required to achieve success.
Commitments can be small or large, financial or non-monetary, and philanthropic or core business-related. Many commitments leverage new resources through cross-sector partnerships, with commitment-makers combining efforts to expand their impact.
Since the launch of the Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery, CGI members have developed more than 55 Commitments to Action that address significant challenges in hurricane response and resiliency, such as expanding renewable energy, increasing access to health care services, and pre-positioning relief supplies.
SHOS and the OECS committed to develop and implement a regional strategy to install 12 photovoltaic power systems and battery energy storage systems on key government buildings in OECS Member States and the OECS Headquarters. Small island nations have the chance to lead by example by transitioning to clean, renewable energy sources and building more resilient grids – and political leaders can publicly showcase their commitment to clean energy with high-profile solar power installations.
Each installation will be coupled with a media strategy to promote knowledge of and support for the benefits of renewable energy in the OECS region among both political stakeholders and the general public. SHOS aims to pair at least two of the installations with national clean energy policy announcements.
