The UNFCCC Secretariat has reported that Niue has formally submitted its intended nationally determined contribution (INDC), bringing the total number of Parties that have made their submissions to 178.
The submission expresses Niue's intent to achieve a 38% share of total electricity generation from renewable energy by 2020.
Subject to additional international assistance, the country could accomplish 80% renewables by 2025, according to the INDC.
25 November 2015: The UNFCCC Secretariat has reported that Niue has formally submitted its intended nationally determined contribution (INDC), bringing the total number of Parties that have made their submissions to 178. The submission expresses Niue’s intent to achieve a 38% share of total electricity generation from renewable energy by 2020. Subject to additional international assistance, the country could accomplish 80% renewables by 2025, according to the INDC.
The 2014 share of renewables was 2%, as stated in the contribution, and to reach the 2020 goal, the country will need to deliver a 10% reduction in residential, commercial and government electricity demand. The Party states that additional support will be necessary for energy storage, renewable energy generation and strengthened frameworks for project delivery to accomplish the 2025 goal.
Specific actions the Party will take are outlined in an annex and range from: creating efficient supply and storage for fuels; implementing energy efficiency through supply side loss reduction, energy auditing, equipment standards and labelling, and regulatory reform; developing national capacity to monitor and evaluate energy supply and efficiency initiatives; and advancing land use change accounting through satellites.
While the Party’s mitigation contribution is focused primarily on the electricity sector, the INDC states that other priority areas for integrating climate change considerations into planning are: water resource management; food security; climate change adaptation and health; waste and sanitation management strategy for general, liquid and organic wastes; and updating the building code, including development of national standards.
All Parties to the UNFCCC are expected to submit INDCs in advance of the Paris Climate Change Conference, which will take place from 30 November – 11 December 2015. At the Conference, Parties are anticipated to agree on a global climate change agreement to take effect in 2020. [UNFCCC Press Release, Niue] [Niue’s INDC] [UNFCCC INDC Portal]