Marshall Islands joins Green Growth movement, commits to 100% renewable energy at UOG sustainability conference

The University of Guam facilitated a historic moment for green economic growth and sustainable development when the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) embraced the Green Growth movement and committed to full renewable energy during the 16th UOG Conference on Island Sustainability.

On Friday, April 11, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, PhD, who served as the keynote speaker at the conference, signed the Blue Planet Climate Agreement, officially pledging the Marshall Islands’ commitment to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2045.

This agreement, established in partnership with the Blue Planet Alliance, reinforces the nation’s critical role in climate action and builds upon its 2018 adoption of the 2050 Climate Strategy, which aims for net-zero emissions through renewable energy.

“This alliance today is helping us to move forward to meet that goal. So it’s really supportive of that commitment that we made back in 2017,” said Heine.

The Marshall Islands now joins a network of other island nations, territories, and states—such as Guam, CNMI, Hawaii, Tonga, and Tuvalu—who have committed to the Blue Planet Climate Agreement. This growing global effort is a demonstration of resilience and collaboration among island communities to overcome their shared energy challenges.

Francois Rogers, executive director of Blue Planet Alliance, emphasized the importance of this collective agreement, highlighting its role in fostering cooperation among island nations.

Alongside the signing of the Blue Planet Climate Agreement, Heine also officially joined the Green Growth movement at the conference. Witnesses in the signing included Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam, UOG President Anita Borja Enriquez, DBA, who are the co-chairs of the Guam Green Growth or G3 initiative.

On the important role of the Green Growth movement in strategically implementing measures addressing global sustainable development goals, Celeste Connors, co-chair of the Secretariat for Local2030 Islands Network said, “This is what we’re signing today. It’s recommitting to these green growth principles, island values, and really measuring what matters to our community, building on our political leadership, and implementation and concrete action.”

The Local2030 Islands Network facilitates the Green Growth movement across the Pacific region.

The 16th UOG Conference on Island Sustainability also hosted the first Green Growth Summit, where Borja Enriquez said the Green Growth movement is for the future of the island, “Who are we doing this for? We are doing this for our manhoben, for our youth, for generations to come.,” she said.

At the start of the conference, Borja Enriquez emphasized the university’s part in the movement, “Our conference theme underscores the urgency and proactive approach that we are taking to secure a sustainable future for our island and the broader Pacific region. And the University of Guam plays a vital role in generating knowledge and developing practical solutions for island sustainability,” she said.

UOG Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant Director Austin Shelton, PhD, said the expansion of the Green Growth on Guam and across the region indicates an increasing acceptance of the importance of sustainable development.

“Sustainability used to be a fringe idea, now it is the centerpiece of global accords — thanks to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. And Guam has found its place as a leader in that movement,” he said.

In 2023, UOG announced its expansion of the G3 Initiative across the Western Pacific, following a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of State through the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program. This grant supports the expansion of the Local2030 Islands Network and the Green Growth Initiative to the RMI, CNMI, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.