For generations, our Blue Pacific family has lived in harmony with the sea. But today, that ocean is rising. Climate change is the single greatest threat to our shared home, reshaping lives, livelihoods and ecosystems across the region.

Australia and the Pacific stand together to protect our shared home and future. Through Australian Government partnerships under REnew Pacific and its earlier Business Partnerships Platform (BPP) pilots, local communities, governments and businesses are building climate resilience, powering health centres, schools, water systems and livelihoods in some of the region’s most remote off-grid communities with clean, renewable energy.

Since the first BPP pilots in 2024 to now – just two weeks out from celebrating REnew Pacific’s one-year anniversary – 19 remarkable projects have been transforming lives across our region’s most remote off-grid communities.

Together, they are delivering clean, reliable energy to more than 130 schools, health centres and communities across six Pacific and Timor-Leste countries, reaching over 230,000 people – and we have only just begun.

As COP30 in Belém fast approaches, we are celebrating the partnerships powering climate leadership across our vast region, uniting Australia and our Pacific family in shared purpose and progress.

In Vanuatu, ActionAid Australia, ActionAid Vanuatu, the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) Network and PowerWells are strengthening women’s control and access to clean, affordable energy. The University of New South Wales, working with the Vanuatu Disability Promotion and Advocacy Association, the Vanuatu Institute of Technology and the Vanuatu Department of Energy, is addressing solar e-waste through a circular economy approach that builds local skills and sustainable solutions. Respond Global, in partnership with the Vanuatu National Green Energy Fund (NGEF), is improving healthcare delivery in remote areas through off-grid renewable energy and training for local technicians. The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), also working with NGEF, is supporting solar-powered water systems that strengthen community resilience and create green jobs across the islands.

In Kiribati, Action on Poverty and the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific are empowering local women to expand access to clean energy and safe water, improving health, safety and livelihoods across remote island communities.

In Papua New Guinea, KTF (Kokoda Track Foundation) is expanding its successful pilot under the BPP, which powered Kokoda College with clean energy and digital learning infrastructure. Through REnew Pacific’s first PNG project, KTF will now be delivering new solar mini-grids to remote communities in Oro and Central Provinces, powering classrooms, digital learning and health services at Mt Koiari FODE Centre and the Sanananda Aid Post. Their work will improve access to education and healthcare in some of Papua New Guinea’s most remote off-grid areas. Caritas Australia and Catholic Church Health Services are improving energy access for essential healthcare in New Ireland Province, ensuring clinics can deliver life-saving care safely and reliably. Sola PayGo, in partnership with MiBank, is creating jobs and livelihoods through renewable energy.

In the Solomon Islands, Superfly is leading a new REnew Pacific project to install solar hybrid systems at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Goldie College and Sir Dudley Tuti College, delivering reliable clean power for healthcare and education across Malaita, Western and Isabel provinces. Superfly has also strengthened energy security at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Tetere and has partnered with Save the Children Solomon Islands and the Mai-Ma’asina Green Belt to expand solar access in Malaita communities. Archipelago Energy is securing renewable power on Savo Island, while Pelena is powering the Vavanga community with micro-hydro.

In Fiji, Its Time Foundation is powering classrooms and computer labs in remote schools, while the GGGI is delivering hybrid energy systems that strengthen water access and community resilience across maritime islands.

And in Timor-Leste, Engineers Without Borders Australia, Raw Material and Mara Mresa are catalysing renewable energy for coffee cooperatives in off-grid communities, while MEA Power Up and Master Electricians Australia are improving health infrastructure in Cova-Lima Province with new solar systems at clinics and water pumping sites.

Each project tells a story of partnership, resilience and shared purpose, with communities powering a sustainable and inclusive future for our Blue Pacific. All are made possible through the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million initiative delivered by the Australian Government’s Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by Palladium.

Follow along as we get ever closer to COP30 on the road to Belém.

The post Clean energy. Sustainable development. One Blue Pacific appeared first on REnew Pacific.

With just six weeks to go in our countdown to #COP30, we’re sharing stories that highlight how women’s leadership is creating new opportunities, strengthening communities and shaping a more inclusive clean energy future across the Pacific and beyond. These stories come from projects supported by the Australian Government through REnew Pacific and earlier pilots under the Business Partnerships Platform (BPP) Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships.

In Fiji, licensed electrician, Vasiti Talakubu, is helping roll out off-grid solar systems in schools, working on the recently announced REnew Pacific partnership with Its Time Foundation and its earlier BPP pilot. Classrooms that once relied on torchlight or kerosene lamps now have safe and reliable power. Known affectionately as “Solar,” Vasiti also runs her own business and mentors young women to pursue careers in STEM. She is breaking barriers in a male-dominated field and showing communities that women can lead the way in technical roles. Read her story here.

In Timor-Leste, Felisbela Pires, a local engineer, is leading a partnership with Engineers Without Borders Australia, Raw Material and Mara Mresa to replace costly diesel generators with solar to power coffee processing hubs. The systems are improving bean quality, opening higher-value markets and providing additional energy for refrigeration, fabrication and connectivity beyond the coffee season. Felisbela is also mentoring 12 young Timorese women engineers, building the next generation of leaders. Read her story here.

In Kiribati, Michiyo Yamada, is championing inclusive approaches to clean energy through her role at Action on Poverty. On Aranuka Island, she has helped lead a partnership with the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific Kiribati and PowerTech Energy to deliver solar-powered water pumps and electricity to schools and community houses. By embedding a strong gender lens in the project, Michiyo is ensuring women benefit directly from energy access while stepping into leadership roles that strengthen community resilience. Read her story here.

In Vanuatu, Laylyn Toa, is managing the Fixim Sola initiative made possible through a BPP partnership with UNSW. The program is building skills for solar repair and maintenance across the islands, with women stepping into hands-on technical roles and proving they can excel in the energy sector as small business owners. Laylyn’s leadership is helping create pathways for more women to take up technical careers in renewable energy. Find out more about the project here.

In Papua New Guinea, Esther Wartovo, is helping families in Bialla access affordable solar through her dual role as a MiBank and Sola PayGo agent. She supports households to finance systems, educates customers on their use and helps small businesses extend their working hours. Her work is opening doors for women in energy and strengthening community services. Find out more about the project here.

The BPP recently launched the Women in Power series, celebrating these remarkable leaders. In the weeks ahead, readers will hear more from Laylyn, Esther and others as they share their journeys and the incredible impact in their local communities they are making. Stay tuned!

These stories of women powering change come from partnerships delivered through the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350million initiative for climate infrastructure in the region delivered by the Australian Government’s Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by Palladium.

Follow along each week as we share a new story on the road to Belém.

The post Meet the women leading the Pacific’s clean energy future appeared first on REnew Pacific.

As we continue our countdown to #COP30, we’re highlighting projects supported by the Australian Government through REnew Pacific and its earlier pilots under the Business Partnerships Platform’s Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships. This week we’re shining a solar/hydro-powered light on some of the pilot partnerships where community committees, women’s groups and local organisations are powering the clean energy shift from the ground up.

In Vanuatu, women in the remote village of Lawital on Tanna Island have led the charge to bring clean, reliable solar power to every home. More than 800 people across 115 households are now benefitting from solar lighting and charging systems, five community centres have been powered, and 10 public spaces are lit with solar streetlights. Through training and leadership by the Women I TokTok Tugeta (WITTT) Network, local women are installing and maintaining the systems, supported by ActionAid Vanuatu, PowerWells and the Australian Government. With a PayGo model reinvesting community payments into maintenance, new systems and livelihood opportunities, the women of Lawital are building energy access that is inclusive, sustainable and community-owned. Find out more here and see why it’s important below:

In Kiribati, Action on Poverty and local partner FSPK are bringing solar-powered water and energy to Aranuka Island, supported by the Australian Government. The project tackles two urgent needs – clean water and reliable electricity – while also creating leadership opportunities for women. Infrastructure management committees, now majority women-led, oversee solar assets, collect levies and receive training in governance and financial literacy. These committees are leadership incubators, proving that energy access is also a pathway to empowerment. Find out more here.

In Solomon Islands, the Vavanga community is partnering with Pelena and the Australian Government to expand a micro-hydro system the community has managed for over 30 years. By upgrading the old reticulation network, the project will deliver reliable, affordable energy to all 116 households, unlocking opportunities for businesses and livelihoods. Local governance is central: the Vavanga Community Hydro Committee and the PAVAPO Women’s Group are closely involved in decisions, ensuring the system reflects community priorities while strengthening local leadership structures. Find out more here.

Behind every solar panel and micro-hydro system are the people who make them work and we’re so proud to share these stories. Across the Pacific, these partnerships show that energy solutions work best when they are locally led and community powered. By strengthening governance, championing women’s leadership and supporting local institutions, they are building lasting access to energy and more resilient communities.

These locally-led clean energy partnerships are all part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350million initiative for climate infrastructure in the region delivered by the Australian Government’s Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by Palladium.

Follow along each week as we share a new story on the road to Belém.

The post Clean energy powered by local leadership appeared first on REnew Pacific.