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.

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With just three weeks until #COP30, we’re spotlighting education, because powering classrooms with clean energy is powering opportunity. Supported by the Australian Government through REnew Pacific and earlier pilots under the Business Partnerships Platform, local partners are lighting up schools and learning spaces with renewable energy across the Pacific.

In Fiji, Its Time Foundation, in partnership with Fiji’s Ministry of Education and the Australian Government, is expanding access to clean energy for 30 remote and maritime schools through REnew Pacific. Each site will receive reliable 24-hour solar power, high-speed internet and simple computer labs, helping bridge the digital divide and improve learning conditions for students and teachers.

The new project builds on a successful pilot at Buakonikai Primary School on Rabi Island, where clean, reliable solar power and internet connectivity have transformed the learning environment for 115 students. Teachers now report higher engagement, new opportunities for digital lessons and annual savings of more than AUD 6,000 in fuel costs, reinvested in classroom improvements. Find out more and watch a short film about the pilot’s impact here and below:

In Solomon Islands, Superfly is installing solar hybrid systems at Goldie College and Sir Dudley Tuti College. Around-the-clock electricity will enable longer study hours, safer dormitories and better access to digital learning for more than 1,400 students and teachers. Find out more.

In Papua New Guinea, over 200 students at Kokoda College now have access to reliable, renewable power through a new solar mini-grid. Delivered by the Kokoda Track Foundation and the Australian Government through a #DFATBPP pilot that was completed in March, the system powers classrooms, an IT lab, water and waste facilities, as well as supporting climate-smart agriculture on campus. Find out more.

And in Vanuatu, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is working with local partners to bring solar power and clean water to schools and health centres across Santo, Paama, Tanna and Malekula islands. By training community members in system maintenance and governance, the project is creating local jobs and building long-term energy resilience for 4,700 people. Find out more.

Every classroom lit by solar tells a story of possibility, of girls studying safely at night, of teachers using technology to open new worlds and of communities reinvesting savings back into education. As we move closer to COP30, these projects remind us that climate action is also about equity and opportunity. Clean, reliable energy is lighting up futures: one school, one student and one community at a time.

These transformative education projects 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 each week as we share a new story on the road to Belém.

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Delivered in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Water Authority of Fiji and the Department of Water and Sewerage, the project will upgrade water infrastructure across seven sites on Lakeba, Rotuma and Vanuabalavu.

Each site will transition from diesel-only pumping to solar-hybrid and water tank systems, improving water security while cutting fuel costs and emissions.

The project will benefit around 4,900 people and includes storage and remote monitoring features to support long-term reliability and service delivery. It also provides training and support to local water authorities and communities, with a strong focus on inclusion for women and people with disabilities.

This is the first REnew Pacific water project in Fiji and will serve as a model for scaling sustainable water solutions across the Pacific.

REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s $75 million investment in off-grid renewable energy for rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including Fiji.

Over the next five years, REnew Pacific will continue to support community-led projects that bring clean, reliable energy to remote and rural off-grid communities, powering everything from lighting and clean water to healthcare, education and local enterprise.

REnew Pacific responds directly to the Pacific’s call for urgent climate action, showcasing Australia’s climate leadership and partnership in tackling the region’s greatest shared challenge. It sits within the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million initiative delivered through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and implemented by Palladium.

Visit the project page to find out more.

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As we continue our countdown to #COP30, we’re highlighting projects supported by the Australian Government through REnew Pacific and earlier pilots under the Business Partnerships Platform’s Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships. Together, they demonstrate how clean energy is powering both prosperity and essential services across the Pacific and Timor-Leste.

In Vanuatu, a REnew Pacific partnership led by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is bringing clean energy, safe water and new livelihoods to rural communities across Santo, Paama, Tanna and Malekula. Over 4,700 people will benefit as diesel pumps are replaced with solar-powered water systems and 24 health centres and schools are equipped with reliable solar and battery storage. The project will also create around 40 green jobs, training local people in technical maintenance and financial management to ensure sustainability. By cutting costs, boosting resilience and reducing emissions, it is helping Vanuatu achieve its goal of universal access to clean, renewable energy. Find out more here.

In Vanuatu’s Tafea Province, the new Fixim Sola training program is empowering local communities to tackle solar waste while creating jobs and building skills. Led by the University of New South Wales with local partners, 48 participants, including 18 women and four people with disabilities, recently took part in two weeks of hands-on solar repair training – with more to come. The partnership is helping people like Jocelyn Iaioha, a single mother aiming to launch her own solar business, and Roy Daniel, a police officer maintaining the province’s emergency radio system, to gain the knowledge and tools to keep solar systems running. By building community repair hubs and future school programs, the project is supporting a circular economy for solar while opening new livelihood pathways across Vanuatu. Find out more about the program here – and hear from Jocelyn and Roy about the training below:

In Papua New Guinea, where just 13 percent of people are connected to the grid, a partnership with Sola Paygo and MiBank is accelerating access to clean energy while creating new jobs and livelihoods. Through community roadshows, locally-based technical support and a tailored solar loan product, more than 7,000 households now have affordable, reliable power – many for the first time. Women employed and trained as “Solar Stars” are leading training and technical support, building  community awareness of operations and maintenance issues and ensuring sustainability. With almost all customers reporting savings or increased income thanks to solar, the initiative is showing how renewable energy can light homes, power businesses and fuel economic growth across PNG’s remote provinces. Find out more here.

On Solomon Islands’ Savo Island, a partnership with Archipelago Energy is piloting a new model to bring renewable energy to communities that have never had electricity before. Home to 3,000 people, the island is testing how fish trading – a key livelihood activity for 80% of households – can power community services like schools and clinics while also funding household solar kits. Early demonstrations have seen dozens of families trial affordable solar systems, and a digital payment platform and financial literacy training is being rolled out. By linking clean energy with local enterprise, the project is building a blueprint for sustainable electrification and stronger island economies across the region. Find out more here.

In Timor-Leste, where coffee supports more than a third of households, a partnership with Engineers Without Borders Australia, Raw Material and Mara Mresa is using solar power to transform how coffee is produced. New renewable-powered processing hubs in two off-grid communities are improving bean quality for the global specialty market, opening higher-value income streams for farmers and creating new local jobs. By reducing reliance on diesel and turning coffee hubs into multi-purpose energy centres for households, the initiative is helping rural families build stronger, more sustainable livelihoods. Find out more here.

These clean energy partnerships powering prosperity 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 Boosting local economies: clean energy driving jobs and livelihoods appeared first on REnew Pacific.

REnew Pacific is the Australian Government’s new $75 million investment in off-grid renewable energy for rural and remote communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including Vanuatu.

Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Geohazards, Meteorology & Energy, the Hon. Ralph Regenvanu and Australia’s High Commissioner to Vanuatu H.E. Max Willis officially launched REnew Pacific’s first project in Betervat, Malekula at a special event with local leaders and the community.

The two-year project, led by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), will bring solar-powered water pumping systems to eight rural communities across Vanuatu’s Santo, Paama, Tanna and Malekula islands, improving water security and sanitation for over 4,700 people. It will also equip 24 health centres and schools with solar PV systems and battery storage, providing reliable, clean and affordable energy. Find out more here.

An additional REnew Pacific project will benefit around 80,000 people in Vanuatu’s most remote communities, delivering reliable 24/7 energy to healthcare services for the first time.

Respond Global, through its unique HELPR-1 vessel, will transport and install 20 new off-grid solar power systems and upgrade 20 additional health facilities across all Vanuatu’s six provinces. This project will improve local healthcare delivery and supply essential medical equipment and also repair and upgrade existing off-grid systems in schools, clinics and community buildings, removing e-waste and training local community members to support ongoing maintenance. Find out more here.

Both projects are supported by Vanuatu’s National Green Energy Fund (NGEF) and the Australian Government.

REnew Pacific is part of the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million initiative focused on climate infrastructure in the region, delivered by the Australian Government’s Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).

Over the next five years, REnew Pacific will fund locally-led projects that bring clean, reliable energy to remote and rural off-grid Pacific communities, improving services like lighting, clean water, healthcare, education, agriculture and more. REnew Pacific now is inviting proposals for new off-grid renewable energy projects across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including Vanuatu.

For more information and apply today!

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