CNMI Joins Blue Planet Alliance

CNMI Joins Blue Planet Alliance, the Ever-Growing Coalition of Islands Pledging to Go 100% Renewable by 2045

CNMI and Blue Planet Alliance, signing Blue Planet Climate Agreement

Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, April 15, 2024 — Blue Planet Alliance (BPA) today announced that the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) has signed a Blue Planet Climate Agreement, a document declaring its intention to commit itself on the path to a 100% renewable-energy future.

By signature of CNMI Governor, the Honorable Arnold Palacios, CNMI becomes the sixth Small Island Developing State (SIDS) country or territory to sign such a document, officially joining our nonprofit Alliance in a growing movement to demonstrate to the rest of the world that a carbon-free-fuel future is indeed possible.

Previously, BPA had signed agreements with two islands — the Kingdom of Tonga and the Government of Tuvalu, both UN Member States — at COP27 in Egypt; Guam, a U.S. territory, in April last year; and then two more islands at COP28 in Dubai: Palau and Curacao.

The UN’s IPCC report’s sixth assessment — a document synthesizing thousands of peer-reviewed scientific studies, papers, and reports related to climate — makes clear that the continued use of dirty energy is a dangerous threat to the continued livability of our planet, and that we must cease both the extraction and use of fossil fuels and their greenhouse gas emissions or face potentially irreversible negative consequences. We have seen such consequences increase over the past year, the hottest year on record, replete with generational heat waves, floods, wildfires, and other unpredictable, extreme weather events.

Limiting average global temperature rise to 1.5 or even 2 degrees Celsius is a ubiquitous talking point at UN climate conferences, diplomatic circles, and civil society demonstrations. But though much discussed, there have been few commitments to eliminating the use of such carbon-based fuels.

Blue Planet Alliance — led by Henk Rogers, visionary and advocate for climate action — is paving such a path forward. BPA is growing a global movement aimed at reducing the negative impact of fossil-fuel emissions on the planet, and enlisting a holistic approach that, island per island (and later country by country), unites governments, businesses, utilities, and individuals in the fight and helps them, together, create and develop unique renewable solutions tailored specifically to their own island’s needs.

BPA catalyzes climate ambition through policy work, community-based solutions, and youth-led advocacy. The organization builds on the pivotal climate change policies and initiatives of its sister organization, Blue Planet Foundation, which helped successfully navigate and pass the nation’s first 100% renewable-energy law, requiring the State of Hawaii to commit to 100% renewable energy by 2045. More than 20 other U.S. states have since followed suit with their own versions of that commitment to clean energy or net-zero emissions.

“In the Northern Mariana Islands, we understand the urgent and necessary imperative to transition to clean energy,” said CNMI Governor Palacios. “It's essential for economic development and energy resiliency. It's essential for survival. We are pleased to join our fellow islanders in Blue Planet Alliance in moving the world to a greener and healthier future, powered by renewable energy. Islands are lighting the way."

“We have no time to waste,” added Rogers, founder of BPA. “The clock is ticking on implementing real solutions to our planetary polycrisis. And foremost among them is the threat posed by the continued use of carbon-based fuels. But too many succumb to the assumption that eliminating fossil fuels is too hard or even impossible. We demonstrated in our work in Hawaii that not only is it necessary, but that, importantly, it is quite possible. Here in the Northern Pacific, we recognize that islands are the least responsible for and most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. That’s why we are delighted and inspired that CNMI is joining our Alliance, and helping us spread the 100% renewable-energy message to others.”

CNMI took part in the first cohort of BPA’s Fellowship program last October. The Fellowship program brought representatives from eight islands to Hawaii for a week-long workshop and interactive lecture series featuring the very experts who led the landmark legislation that became Hawaiian law, making Hawaii the first U.S. state to legislatively mandate a transition to 100% renewable energy.

CNMI signing Blue Planet Climate Agreement

Those experts included former Governor David Ige, who signed the bill into law in 2015; Hawaiian State Senator Chris Lee, who authored the bill; Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority Executive Director Gwen Yamamoto Lau, whose office is navigating new ways for all consumers to implement renewable solutions, such as roof-top solar; HEI utility President and CEO Scott Seu; and more than 20 other speakers. In addition to the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, the other members of our first cohort of islands comprised American Samoa, the Cayman Islands, Guam, Palau, Pohnpei (of the Federated States of Micronesia), Tonga, and Tuvalu.

Our second cohort will visit Hawaii next month, and matriculate another 10 islands. 

BPA encourages all island nations and large countries to make the commitment to reach the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045, by working with business, governments, and leaders alike. In order to bring this dire change to fruition, both BPA and the individual island nations are calling for funds from corporations and their country’s leadership. To learn more about Blue Planet Alliance or become a grantee, please visit: https://blueplanetalliance.org/