Micronesian Center for Sustainable Transport (MCST) Blog

Mr. Wayne Raymi Kijiner is the  President of the Marshall Islands Student Association, University of the South Pacific, and  Undergraduate: BSc Double Major Electrical/Electronic Engineering & Physics   T here is a new but old technology making its way around the green energy discussions. I'm referring to Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). The technology has been understood since the 1800s, but it wasn't until the last 15 years that significant advancements were made and are currently being developed for improved designs.  What exactly is OTEC, and how does it work? In a nutshell, it is the use of the temperature difference between the surface and the deeper parts of the ocean to heat and cool a working fluid (usually ammonia).  Because the working fluid has a low boiling point, there is no need for a significant temperature difference; it should be at least 20°C. The working fluid is then heated using surface ocean water, causing it to turn into vapor ...

Atina Schutz is a law student at the University of the South Pacific who has been closely following the IMO negotiations  The shipping industry accounts for 3% of all CO2 emissions, and is on track to grow as high as between 50% and 250% in 2050. At the International Maritime Organization (IMO), discussions on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from ships are ongoing. While progress is slowly being made, the main thing people in the Pacific, and everywhere, should be watching is equity in the progress of GHG reduction debates.  In the global market, the Pacific is at a disadvantage. Our small economies, with distantly spread islands, are very far from the global market, which is heavily concentrated in the Global North. When it is time to decarbonize, that disadvantage will be exacerbated. As decarbonization is a highly costly and technical process, the cost will fall on governments already struggling to provide other equally important services to their citizens. ...

Hon. Casten N. Nemra Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Republic of the Marshall Islands   Iakwe and greetings from the Republic of the Marshall Islands. I would like to acknowledge and commend the Undersecretary General and all participants to these meetings for the excellent array of background material and thinking that has gone into the draft Ministerial Declaration. Although much does not obviously apply to our situation – we have no rail links or overland connectivity with Europe – we fully recognize that investment in green transport has lagged far behind other sectors and this region now has a major game of catch-up on our hands. We can support in general terms, the body and intent of this draft Declaration and commend the drafting team for their excellent work.   As a representative of the climate most vulnerable nations, it would be remiss of me not to underscore the critical importance of tackling decarbonisation of the transport sector and the import...