One year ago, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change Chris Bowen announced REnew Pacific at COP29: a $75 million Australian Government investment over five years, designed to expand clean, reliable energy access for remote off-grid communities across the Pacific and Timor-Leste.
Building on successful pilots through the Business Partnerships Platform (BPP), the program set out to strengthen essential services, create local economic opportunities, and support community-led climate resilience across some of the region’s most remote locations.
One year on, the program is making a tangible difference across the region. In its first year, it has achieved:
• 6 projects underway across Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu – with more to come!
• More than 85 schools, health centres, and communities gaining access to clean energy
• More than 177,000 people reached
Together with its earlier pilots, its impact to date includes:
• 19 projects underway across Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu
• 95% of projects are solar, with 5% hydro
• 7 pilot project installations completed and handed over to the community
• Three early BPP pilots scaled into full REnew Pacific projects
• More than 130 schools, health centres, and communities gaining access to clean energy
• More than 230,000 people reached
• Dozens of local organisations partnering across government, civil society, and the private sector
• Significant reductions in diesel use across remote clinics, schools, and communities
Built on community leadership, practical design, trusted partnerships, and long-term impact, the program is showing what is possible when local organisations, governments, and the private sector work together to deliver clean, reliable energy where it is needed most.
Supported by the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), a $350 million initiative of the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP), and implemented by Palladium, REnew Pacific is already shaping a more resilient and connected future for remote Pacific and Timor-Leste communities.
