Cape Verde and Renewable Energy

It is a great honor and a real pleasure to have been invited to write ALER’s newsletter editorial, an opportunity to share Cape Verde’s enthusiasm and strong commitment to renewable energy and to sustainable development, of which I am so grateful.

Lusophone countries consist of a diversity that brings together a language, a common history, but also, common values. One of these values is an intransigent defense of a sustainable path for all Lusophone countries and people of our single planet.

Sustainable development must be based on an economy which does not destroy our ecosystem much faster than it can regenerate, and should also be an instrument to wealth redistribution and creation of social well-being.

The fight against climate change and the challenge of producing wealth without greenhouse gas emissions, of which energy production is one of the main sources, has been one of the major drivers for renewable energies development worldwide. Although some Lusophone countries are among the most influential within the fossil fuel markets, all of them have embraced renewable energy.

The commitment to renewable energies in Cape Verde has also an economic rationale due to the small market size and the islands geographical dispersion. The high production and import energy costs, together with a strong dependence on fossil fuels, ensures that Cape Verde’s commitment to renewable energies is a way to reduce costs, improve its economy's competitiveness and trade balance.

Cape Verde is positioning itself as a leader regarding renewable energy sources penetration (excluding large hydro), with around 25% of all electricity consumption produced from renewables. The goal to achieve, in the near future, a 100% penetration of renewable energies in electricity production, reducing external dependence, comes from the will to maintain this leadership role and demonstrate that it is possible to have clean technologies with economic benefits, job creation and social well-being.

I take this opportunity to warmly welcome ALER, whose mission must contribute to achieve the goals set by Lusophone countries in terms of promotion, capacity building and information and experiences sharing regarding renewable energies.

Greetings and enjoy your reading of this issue of ALER’s Newsletter.

Leonesa Fortes

(Cape Verde's Minister of Tourism, Investment and Enterprise Development)