An assessment by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has informed a collective installed renewable energy capacity target of 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2035 for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), representing an increase of approximately 170% over 2025 levels.
In 2025, SIDS' renewable power capacity reached 11.2 GW, tripled from 3.3 GW installed in 2014. It surpassed the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative (SIDS LHI)'s previous 10 GW target five years ahead of schedule.
The 2035 target builds on more than a decade of progress under SIDS LHI, a dedicated partnership framework coordinated by IRENA that provides a global platform to accelerate SIDS' energy transition, address barriers, and strengthen cooperation.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said: "The strength of the SIDS LHI has always been its partnerships, and these will remain essential as we work towards the collective target of around 30 gigawatts by 2035. This new target reflects SIDS ambition and determination to expand access to affordable and reliable electricity while strengthening energy security. With the continued leadership of SIDS and the commitment of our partners, I am confident that we can turn ambition into delivery."
The 30 GW target is based on IRENA's review of renewable energy targets across 55 SIDS and territories in three SIDS regions: the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS) region; the Caribbean; and the Pacific. Targets were compiled from Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), national policies and strategies alongside other official government-endorsed documents, supplemented by IRENA's technical analysis where targets were unavailable.
Around 82% of SIDS have submitted new NDCs for the latest ambition cycle. SIDS' updated NDCs indicate a shift towards increased renewables-based electrification, in line with the COP31 Presidency's push to raise global electrification to 35% by 2035 grounded in IRENA's World Energy Transition Outlook 2026.
The analysis points to significant growth in renewable power capacity across all three SIDS regions by 2035. In the Caribbean, capacity could increase from approximately 7.5 GW in 2025 to 19.5 GW by 2035, potentially making the Caribbean the biggest contributor to the target. Over the same period, the AIS region could see growth from 2.3 GW to 5.9 GW while the Pacific sees rise from 1.4 GW to 4.8 GW.
Despite exceeding their own target for 2030, SIDS continue to face significant energy security challenges, including dependence on imported fossil fuels. These challenges are particularly pronounced in remote and outer-island communities, where geographical isolation, limited infrastructure, small economies of scale, and high costs constrain access to reliable and affordable electricity.
For SIDS, this means progress must go beyond capacity. It must address the structural challenges of strengthening energy security and climate resilience. The new shared ambition provides a direction for the SIDS LHI's next phase, focused on pooled procurement, smart electrification, grid modernisation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, as well as ocean energy and offshore renewables. It also provides a measurable benchmark to track progress and guide collective actions that deliver tangible benefits for SIDS communities.
The new collective target of 30 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2035 was officially announced at the COP31 SIDS Ministerial Dialogue, in the presence of SIDS Ministers, representatives of the COP31 Presidency and the President of Negotiations. The Ministerial was co-organised by IRENA, the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, and the Pacific Community.
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