Ou te muai faatalofa atu i le paia ma le mamalu ua aofaga potopoto mai lenei taeao. Ae muamua ona ou fa’atulou i le: Susu le susuga ile Taitai ole sauniga, Sususga ile Faafeagaiga ia Muao Fagasua; Afifio Afioga i Minisita o le Kapeneta faapea sui mamalu o le Palemene o Samoa; Susu susuga i Faauluuluga o Matagaluega a le Malo ma Paaga mai fafo; Afifio le paia lasilasi o tupu ma ee, faapea uo ma paaga a le kaumapani Sikaleti Samoa – British American Tobacco Samoa Limited.

O outou paia ma mamalu i tafa e fia o le sofiuaga, ole a nu’unu’u atu ia faatini o tausala. Ao lenei itula, o le taumafai atu se faamatalaga a le tatou Malo, e tusa ai ma le faamoemoe o lenei aso.

Salutations: Reverend Muao Fagasua, Honourable Ministers and Heads of Ministries, BAT Fiji General Manager Sam Dormor, BAT Samoa General Manager Seulupe Michelle Macdonald, Members of the Private Sector, Regional and International Organisations, NGOs and Civil Society, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen. 

Talofa, Talofa Lava, it is a great pleasure and honour to have been invited to officiate as the chief guest on this auspicious occasion. I am indeed privileged to be launching this milestone project.

BAT Samoa has a rich 45-year history having started the company in 1978 and significantly contributing towards our country’s development. It employs 55 talented individuals.

Today is a symbolic day as BAT Samoa launches its Green Energy Project. Ladies and gentlemen, BAT Samoa’s Green Energy Project will provide it with 100% of its electricity needs.

BAT Samoa is the first in class in the private sector to go fully green (fully renewable energy) and I have been told that they are the first within BAT’s South Pacific end markets to go fully on renewable energy.

This is without a doubt a milestone achievement by the BAT Samoa team. What this project means is that BAT Samoa's electricity needs will be fully catered by its 100kW solar system.

What an amazing achievement for BAT Samoa to be leading us in this direction and making a bold statement from the private sector.

This will go a long way in contributing towards Samoa’s goal and commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and our pathway towards transitioning into a low-carbon economy.

The excess electricity from this Green Energy Project will be supplied back to the national grid so that other consumers can benefit from the use of this renewable energy source.

Today we will also have the Memorandum of Agreement signed between BAT Samoa and the Electric Power Corporation which will receive the excess power from BAT Samoa at no cost.

Clearly, BAT Samoa has been classified as an Independent Power Producer (IPP). However, this is not their core business, nevertheless, they are committed to contributing to Samoa’s Energy Sector needs. This venture is a start and initial step towards transitioning into a greener BAT Samoa.

The launch of this Green Energy Project will allow BAT Samoa to lower its carbon emissions as it moves away from its reliance on the national electricity grid.

It will now fully benefit from this solar energy by meeting its renewable energy and electricity targets. The solar panels that you see covering its roof today have taken three years to reach this stage. BAT Samoa has made a substantial investment of over half a million tala in this project. We must commend BAT Samoa for taking this bold step and making a strong commitment to the environment and also to Samoa’s Climate Change agenda.

BAT Samoa will replicate this project for its depot outlet in Savaii which will be commissioned later this year.

As we envision decarbonising our economy in the long run, up to 2030 and beyond, against our shorter-term targets that have been set through Nationally Determined Contributions and, Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) 2022 – 2032, and many other national priorities. The next phase is Electric Vehicles, BAT is expecting its first electric vehicle later this year.

Additionally, BAT Samoa through its Environmental Social and Governance projects has worked with our communities to empower our women and youth, provide clean drinking water and garden farming initiatives.

This commitment by BAT Samoa to go green will allow Samoa to lower its greenhouse gas emissions especially when our electricity is the highest carbon contributor.

Green Sustainable energy developments are the way for the future. We would like to strongly encourage other private sector companies to look at these opportunities that will allow Samoa to comprehensively reduce its high carbon emissions from electricity generation.

I am privileged to officially launch BAT Samoa’s Green Energy Project.

• Samoa's Deputy Prime Minister, Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio gave this speech at the BAT Samoa Project Green Energy Launch in Apia on Thursday 20 July 2023.