Nine Primary Schools have been selected to take part in an awareness programme to educate them on various environmental issues affecting Samoa. 

The programme is facilitated by the Renewable Energy Division (R.E.D.) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.) in partnership with the Improving the Performance and Reliability of Renewable Energy Power System in Samoa (I.M.P.R.E.S.S.) Project.

The selected schools include: Saint Mary’s Primary School; Marist Primary School; Saint Theresa Primary School; Peace Chapel Primary School; Manumalo Primary School; Vaiala Beach School; Ah Mu Primary School; Robert Loius Stevenson Primary School; Amosā Primary School.

The programme promotes the role played by M.N.R.E. in partnership with stakeholders and communities to achieve Samoa’s obligations to international conventions.

According to a statement from R.E.D., it stated that one of the phenomenal issues being widely discussed in today’s global platforms, workplaces and communities is climate change and its adverse impacts on small island nations.

“On the national scale, Samoa with its features as a Small Island Developing State (S.I.D.S.) and geographical location in the Pacific, is highly exposed to and is prone to intense impacts of climate change,” reads the statement.

It added that cross cutting efforts in various departments of the Ministry [M.N.R.E.] enacts the development and implementation of policies, legislations and projects which aim to reduce and mitigate the level of greenhouse gas (G.H.G.) emissions which primarily depletes the ozone layer resulting in increased global temperatures. 

“Consequently, even though our small islands and developing economies contribute an insignificant amount of GHG compared to foreign countries.

“Samoa is still committed to achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution (N.D.C.) target goal “100% of the electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by the year 2025” to replace our dependency on fossil fuels.”

For some schools that took part in the awareness programme such as Saint Mary’s Primary School and Marist Primary School the aim was to educate students about Renewable Energy Division and its purpose.

Other objectives include: educate students about Samoa’s current Mitigation measures; educate students on Energy Development in Samoa and way forward; educate students about Renewable Energy Sources in detail; educate students on possible career paths for their future.

Some of the positive feedback from the awareness programme is that schools have asked if it is possible for the Ministry [M.N.R.E.] to organize field trips for students.

The I.M.P.R.E.S.S. project is a multi-million dollar project that aims to enhance sustainable and cost-effective energy production in the Small Island Developing State.

The project is set to support national efforts towards achieving 100 per cent renewable energy electricity generation by 2025, while also contributing to improved energy for everyday Samoans.

R.E.D. is a project based division which was established in 2007. It is one of the 15 Divisions which make up the M.N.R.E.

Its role is to promote climate change mitigation through renewable energy and energy efficiency.