Aruba, Jamaica, ooh we’re gonna take her – to an island powered by green energy.
If the Beach Boys were writing music today that might have been the refrain – as Aruba is one of seven Caribbean islands including St Lucia and the British Virgin Isles planning to ditch diesel fuels for renewable energy.
The agreement came after a summit run by the non-profit organisation Carbon War Room on business magnate Richard Branson’s Necker Island.
The ‘Ten Island Challenge’ is described by Branson as “a friendly, informal competition for the most progressive island states to see how fast they can scale clean technology”.
They may be tropical paradises but many islanders depend on generators fuelled by expensive diesel. The islands want to replace these with renewable sources such as wind, solar or geothermal energy.
Several have already begun efforts and Aruba’s Environment Minister Mike de Meza is quoted as telling the summit his island now saves $80 million (£49m) in energy costs.
Other islands joining the green energy efforts are Colombia for the Islands of Providencia and San Andres, Turks & Caicos, Dominica, St.Kitts & Nevis.
This week Necker Island awarded the contract to switch its power sources to renewables to US energy company NRG Energy.