02/03/2026
⭐️PRESS RELEASE⭐️
For Immediate Release
Marshall Islands Advance Maritime Decarbonisation Leadership at SIDS Forum
Ebene, Mauritius – 26 February 2026
🇲🇭 The Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technologies (MoTCIT) of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, represented by Secretary Phil Philippo and Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation (MISC) General Manager Danny Wase, participated this week in the Regional Forum for Practitioners in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on Advancing NDC Implementation Readiness in Mauritius.
🇲🇺 The delegation attended upon official invitation of the Government of Mauritius and the NDC Partnership, and the Forum was convened in collaboration with GIZ, the NDC Partnership Support Unit, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the World Bank Group and other international partners.
⛵️The Marshallese participation was facilitated and organised by the GIZ-implemented Low Carbon Sea Transport (LCST) project under the leadership of Project Director Raffael Held. The Forum brought together senior policymakers, climate finance experts and regional institutions from the West Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Pacific to accelerate implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
🛟 In a dedicated plenary session on transport decarbonisation, the Marshall Islands presented its internationally recognised maritime transformation model centred on the hybrid wind-assisted cargo vessel Juren Ae. As the first country globally to institute NDCs anchored in the 1.5°C goal, the Republic has translated climate ambition into operational reform of its domestic shipping system.
“For us, maritime decarbonisation is not a concept—it is a functioning system,” said Secretary Phil Philippo. “We are demonstrating that wind-assisted propulsion and hybrid technologies can reduce fuel consumption, strengthen resilience and deliver tangible economic benefits for our outer island communities.”
🛳️ General Manager Danny Wase highlighted the vessel’s operational performance, including reduced fuel consumption, improved cost efficiency and its role as a sea-going training platform for Marshallese seafarers.
The presentation generated strong interest from countries in the West Indian Ocean region and Caribbean delegations, including Jamaica, particularly in relation to wind-assisted propulsion, hybrid integration and structured financing pathways for scaling similar models.
Project Director Raffael Held emphasised: “This invitation provided a strategic platform to move from ambition to replication. Several partners expressed interest in deeper technical cooperation and knowledge exchange.”
The visit to Mauritius strengthened interregional partnerships and reaffirmed the Marshall Islands’ position as a practical leader in maritime decarbonisation among Small Island Developing States. It is our hope that our participation in this Forum will serve as a constructive step towards deepening trans-regional technical partnerships between the Pacific, the West Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, fostering practical collaboration on wind-assisted maritime transport and supporting the accelerated implementation of NDC commitments across Small Island Developing States.
Figure 1: Leaders and senior representatives from Small Island Developing States, international institutions and development partners gather in Mauritius to accelerate implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), demonstrating a united political
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