This article is based on a RenewEconomy article – you can read the original here.

Pacific Island communities are on the frontline of climate change: with sea level rise and extreme weather events threatening their very existence.

But our Pacific neighbours are also at the forefront of climate action: championing renewables as a safer, cheaper and more reliable power source, and much cleaner than imported diesel fuel.

Here are 10 Pacific Island nations kicking Australia’s butt on renewables – with way more ambitious Renewable Energy Targets than 20% by 2020!

1. Cook Islands

100% Renewables by 2020

Palmerston Island Solar PV Electrification Project via Sunergise

2. Federated States of Micronesia

30% Renewables by 2010

3. Fiji

90% Renewables by 2030

Radisson Blu Resort, Fiji via Sunergise

4. Niue

80% Renewables by 2025

Government of Niue’s solar photovoltaic system project via Solar APAC

5. Palau

45% Renewables by 2025

Solar Carpark at Palau International Airport via Kyocera

6. Samoa

100% Renewables by 2017

7. Tonga

50% Renewables by 2020

8. Tuvalu

100% Renewables by 2020

9. Vanuatu

100% Renewables by 2030

Solar Carpark at Parliament House in Port Vila, Vanuatu via Sunergise

10. New Zealand

90% Renewables by 2025

Te Apiti Wind Farm, Manawatu, New Zealand via Flickr user Jondaar licensed under CC BY 2.0