Clean Energy Ministerial

The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) were global forums held to promote policies and to share best practices with the aim of accelerating a transition to clean energy. The forums have included partnerships and collaboration between the private sector, public sector. non-governmental organizations, and others. The forum typically incorporated two interrelated features: 1) an annual high-level policy dialogue with energy ministers and other top global stakeholders; and 2) year-round policy-targeted technical initiatives and high-visibility campaigns. The CEM is currently the only regular meeting of energy ministers focused exclusively on clean energy.[1]

President Obama announced in a video message at the sixth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM6) in Mérida, Mexico that the United States would host the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7) in 2016. At COP21 in Paris in December, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced CEM7 would be hosted in San Francisco, California. CEM7 is a high-level meeting of energy ministers coming together to discuss and implement actions of respective climate and clean energy goals put forward at COP21. CEM7 includes a public-private action day with opportunities for governments, companies, and other key stakeholders to highlight ambitious clean energy efforts and announce new actions to help achieve national and global clean energy and climate goals.

Through the CEM, 23 countries and the European Commission collaborate on efforts to improve energy efficiency, enhance clean energy supply, and expand clean energy access.[1] Members of the CEM as of 2016 are Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States.[2]

Origins of the CEM

At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that he would host the first Clean Energy Ministerial to bring together ministers with responsibility for clean energy technologies from the world’s major economies and ministers from a select number of smaller countries that are leading in various areas of clean energy.[3]

Framework of the CEM

Members of the Clean Energy Ministerial (as of 2016) represent about 90% of global clean energy investment and 75% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.[4] Developing countries hold 50% of capacity for building out clean energy, but more than 70% of growth in clean energy investment since 2000 has been in OECD countries.[4] Global investment in clean energy reached $260 billion in 2011; however, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that $5 trillion is needed by 2020 to avoid a dangerous rise in greenhouse gases.[4] The CEM’s low-cost, high-impact year-round initiatives deliver tangible results and enable proven policies, programs, and technologies to realize broader, faster, and lower-cost diffusion and replication among CEM and non-CEM countries. The CEM initiatives are focused on improving energy efficiency worldwide, enhancing clean energy supply, and expanding clean energy access. While CEM initiatives are led by CEM members, participation in initiatives is open to any country.

Current Activities

As of 2016, the CEM has 10 active initiatives, described below:

Past initiatives include the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Efficient District Heating and Cooling (DHC) Working Group, the Cool Roofs and Pavements Working Group, the Sectoral Working Group, the Bioenergy Working Group, Carbon Capture Use and Storage, and Sustainable Development of Hydropower.[1]

Past Ministerial Meetings

The first Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM1) was hosted by the United States in 2010. The United Arab Emirates hosted the second Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM2) in 2011. The United Kingdom hosted the third Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM3) in 2012. India hosted the fourth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM4) in 2013. South Korea hosted the fifth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM5) in 2014. Mexico hosted the sixth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM6) in 2015.[5]

Future Ministerial Meetings

2016 Seventh Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7)

U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced during COP21 that CEM7 would take place in San Francisco, California on June 1–2, 2016.[6] The annual meeting of energy ministers and other high-level delegates from the 23 CEM member countries and the European Commission will provide an opportunity for the major economies to collaborate on solutions that advance clean energy globally and demonstrate tangible follow-up actions to COP21.[6]

The announcement at the COP was followed by a discussion among other CEM ministers on the role of the CEM post COP21 as a key implementation forum to help countries deliver on their respective national clean energy goals and build capacity to increase ambition even further over time. That discussion included Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Ibrahim Baylan, Sweden’s Minister of Energy, Amber Rudd, United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and Lars Christian Lilleholt, Denmark’s Minister of Energy, Utilities and Climate.[6]

The combination of the city and state’s role in advancing clean energy policies along with the concentration of clean technology companies, research and development, and the business community in the region were key deciding factors. San Francisco and the broader Bay Area, which encompasses Silicon Valley, is known as a global hub of the clean energy industry and is home to some of the most innovative technology companies that are playing a crucial role in advancing clean energy globally.[6] California recently signed into law climate and clean energy legislation that sets aggressive targets for the share of the state’s electricity from renewable sources and for energy efficiency savings in buildings.[6]

"I can think of no better place than California to play host to the world's clean energy leaders," said Governor Jerry Brown.[7]

CEM7 is expected to include global energy leaders such as China’s Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang, European Commissioner for Climate and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete, and India’s Minister of Power, Coal & New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal.[6] Leaders from the business and investment community working in clean energy are also expected to participate as well as leaders from international energy organizations, foundations, research institutes, and academia.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Our Work | Clean Energy Ministerial". www.cleanenergyministerial.org. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  2. ↑ "Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) - Climate Database". climateinitiativesplatform.org. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  3. ↑ "About | Clean Energy Ministerial". www.cleanenergyministerial.org. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  4. 1 2 3 "Clean Energy Ministerial and Sustainable Energy For All Join Forces For Global Clean Energy Push". ThinkProgress. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  5. ↑ "Ministerial Meetings | Clean Energy Ministerial". www.cleanenergyministerial.org. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Secretary Moniz Announces San Francisco as Site of Seventh Clean Energy Ministerial". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  7. ↑ "Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. - Newsroom". www.gov.ca.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.