COP26: ICLEI’s 100% Renewables Cities and Regions Energy Compact Showcase

10 November 2021

Sustainable Development Goal 7 holds a unique position in the nexus between the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Ensuring universal access to clean energy is necessary for creating sustainable economic growth and development. Although the world has made progress towards the achievement of SDG 7 in some areas, current efforts remain well below what is needed to meet the goal by 2030.

On 24 September 2021, ICLEI’s 100% Renewables Cities and Regions Energy Compact was officially launched at the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy, which calls for local governments to make ambitious voluntary commitments to catapult themselves towards 100% renewable energy usage at the latest by 2050.

ICLEI’s Energy Compact complements its existing work in the renewable energy space, including the 100% Renewables Cities and Regions Roadmap project, and the 100% Renewables Cities and Regions Network. On their way to 100% renewable status, cities and regions that join ICLEI’s Energy Compact are encouraged to achieve several milestone targets by 2030 at the latest, such as achieving 100% renewable energy use in local government operations, and achieving SDG7, among others.

Energy Compacts are supported by UN-Energy, and bring together various actors committing to provide $618 billion USD in support for energy access, transition and efficiency improvements in energy infrastructures, to enhance access to electricity for more than 2.3 billion people worldwide, as well as to clean cooking possibilities for 216 million people and improvements in energy efficiency and savings. Achieving these will require dedication, innovation and collaboration by all actors involved.

ICLEI’s Energy Compact aims to align local ambition with actions set in motion at the national and international level, such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, the Cities Race to Resilience campaign, and the Race to Zero campaign, and other net-zero targets, in order to mitigate the impact of the climate emergency and strengthen social, economic, and ecological resilience in light of it. Achieving 100% renewable status can act as a stepping stone towards climate neutrality. ICLEI is committed to supporting signatories of its Energy Compact on their journey towards 100% renewable status. This support includes access to peer-networking, knowledge-sharing opportunities, access to ICLEI’s Transformative Actions Program (TAP) if required, and showcasing opportunities at the international level.

Session Description:

This session will highlight key outcomes regarding local energy action from the High-level Dialogue on Energy convened by the Secretary General in September, and the work that remains to be done in the spheres of finance, policy and technology, in order to capitalize on the ambition of local governments in undertaking the renewable energy transition.

11 November 2021, 10h45 am–11h30 GMT (11h45 am–12h30 pm CET)

Duration: 45 mins
Language: English
Platform: Zoom
Host: United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs
Access the recording of the event here

Speakers

Mr. Rohit Sen, Head, Climate & Energy Action, ICLEI World Secretariat, Bonn, Germany

Dr. Ing. Annette Steingrube, Research Associate and Project Manager, Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg, Germany

Dr. Eszter Mogyorósy, Head, Innovative Finance, ICLEI World Secretariat, Bonn, Germany

Ms. Anna Skowron, Programme Manager Energy & Just Development, World Future Council and Co-Chair, Towards 100%RE Group, IRENA Coalition for Action, Hamburg, Germany

Moderator: Mr. David Koranyi, Policy Consultant, Sustainable Energy Team, Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York, USA

Run of Show

Time	Description
10:45-10:50	Opening remarks by moderator Mr. David Koranyi, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
10:50-11:05	Presentation on ICLEI’s 100% Renewables Cities and Regions Energy Compact Mr. Rohit Sen, ICLEI World Secretariat Including recorded messages from representatives of: – Dr. Ir. Hj. Sitti Rohmi Djalilah, M.Pd. Deputy Governor, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia Mr. Joseph Oganga County Chief Officer, Department of Energy and Industrialisation, Kisumu County, Kenya Mr. Dionisio Scarpin Mayor of Avellaneda, Argentina
11:05-11:30	Moderated panel discussion with experts in the renewable energy sphere Technical aspects: Dr. Ing. Annette Steingrube, Fraunhofer ISE Guiding questions: What insights have emerged about the feasibility of transition to 100% renewable energy? Is it possible for a local and regional government to meet all their energy needs—electricity, heating/cooling and transport—with renewables, energy efficiency, energy storage and energy conservation? From your experience on 100%RE energy modelling for various local and regional governments, what major challenges emerge in terms of data, technology, models and scenarios? Finance: Dr. Eszter Mogyorósy, ICLEI World Secretariat Guiding questions: What financing mechanisms show the most promise for local governments looking to transition to 100% renewable energy? What are the main challenges when it comes to channeling funds to renewable energy projects? How is the Transformative Actions Program (TAP) supporting local and regional governments to achieve their renewable energy transition goals? Policy: Ms. Anna Skowron, World Future Council Guiding questions: What policies can act as multipliers for the renewable energy transition? How can action and ambition at the local and regional level be harnessed for the achievement of national and international climate goals? In what areas can intergovernmental cooperation, horizontal and vertical, be strengthened to achieve 100%RE targets at the sub-national level and net-zero emissions targets at national level? Closing remarks by moderator