SDG7 by 2030: Accelerating action on energy access

Co-hosts: ICLEI World Secretariat and ICLEI Europe

When: 28 June 2022, 11:30 am – 13:00 pm CEST

Where: GCoM Exhibition Booth, World Urban Forum. The session is in a hybrid format and will be live-streamed on the GCoM YouTube channel.

Moderator:

Giorgia Rambelli, Coordinator, Climate Policy & Energy Governance, ICLEI European Secretariat

Speakers:

Lea Ranalder, Associate Programme Management Officer, Human Settlements, UN- Habitat

Rohit Sen, Head, Sustainable Energy, ICLEI World Secretariat

Shwetal Shah, Technical Advisor, Climate Change Department, Government of Gujarat

Lauren Sorkin, Executive Director, Resilient Cities Network

Mayor Manuel de Araujo, Quelimane Municipality, Mozambique and Vice-Chair of the ICLEI Africa Committee

Session description:

At today’s rate of progress, the world is still not on track to achieve the SDG 7 goals by 2030. There is an urgent need to ensure energy access and alleviate energy poverty in the world, and at the same time drastically reduce GHG emissions. A renewables-based energy transition is the clear and proven cornerstone for accelerating climate action to support the global quest for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030. As the clock continues to tick on 1.5 degrees and national governments fail to raise their ambitions and achieve global goals such as SDG7, we have reached a crossroads that requires bottom-up action towards SDGs.

Now is THE TIME to ACT! 

To support national governments’ efforts to achieve SDG7 by 2030, local and regional governments (LRGs) now have an even bigger and more integral role to play in the renewable energy transition. The lack of clear mandates for LRGs until now emphasizes the need for better alignment and vertical integration between the local/regional and national levels. In addition an integrated coordination with other relevant stakeholders is needed in order for this energy transition to be just and inclusive. Renewable energy sources are also crucial to enhancing the resilience of local energy systems.  LRGs must now ANALYZE, ACT and ACCELERATE their renewable energy transitions to achieve SDG 7.  

LRGs face considerable and multifaceted challenges in successful planning and implementation of renewable energy projects requiring leaders to take bold action. This session ‒ with expert panelists and a participating audience ‒ aims to debunk these barriers, discuss various drivers in technology, finance, knowledge, policy and governance to develop bankable renewable energy projects, and build on successful examples implemented by leading LRGs.