IEA launches the Clean Energy Transitions Programme to support clean-energy development

The International Energy Agency announced today the launch of the Clean Energy Transitions Programme, a new multi-year, EUR 30 million plan backed by 13 countries to support clean energy transitions around the world.

This new Programme will leverage the IEA’s unique energy expertise across all fuels and technologies to help accelerate global clean-energy transitions, particularly in major emerging economies. The announcement was made before the start of the IEA’s 2017 Ministerial Meeting, a high-level event that brings together energy leaders from around the world every two years.

The Programme will provide cutting-edge technical support to governments whose energy policies will significantly impact the speed of a global transition toward more sustainable energy production and use, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and greater access to energy.

The Programme includes contributions from Canada (CAD 1 million), Denmark (DKK 25 million), the European Commission (EUR 3.5 million), Germany (EUR 6 million), Sweden (EUR 5.2 million), Switzerland (CHF 1 million), and the United Kingdom (GBP 8 million). Other IEA member countries also joining together to launch the Programme include Australia, Finland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

Work will focus on key countries that are seeking greater cooperation with the IEA, including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa, as well as other IEA Association and Partner countries and regions where the programme can have high impact. The IEA’s Member Countries will benefit from sharing lessons learned, a rapid dissemination of technologies, improving IEA analytical capabilities, and a strengthening of global data and analysis.

The Programme will involve deep and sustained partnerships with governments and will include collaborative analytical work, technical co-operation, training and capacity building, strategic dialogues, secondments and implementation of joint work programmes. Work will focus on five thematic areas, covering data and statistics; energy efficiency; renewables, including system integration; policy guidance and modelling; and technology development and innovation.

Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, said, “Canada is proud to contribute $1 million to the IEA Clean Energy Transitions Program, which will accelerate the global transition to low carbon economies. This program will help improve the lives of the most vulnerable populations, increasing access to clean and modern energy sources for women in developing countries so that they are empowered to enrich their quality of life and that of their families.”

Lars Chr. Lilleholt, Danish Minister of Energy, Utilities and Climate, said: “We are very pleased to be a part of an ambitious coalition of countries that are now launching this historic initiative. We firmly believe that this Clean Energy Transition Programme will have a significant mitigation impact and speed up the global transition towards more sustainable energy use. Denmark’s contribution is a continuation of the successful E4-programme that advances energy efficiency in emerging economies. I am pleased that the first phase of this programme has been a good example of how this work can be expanded to advance clean energy in general.”

Miguel Arias Cañete, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, said: “I am very pleased to offer the European Commission´s full support for this important new programme, including in financial terms. The EU is currently in the process of adopting new legislation to ensure its continued leadership on the energy transition and is delighted to team up with the IEA and key IEA Members in the global efforts needed.”

Rainer Baake, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said: “The success of the global energy transition will to a large degree depend on the right energy policy decisions being taken by the world’s biggest emerging economies. Germany already cooperates closely with many of these countries in order to provide support for this. We therefore wholeheartedly support – including via our financial contribution – the IEA’s strong focus on engaging these countries and the Clean Energy Transitions Programme as a powerful new instrument to further step up efforts on this front.”

“The Clean Energy Transitions Programme opens up a new exciting chapter of collaboration for both the IEA and the Swedish Government,” said Ibrahim Baylan, Sweden’s Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy. “I look forward to seeing improvement and enhanced collaboration with key partners on the cornerstones of progressive energy policies and other important mechanisms for advancing the clean energy transitions.”

“Switzerland sees the IEA’s Clean Energy Transition Programme as a perfect complement to existing energy efficiency cooperation between Switzerland and emerging countries for South-South policy and technology transfer,” said Swiss State Secretary Benoît Revaz. “Experiences gained by Switzerland in India on guidelines for energy-efficient residential buildings for different climatic zones or in India and Latin America for low carbon cement could be replicated by the Clean Energy Transition Programme e.g. for building codes.”

“The IEA Clean Energy Transitions Programme is an exciting opportunity for the IEA Family to support the deployment of clean technologies,” said Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s Executive Director. “We look forward to building on the existing work and expertise of the IEA, providing data, analysis and real-world expertise across all fuels and technologies to help accelerate the clean energy transitions.”

Source: iea.org