IRENA at COP27
As climate leaders come together in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for the annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), the world is facing compounding economic, environmental and social challenges. Governments are not on track to limit global warming to 1.5°C, and climate shocks are accelerating far sooner than predicted. At the same time, societies are grappling with rampant inflation, uneven pandemic recovery and oil and gas disruptions and high prices. IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook finds that a renewables-centred energy transition is the only realistic way to meet the 2030 time-frame for emissions reductions established by the IPCC, as well as the objectives of the 2030 timeline for sustainable development.and a strategic choice for enhancing energy security.
IRENA works closely with Egypt in its capacity as the COP27 President to advance its energy priorities, and serves as the energy lead in support of the High-Level Champions and the Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action. In its Pavilion, IRENA hosted a series of events at COP27 (6-18 November) highlighting the urgent need to accelerate the energy transition and achieve a climate-safe future in which no one is left behind.
Alongside global partners and allies, IRENA showcased how to translate commitments into action and implementation on the ground with the goal of catalysing just and inclusive energy transitions through raising ambition, renewable investment and increasing energy access globally.
For further information, please contact us at IRENACOP27@IRENA.org.
Programme
| IRENA Pavilion EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 12:30 – 14:00 |
| Renewable Energy for Enterprise and Livelihood Resilience in the Mountain Context: Deploying decision-making tools and assessments to facilitate investments IRENA and ICIMOD proposed to partner on organising an event to showcase practical decision-making tools and assessments that can be used to facilitate investments in renewables in the fragile mountain contexts. Both organisations have been working closely since 2019 on scaling up renewables in the mountain context to strengthen the adaptative capacity of mountain communities and enterprises. The tools and assessments developed through the partnership were presented which have high potential for replicability across other fragile contexts. |
| Director-General Speaking Engagements EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:30 – 11:15 |
| IRENA Pavilion Fireside Chat between IFC Managing Director, Makhtar Diop and IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera IFC – IRENA joint event The event aimed to bring together Governments and international experts to network, share experiences and discuss the Energy Access agenda and propose a way forward to reach SDG7 by 2030 through clean energy solutions. Participants explored some of the emerging themes around universal access to clean and affordable energy in the continent. This might lead to an understanding of the opportunities, and challenges of incorporating energy access both on the demand and supply side, including a renewed understanding of its complexity and the key role played by the private sector. The event also offered a platform to share experiences and successful approaches adopted to inform others in scaling up access. By the end of the session, the hope was to have a better understanding of what success would look like to achieve universal electricity access through clean energy and what policies, systems, and strategies countries need to adopt. |
| 12:00 – 14:00 |
| Room MR24 (VVIP secured zone) High-Level Roundtable – Investing in the Future of Energy: Green Hydrogen COP27 Presidency This multi-stakeholder roundtable aimed to encourage dialogue between countries across the green hydrogen value chain. The objective of the session was to allow for a deep exchange on the future of Energy, focusing on Hydrogen, the aim was to allow for a better understanding of the current status of Hydrogen production, the expected scenarios of production to meet the needs, as well as the current and future policies and their impact to that end. The discussion built on the analysis and outcomes of the Glasgow Breakthrough on Hydrogen, the outcomes of relevant fora. |
| 15:30 – 17:00 |
| WHO Pavilion Energizing Health – Accelerating electricity access in healthcare facilities WHO This high-level event focused on the urgent need to accelerate electricity access in health-care facilities globally to protect public health and minimize the dramatic impacts of climate change. The event provided the opportunity to highlight key challenges and to discuss concrete actions and cooperation opportunities, benefiting from the participation of high-level representatives of international organizations and governments. |
| IRENA Pavilion EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 11:30 |
| ETAF's Institutional Foundation Announcement IRENA announced progress on funding mobilisation for ETAF and highlighted ETAF’s planned implementation arrangements. The event was hosted in the IRENA Pavilion with attendance of high-level delegates from UAE, funding partners, and invited heads of other delegations. |
| 12:30 – 14:00 |
| The role of blended finance in driving energy sector development in the Blue Pacific Organised by Camco and IRENA At this event, Camco drew on its 30+ years of on-the-ground experience financing renewable energy projects in Africa to demonstrate how and why a practical, delivery-focused approach is essential for mobilising the clean energy sector and – by extension – supporting the successful implementation of the Strategy. Camco highlighted its TIDES initiative, designed to catalyse private sector investment into renewable energy projects in Tonga and the region. The event included contributions from policy makers and development partners, who along with Camco shared their perspectives on what it takes to ensure the successful implementation of the ambitious agenda. |
| 15:00 – 16:30 |
| Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) Platform's Call for Projects The purpose of this session was to launch the call for projects for the ETAF Platform. |
| 17:30 – 19:00 |
| Youth Leadership for the Energy Transition This interactive workshop on the role of youth in the energy transition showcased examples of youth-led action as well as created a space for intergenerational dialogues. |
| Director-General Speaking Engagements EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 19:00 – 20:00 |
| Tonino Lamborghini Hotel & Resort Special Evening Event: Future energy – Green Hydrogen UNIDO, COP27 Presidency As part of the UNIDO's broader COP27 Programme, the evening event brought together representatives and experts from developing and industrialized countries to discuss future energy concepts. |
| IRENA Pavilion EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 11:30 |
| Teaching for the Transition This session launched the Energy Transition Education Network, a new multistakeholder platform bringing together organisations and institutions working on the forefront of renewable energy education. The event also showcased innovative examples of education and skilling as well as the announcement of a campaign aimed at educators. |
| 12:30 – 14:00 |
| Climate Resilience and Equitable Energy Transition - Climate Plans for Energy Resilience in Africa and Small Island Developing States Africa is the continent most affected by rising temperatures. At the same time, 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity. The French-speaking countries of Sub-Saharan Africa are therefore faced with the challenge of anticipating and planning a recovery based on climate resilience and equitable energy transition, which consists of a solid emergency response plan, accompanied by strategic investments likely to reduce recovery times and limit the impact of these destructive events. The event illustrated what adjustments are needed for the energy transition and what climate risks the electricity system is exposed to. Participants presented analytical tools to strengthen the resilience of the electricity system. |
| 15:00 – 16:30 |
| Socioeconomic footprint of the energy transition: Egypt and Southeast Asia The event discussed the potential impacts of renewable energy deployment. Sneak-peek of key results from IRENA's socioeconomic analysis for Egypt were provided and discussed among relevant stakeholders. |
| Director-General Speaking Engagements EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 12:00 |
| Lotus Room High-Level Meeting of Caring for Climate UN Global Compact, UNEP, UN Climate Change The gathering included discussions on renewable energies as a pathway to energy security and stable prices, and credible corporate action towards Net-Zero through the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). There were also discussions about why people-centred climate action needs to be at the core of a Just Transition to Net Zero that leaves no person or country behind. Concrete actions companies are taking to advance a Just Transition, build resilience and leverage climate finance in support of adaptation action were also showcased. |
| 16:00 – 16:45 |
| World Bank Pavilion Achieving Universal Energy Access and Climate Goals in Africa IFC – IRENA joint event The event aimed to bring together Governments and international experts to network, share experiences and discuss the Energy Access agenda and propose a way forward to reach SDG7 by 2030 through clean energy solutions. Participants explored some of the emerging themes around universal access to clean and affordable energy in the continent. This might lead to an understanding of the opportunities, and challenges of incorporating energy access both on the demand and supply side, including a renewed understanding of its complexity and the key role played by the private sector. The event also offered a platform to share experiences and successful approaches adopted to inform others in scaling up access. By the end of the session, the hope was to have a better understanding of what success would look like to achieve universal electricity access through clean energy and what policies, systems, and strategies countries need to adopt. |
| 18:30 – 20:00 |
| Akhenaten Producing future marine fuels: opportunities for scaling up renewable energy production in developing countries IMO - UNCTAD This event aimed at identifying concrete collaboration opportunities between the shipping sector and renewable energy production as well as ports, with a special focus made on developing countries. |
| IRENA Pavilion EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 12:30 – 14:00 |
| Renewable Energy for Agri-food Systems: Scaling Investments towards Climate Action and 2030 Agenda IRENA, FAO and IFAD hosted this panel discussion to discuss practically how cross-sector partnerships can break down silos to mobilize much-needed capital into energy infrastructure that can strengthen agri-food chains, enhance food security and tackle multiple development and climate mitigation and adaptation goals. |
| 15:00 – 16:30 |
| Communities and a Just Transition This event brought together representatives from community-based organisations and civil society groups, as well as senior private sector executives, to explore what the energy transition means for communities living near renewable energy and extractive industries projects, and how to ensure their voices are heard in the global climate change debate. |
| IRENA co-organized events EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 11:00 – 12:00 |
| Egypt Pavilion CEO Roundtable meeting Alliance for Industry Decarbonization (closed door) The CEO Roundtable of the Alliance served as a platform where Alliance members can share decarbonization commitments, visions and strategies that will contribute to net-zero and carbon-emission reductions under the 1.5°C scenario. The Roundtable also enabled Alliance members to compare their strategic approaches and share ideas about a work program for the Alliance. |
| IRENA Pavilion EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 11:30 |
| Transitioning Remote Communities to Renewable Energy The event showcased the ongoing work under Global Platform on Transitioning Remote Communities to Renewables, particularly the analysis on successful approaches on deploying DRE in remote and isolated communities. The event also acted as a voice for scaling investments in accelerating DRE across last mile and remote communities. |
| 14:00 – 16:00 |
| IRENA Legislators Dialogue: Multi-Actor Partnerships for Renewable Energy This edition of the IRENA Legislators Dialogue, organised in cooperation with the Global Renewables Congress (GRC) and the Global Parliamentarians Group of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF GPG), aimed to exchange experiences of successful multi-actor partnerships and explore further options for scaling up these efforts, particularly in the G20/G7 countries as well as in climate-vulnerable countries. |
| IRENA Pavilion EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 11:30 |
| Translating targets into action through regulatory innovation Organised by IEA, IRENA, the World Bank and the UK’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) Launched at COP26, the Regulatory Energy Transition Accelerator (RETA) is a global initiative bringing together more than 20 energy regulators to discuss the challenges they face and to share best practices. They are joined by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the World Bank and the UK’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). The first anniversary event of the Accelerator provided an opportunity to check in on progress as we strive to meet the Paris goals, as well as offering the broader climate community a view of the close interlinkages between policy and regulation to translate targets into action. |
| 12:30 – 14:00 |
| Energizing climate action: effective approaches to foster the planning and implementation of medium- and long-term climate and energy plans through collaborative actions in the energy sector This event highlighted the challenges and opportunities associated with the planning and implementation of medium- and long-term climate policies and plans associated with effective energy transition strategies. It highlighted initiatives from Parties to enhance and implement NDCs, in addition to developing LT-LEDS aligned with net zero strategies, as outlined in IRENA's WETO 1.5c scenario. In the context of a coherent approach to climate action and the energy transition, representatives of governments and international/regional organisations shared their positive experiences and lessons learned. |
| 15:00 – 16:30 |
| Renewable Energy Transitions in the ASEAN Region The event intended to present in-depth findings from the Renewable Energy Outlook for ASEAN (2nd edition, 2022), the Indonesia Energy Transition Outlook (2022), and the Viet Nam Energy Outlook (2022) regional reports, with a focus on technical and policymaker-oriented findings. The event also elaborated on broadening engagement with respective stakeholders, such as government agencies, local institutions and experts, as well as international actors who have facilitated discussions on opportunities aligned with the report's vision for the future of energy in the region in particular in Indonesia, and Vietnam. The event also served to maintain momentum within the processes for the follow-up initiatives based on the key findings and recommendations in the reports, and to connect the discussions to the broader engagement and efforts in the ASEAN region. |
| 17:30 – 19:00 |
| Africa Climate, Energy, and Development: Alternative approaches to addressing Africa's intersecting crises Organised by Power Shift Africa Africa faces the triple and intersecting crises of climate change, limited energy access, and outdated development models. Most solutions being offered to any one of these crises either exacerbate another, or instrumentalist Africans in serving foreign interests over our own. Fresh approaches to development that respect climate boundaries and prioritise communities and wellbeing are sorely needed. The energy system is the foundational and enabling sector through which we can reimagine Africa's development options and pursue new alternatives. |
| IRENA co-organized events EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 15:00 – 18:30 |
| Business Pavilion How Business Can Enable Energy Transitions for a 1.5°C Future Joint event with We Mean Business and the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action Energy Thematic Group This event emphasized the role of business in bringing to life the types of game-changing innovations that were showcased the next day during the MPGCA Energy Action Event. The discussions highlighted the importance of action, finance, and collaboration in accelerating energy transitions. |
| Director-General Speaking Engagements EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 11:30 |
| NDC Partnership Pavilion Delivering on Ambitious Climate Commitments: Finance for Implementation NDC Partnership The NDC Partnership Co-Chairs hosted a High-Level Event on the Partnership’s commitment to fast-tracking implementation of ambitious mitigation and adaptation commitments by more effectively mobilizing climate finance. Ministerial representatives and Heads of Organizations highlighted their respective initiatives to catalyze climate finance. |
| 17:30 – 18:30 |
| EU Pavilion Fuelling the energy transition: Renewable hydrogen trade and partnerships for a carbon-free future European Commission, IRENA This event was part of the EU Energy Day organised at the EU Pavilion of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27. The EU Energy Day is a series of high-level events that highlighted the European Union’s leadership in clean energy transition and engagement towards a global green recovery and just transition. Each event brought together policymakers and business and civil society leaders to discuss global initiatives advancing the Paris Agreement’s objectives. |
| IRENA Pavilion EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 11:30 |
| Energy Transition and Synthetic Fuels Organised by Manuia To see changes, we need to do things differently. This is what bold companies are doing to foster energy transition. In this panel we heard the experience from an 80 years old Chilean company which is changing (re starting-up) from distributing fossil fuels to supplying clean energy, investing to provide the largest e-charging array in South America and doing radical collaboration with companies in critical sectors (such as mining and aviation) to foster electric mobility and low carbon fuels. On the other hand, we have an international company (HIF Global) based in the southest region of Chile, using the strong wins of Magallanes region, to develop the first-of-its-kind green hydrogen plant to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and produce carbon neutral synthetic fuels, to be used in aviation and land transport. |
| 12:30 – 14:00 |
| Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) - Offshore Wind as a Key Solution to the Climate and Energy Security Crises The event featured the Global Offshore Wind Alliance and gathered co-chairs, GOWA members and other partners from the offshore wind space. The purpose of the event was to highlight the role of offshore wind in the energy transition and the urgency of raising ambition on offshore wind to solve the climate and energy crisis, present GOWA's ambition and vision, and encourage new partners from the public and private sector to join. List of speakers: H.E. Dan Jørgensen, Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities, Kingdom of Denmark Mr Francesco La Camera, Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Ms Elizabeth Press, Director, Planning and Programme Support, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Mr Ben Backwell, Chief Executive Officer, Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) H.E. Rob Jetten, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Kingdom of the Netherlands Rt Hon. Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Climate, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland H.E. Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Commonwealth of Australia H.E. Tinne Van der Straeten, Minister of Energy, Kingdom of Belgium H.E. Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Republic of Ireland H.E. João Galamba, Secretary of State for the Environment and Energy, The Portuguese Republic Mr Shinichi Kihara, Deputy Director General for Technology and Environment, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan Ms Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director General for Energy, European Commission Mr Rick Duke, Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, United States Dr Charlie Ogilvie, Director of Strategy, COP Unit, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, United Kingdom Mr Hans Olav Ibrekk, Special Envoy, Climate and Security, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr Demetrios Papathanasiou, Global Director, Energy and Extractives, The World Bank Mr Jon Lezamiz Cortazar , Global Head of Public Affairs, Siemens Gamesa Ms Rebecca Williams, Global Head of Offshore Wind, Global Offshore Wind Council (GWEC) |
| 15:00 – 16:30 |
| MEFED Dead Sea Declaration: An Action Plan to enhance the EU-MENA Partnership to Achieve the Climate Targets Building on the successful first MENA-Europe Future Energy Dialogue (MEFED) and the momentum for strengthened energy cooperation between the MENA region and Europe, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have agreed to organise a side event during COP27 that aims to follow up on the Dead Sea Declaration that was signed at the first MEFED conference in Jordan in May 2022. The event kicked off the process of the development of the MEFED Action Plan that is developed leading up to COP28 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). |
| 17:30 – 19:00 |
| Roundtable – Making Energy Transitions Work for People: Decent Jobs, Skills, Livelihoods and Inclusion The event highlighted how the shortage of skills and workforce is increasingly bottlenecking deployment in both developed and developing markets and the barriers to attracting labour, and to showcase the latest findings of IRENA’s work on the topic, including the Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2022 published in collaboration with ILO. It also underscored the importance of education and skill-building strategies as well as active labour market policies, underpinned by industrial policies and public investment strategies to promote regional and economic development and diversification. To this end, the event brought together a diverse group of actors including representatives from governments, labour unions, employers, communities as well as academia to discuss experiences, priority action areas, on-going efforts as well as explore future cooperation. |
| IRENA co-organized events EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 12:00 |
| Global Climate Action Room Game Changers Accelerating the Global Energy Transition Energy Action Event with the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action Energy Thematic Group The benefits of an energy transition in Africa are contingent on proactive policies and sufficiently available finance. We need to accelerate the move to a renewables-based economy and society. This requires innovation, disruption, addressing new topics, engaging with unusual players. But this transformation will only happen if we can ensure social acceptance. This event looked at how such a deep transformation could be achieved in Africa, as well as what the opportunities and barriers are. |
| 17:00 – 18:00 |
| NDC Partnership Pavilion Where will it all go? Land use implications of the accelerated deployment of renewable energy Joint event with The Nature Conservancy The event discussed renewables deployment challenges in different policy and country contexts, raised awareness and understanding of the significant land-use challenges to deploying renewable energy including solar and wind at the scale required to achieve climate goals, assisted in identifying opportunities and pathways for accelerating renewables to achieve a clean, green, and equitable energy future, and identified collaboration opportunities. |
| Director-General Speaking Engagements EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 9:00 – 10:00 |
| TBC Energy Day – High-level opening COP27 Presidency, Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy (Govt. of Egypt) High-level officials and energy transition champions kicked off Energy Day with a series of opening remarks to set the recurring themes for the day, the energy trilemma in a time of global crisis, the imperative for a just and equitable energy transition and the need to accelerate technology breakthroughs such as green hydrogen. |
| IRENA Pavilion EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 10:00 – 11:30 |
| Exploring the impacts a sustainable energy transition will have for African cities, and the pathways to their fruition Organised by ICLEI, IRENA, and UN-Habitat This session, co-hosted by constituents of the Marrakech Partnership IRENA, ICLEI, and UN-Habitat, discussed the energy - urban development interface in Africa to (a) unpack the multitude of socio-economic benefits clean energy can have for African cities, (b) what is needed to rapidly increase the transition, and the respective impacts, from an urban policy, planning and finance perspective. |
| 12:30 – 14:00 |
| Closing the Gap: securing lives, creating livelihoods in Small Islands Developing States The objective of this event was to identify strategies to close the financing, technology, capacity, and knowledge gaps to achieve and increase the ambition for SIDS energy transition, climate action and sustainable development. |
| 15:00 – 16:30 |
| Scaling up Green Hydrogen to Drive Down Emissions The event highlighted the contribution of green hydrogen and its trade to enhancing energy security and accelerating the decarbonisation of hard to abate sectors. Participants explained the primary obstacles to the development of credible green hydrogen policies and shared best practises for the implementation of successful hydrogen projects. The event demonstrated the potential for increasing the ambition of mitigation plans and bolstering supply security in key regions through the use of green hydrogen. |
| IRENA co-organized events EGYPT STANDARD TIME (EGY) |
|---|
| 15:00 – 16:30 |
| Side Event Room 2: Aman An African Energy Transformation: Meeting Development and Climate Objectives Official Side Event with REN21 and Sustainable Energy Africa The benefits of an energy transition in Africa are contingent on proactive policies and sufficiently available finance. We need to accelerate the move to a renewables-based economy and society. This requires innovation, disruption, addressing new topics, engaging with unusual players. But this transformation will only happen if we can ensure social acceptance. This event looked at how such a deep transformation could be achieved in Africa, as well as what the opportunities and barriers are. |