Moving LDCs towards closing the energy access gap and energy transition with renewable energy

A transformative change is needed in the LDC energy sector to bring SDG 7 within the reach of these countries. To help LDCs achieve rapid progress towards 2030, an enabling environment is needed. This must be underpinned by introduction of a comprehensive energy-sector planning at the national level, which identifies least-cost socioeconomically inclusive pathways. The redirection of energy policies and finance towards clean energy investments and improving energy efficiency will further help LDCs take full advantage of, and benefit from, falling renewable prices; it will help them access larger pools of capital to build energy resilience and become part of the global energy transition that is currently under way.

Organised on 6 March 2023 at 17:15-18:45 AST at Room 106, Qatar National Conference Centre, Doha, this side event showcased the efforts of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) towards closing the energy access gap and energy transition with renewable energy in LDCs. IRENA demonstrated its bundled support to help LDCs achieve rapid progress towards 2030, including establishment of enabling environment, underpinned by policies and regulations to adopt least-cost pathways to electrification, while enhancing the socioeconomic inclusiveness of energy access, and catalysing both public- and private-sector finance. Experts from LDCs made their interventions and talked about the needs of their particular countries while displaying the progress done, in light of the south-south cooperation.

IRENA activities which were showcased at the event contributed directly to the Doha Programme of Action Roadmap Focus area 3: Structural transformation, target Access to sustainable and modern energy services and its targets. This was an official side event of the 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5). Please find the concept note here. For more information, please visit https://www.un.org/ldc5/.

Should you have any questions, please contact sgiljova@irena.org.