UNIDO in partnership with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the GN-SEC centres is organising the side event "Strengthening the means of implementation for the Agenda 2030 – Promoting south-south and triangular climate cooperation through the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers (GN-SEC)”, scheduled to take place on 02 November 2023, between 14:00 to 15:00 at the Rittersaal of the Hofburg Palace. The event will gather speakers from UNIDO, ADA, the United Nations Office for South South Cooperation (UNOSSC), as well as all regional centers.
The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum is a solutions platform to accelerate low-emission, climate-resilient development around the world. The Forum highlights the action-oriented steps required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, helping to forge an inclusive pathway that leaves no one behind. The solutions platform facilitates multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder, and inter-disciplinary dialogue to advance sustainable energy development while promoting inclusiveness and the empowerment of women and youth engagement.
The Forum is hosting in-depth solution sessions on the topics relevant to its five themes. The GN-SEC is an important solution and example on how institutionalised regional, south-south and triangular cooperation can accelerate the implementation of the Agenda 2030, particularly regarding SDG 7, 9, 12 and 13.
Session description
By looking at the moderate growth rates of clean energy technology markets in developing countries, particularly in least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) it becomes obvious that SDG-7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG-9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG-12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG-13 (climate action) cannot be attained by 2030 in business-as-usual scenarios.
International public and private investment flows for the energy transition need to be dramatically upscaled and redirected. Globally, the pace of renewable energy investments is not sufficient to keep the world on track with the 1.5°C climate scenario. Investments in renewables need to at least quadruple and reach an annual level of more than USD 5 trillion on average between 2023 and 2030. More than 50% of the world’s population in developing countries, received only 15% of global investments in renewables in 2022.
There is need for economies of scale and speed. In line with SDG-17, more effective means of implementation and technology cooperation modalities are required. Cross-border challenges, such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, need cross-border solutions and leapfrogging from traditional bilateral approaches. On this background, regional, south-south and triangular industrial cooperation (SSTC) is rapidly gaining momentum as a powerful delivery mechanism in the development and climate space.
Therefore, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) are organising a side event to showcase the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC), a unique multi-stakeholder platform for south-south and triangular industrial cooperation “from the regions for the regions”.
Since 2010, UNIDO assists regional economic communities (RECs) of the “Global South” in the creation and operation of regional sustainable energy centres, which provide support “from the regions for the regions”. The GN-SEC platform facilitates joint learning and intra-regional activities between the centres and partners of “Global North” and multilateral level. The network has an important role to test, demonstrate and roll-out latest technology, policy and business model innovations in various regions simultaneously.
In total, the GN-SEC covers 113 countries, including 41 of 46 LDCs and 35 of 39 SIDS. Through the setting of regional renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, regulations and standards and the facilitation of national follow-up, the GN-SEC platform influences – at least indirectly - the behaviour of around 1,7 billion energy consumers in developing countries in the long-run. Further information on the GN-SEC is available at: www.gn-sec.net and https://open.unido.org/projects/M0/projects/180301.
Session format
The side event will kick-off with an introductory video, opening speeches and the announcement of the signing of a funding agreement on the project “The Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Sustainable Centres Platform – South-South and triangular cooperation for accelerated progress”. The project will guide the work of the UNIDO hosted GN-SEC platform in the upcoming years. A group photo will be taken.
This will be followed by an interactive pitching session, which will give each of the GN-SEC representatives the opportunity to briefly introduce their centre, its unique selling point, achievements and commitment to intra-regional cooperation. After the meeting, the participants of the side event will have the opportunity to meet the GN-SEC representatives for further discussions.
Further information is available in the attached session note.
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| 201023_session_description_ivecf_side_event_on_the_gn-sec_2nd_november.pdf | 1.33 MB |
