Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - Sustainable Energy

Business Network Explores Ocean Energy Partnerships for Small Island Developing States

HSASS — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 19:31:00 +0000

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NEW YORK/ABU DHABI- 30 & 31 March 2021 - The SIDS Global Business Network (GBN) Forum, an initiative of the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), took place virtually from 30-31 March 2021.

Organised jointly with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the forum focused on private sector collaboration on sustainable energy and oceans in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In opening remarks by the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, she stressed that SIDS continue to incur high electricity costs given their heavy reliance on fossil fuels and that ocean energy presents a major opportunity towards fostering a sustainable blue economy for island nations.

Ocean energy presents key opportunities for SIDS including the decarbonisation of the power sector, water desalination, aquaculture, shipping and cooling. According to IRENA’s recently published report Innovation Outlook: Ocean Energy Technologies, ocean energy in the form of tidal stream and wave energy are picking up at an increasingly rapid pace. IRENA estimates that around 10 GW of ocean energy capacity could be commercially deployed by 2030.

Several SIDS are already in the process of exploring and/or implementing initiatives on ocean energy ranging from offshore wind to solar, tidal and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). While some of these initiatives are at nascent stages, discussions at the Forum focused on amplifying innovation, capacity building, knowledge and technology transfer that will support SIDS in overcoming the challenges associated with the development of sustainable ocean energy.

Despite the growing potential of ocean energy, major challenges remain for SIDS. In particular, funding is needed to move from proven concepts to commercial or public power generation. The investment and capacity building needs of SIDS will also need greater engagement and support from the private sector and international development banks.

To address financing gaps, the Forum discussed possible paths including innovative financing mechanisms to encourage private sector and public investment in ocean energy technologies with the assistance of development partners already keen to support such initiatives like the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

In his closing remarks, the President and CEO of the World Ocean Council, Mr Paul Holthus, highlighted that sufficient data, appropriate policies and enabling frameworks, climate resilient ocean energy infrastructure and affordable technologies as well as enhanced financial viability of projects will remain crucial for the successful development and use of ocean energy for SIDS.

Ends/

Notes:

Mechanisms like the SIDS-GBN, SIDS Lighthouses Initiative the SIDS Partnership Framework and IRENA’s Collaborative Framework Ocean Energy & Offshore Renewables aim to share information on ocean energy and innovations to support SIDS in transitioning to a sustainable energy future in addition to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships. They help in contributing to key milestone processes like the Second UN Ocean Conference to be held in 2022 and the work of the UN Decade for Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Front Page Article:

Advancing SDG 7 in Least Developed Countries

HSASS — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 18:06:00 +0000

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A woman installing solar panels on the roof in Bhutan.

Asian Development Bank

Without urgent and enhanced action, the 46 least developed countries (LDCs) will not be able to reach the
SDG 7 targets by 2030. Despite the extraordinary growth potential for the energy sector in LDCs, these countries
rarely benefit from larger financing schemes to the same extent as other, more prosperous, developing
countries. Sustainable energy should therefore be one of the central thematic topics of the new 10-year programme
of action for the LDCs to be adopted at the Fifth UN Conference on the LDCs in 2021.

Ending energy poverty in LDCs will require a radical change of pace and massive investment in the next few
years. In addition, creating an enabling environment for investment and promoting attractive project pipelines
will require well-functioning institutions, as well as public policy and regulatory reforms to help build credibility
with investors and effectively scale up private investment.

Full Report

Photo: A woman installing solar panels on the roof in Bhutan. Asian Development Bank

Front Page Article:

Statement on the High-level Briefing to LDCs Group on Accelerating Sustainable Recovery with Renewable Energy

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 14:24:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

14 October 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Greetings to all.

We are here together united by our conviction and shared goal that we must advance the access to renewable energy in the least developed countries. We all know that access to renewable energy is crucial to advance almost all the SDGs.

In June this year, UN-OHRLLS together with IRENA, UNIDO and the Rocky Mountain Institute, released a Policy Brief on advancing SDG 7 on Energy in the least developed countries.

The findings are unequivocal. Yes, the LDCs have made significant progress to achieve SDG7 over the last decade but they cannot do this alone. The least developed countries need strong support from all their partners to scale up and speed up efforts.

The good news is, with the right policy frameworks for renewables and finance, LDCs can move rapidly towards a future of clean, affordable electricity for all.

The ongoing COVID pandemic has unmasked many inequalities. The pandemic has unmasked how we cannot separate public health from access to energy , to food, to water - in short, the energy cross-sector linkages are very apparent and energy access takes centre-stage.

As admittedly slowly countries move from crisis response to recovery, we now must integrate sustainable energy as part and parcel of recovery programmes.

We cannot miss this opportunity and this will help economies to bounce back quicker and build inclusive, sustainable and resilient futures.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Integral to this effort is that we must continue to strive for limiting the global temperatures below 1.5 degree Celsius.

Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our age. Two-thirds of greenhouse emissions can be attributed to energy-related sources. Renewable energy and energy efficiency form the cornerstone of the global climate mitigation strategy. LDCs need urgent and enhanced support of the international community on both these fronts. LDCs have contributed the least to global emissions.

We have together an opportunity to raise their climate ambition through enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and at the same time support job creation in the renewables and energy efficiency sectors in LDCs.

The deployment of modern renewables is lagging far behind its potential in the least developed countries.

Harnessing this potential is critical to leapfrog straight to renewables.

Let us be reminded of what happened in communication technologies. Many countries skipped fixed lines to go straight to mobile technology !

This leap enabled countries to skip costly infrastructure investments in land lines and move straight to digital technologies.

This triggered economic and social development benefits to millions and contributed to reducing poverty within and across countries.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Non-renewable energy capacity is growing faster than renewables in LDCs, partly due to lack of accessible finance. Thus, many LDCs have not been able to benefit from falling costs of renewables.

This does not have to be so. New technologies in off-grid and mini-grid solutions provide more cost-competitive options for improving energy access, especially in rural settings.

But it takes Innovative partnerships.

It takes investment in gathering up-to- date and reliable data on the energy needs and generation potential in LDCs.

It takes creating an enabling policy environment, legislation that are predictable and stable to attract investments.

The Malawi Energy Investment Study mentioned earlier by Ambassador Ligoya holds important lessons that other LDCs could also benefit from. The case of Malawi holds true for many LDCs. The case shows how critical capacity building and increased technical assistance are and particularly so to improve the pipeline of projects ready for investment.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The COVID pandemic is a game changer. It is up to us to now fashion recovery in ways to build inclusive and sustainable futures.

It is now that the measures to safeguard and promote renewable energy have to be put in place.

We need to create enabling environments, improve access to public finance as well as private investments.

The pandemic has grown the global momentum for a clean energy transformation.

We must capitalize on this momentum and accelerate the energy transition in LDCs.

I now look forward to the upcoming presentations and discussions on opportunities for strengthening cooperation with IRENA in harnessing the renewable energy potentials in the LDCs.

OHRLLS will continue to be by your side.

I thank you.

Front Page Article:

Statement at the SDG Business Forum 2020: Catalyzing Finance and Investment for the Achievement of SDG 7

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 19:42:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

23 September 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to be here with you and participate in this important discussion on catalyzing finance and investment for the achievement of SDG 7.

The least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states consists of 91 countries, with a total of 1.1 billion people. All three groups of countries face significant challenges across the three dimensions of SDG 7 - Access, Efficiency and Renewables.

Vulnerable countries are increasingly incorporating access to reliable, affordable and renewable energy in their national development plans.

Natural resource endowments including solar, hydro, geothermal and wind, provide these countries comparative advantages in achieving clean and accessible energy.

Despite the growth potential of their energy sector, LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS rarely benefit from large scale investments to the same extent as more prosperous developing countries.

For instance, public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean and renewable energy reached a total of US$ 21.4 billion in 2017. Only 12 per cent was directed to the least developed countries.

The success of delivering on SDG 7 hinges on a radical change of pace, and massive investment in the next few years.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of robust and sustainable energy systems in managing risks and increasing resilience. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on communities that are energy poor.

Linked to the recovery, there is a growing global momentum for a clean energy transformation. Working together with donors and investors, vulnerable countries can leapfrog to renewable technologies.

Ladies and gentlemen,

To achieve the goal of energy transition, it is essential to create enabling environments that attract public and private renewable energy investments. Well-functioning institutions, supportive public finance policy and regulatory reforms help build credibility with investors.

Innovative partnerships are needed and I would like to briefly share with you an example of this kind of partnership that my office has been involved in in Malawi.

In 2019, UN-OHRLLS, together with the Government of Malawi, UNDP and Rocky Mountain Institute prepared a sustainable energy investment study for Malawi, a country that currently has a very low energy access rate. The study offered a roadmap for the sector to develop and seek 3 billion dollars of investment from a range of sources, to meet Malawi’s national policy goals in electricity and clean cooking, reaching universal energy access by 2030.

The study highlighted the following key messages:

Even as private investment and blended finance grow, development finance will still continue to play a significant role.
Being able to implement quick-win projects can unlock further commercial finance.
There is a range of climate finance sources that are available to vulnerable countries, however, accessing these sources can represent a significant administrative burden.
Capacity building and increased technical assistance remain critical, particularly to improve the pipeline of projects ready for investment.
There are real and perceived risks that make it more difficult and expensive for vulnerable countries such as Malawi to access capital. Governments and development partners must work together to reduce risks through a range of measures.

While this study is specific to Malawi, it can also offer important lessons that other countries can benefit from.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Here at the UN, as we discuss how we can build back better after COVID 19, we see enormous opportunity in developing renewable energy projects in the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states. Catalyzing finance is a key to unlocking this potential.

The upcoming High-level Dialogue on Energy, and the Fifth UN conference for Least developed countries, to be held in Doha Qatar in January 2022, provide important platforms to further scale up action.

I thank you for your attention.

Front Page Article:

Statement at the Virtual Event on the Energy Transformation in SIDS

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:00:00 +0000

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

15 September 2020
New York, USA

Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you, Ambassador Martin Bille Hermann of Denmark and Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director General of IRENA for your invitation to participate in this important event.

More than ever, resilience building to climate change is a must and energy transition is a key factor in this including for building strong foundations for sustainable growth and development.

The 36 participating SIDS, all development partners of the SIDS Lighthouse Initiative and IRENA are true champions in the SIDS Climate Action.

Ladies and gentlemen.

In so many ways, 2020 is defining year and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a disrupter.

Beyond any doubt, in the years to come we all will experience fast and deep structural shifts and downgrades in global growth forecasts.

The pandemic has laid bare more than solely inequalities in access to health care. The pandemic exposes the many inequalities ranging from weaknesses in our economic infrastructures, inequalities in digital access, inequalities in accessing basic supply chains, inequalities in social safety provisions.

Energy always has been at the core of human agency and this pandemic has driven home once more the fundamental importance of robust and sustainable energy systems in managing risks and increasing resilience.

Small island developing states must be included in energy transition for three main reasons.

First, it reduces their heavy dependence on fossil fuels and exposure to price volatilities.

Second, it helps diversify local economies and the expansion of activity into emerging markets. It is a tool to move up in the value chain.

Third, it is not just the sustainable way to go but it can help build resilience in the face of ever increasing tropical storms and hurricanes.

A sustainable energy Guide for Caribbean Countries by SE4All issued in August drives it home.

In just one day, Saint Lucia lost 13,000 jobs – approximately 7 percent of the total population and 16 percent of the total labour force.

The same study argues that for every US dollar invested in the transition towards renewable energy, an additional 93 US cents of additional GDP growth above business as usual is expected to occur.

So, investment in renewables is the smart thing to do!

What has so far held investment back ?

A key factor resides in the high upfront financing cost of a renewable-energy infrastructure.

It is an obstacle for SIDS in achieving their energy transformation.

As I said before, COVID 19 is a disruptor and disruption is an opportunity also.

It is potentially , with the right support, an opportunity for SIDS to pursue their ambitious goals towards 100 per cent renewable energy.

The challenge before all of us is how do we go from vision to action?

Allow me to share with you some thoughts on key areas for accelerating action for a successful energy transformation in SIDS.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I think we can safely say we finally have a broad consensus in the international community that we must act NOW to accelerate the clean energy transition in SIDS.

It is key that governments and the international community work closely together to deliver targeted and effective measures to support the peoples of the SIDS.

Financing is an issue but financing is available.

The hurdle is in accessing that finance.

We must continue to advocate for dedicated funds for SIDS, including within the context of the International Financial Institutions. We must ensure streamlined, speedy finance access processes without of course compromising on transparency and accountability.

We must expand access to concessional financing for SIDS to complement their domestically financed packages.

In terms of the broader picture we must look into, I also must mention the issue of debt sustainability SIDS experience.

Currently, SIDS, like many other societies and economies, are faced with balancing short- term almost survival requirements with medium- and long term imperatives for sustainable and inclusive development paths.

I am sure we all would agree that we cannot postpone investment in sustainable futures.

The collapse of tourism, remittances, and other revenue bases is moving some SIDS from a liquidity crisis to a solvency crisis.

So, I reiterate my call for the establishment of a dedicated debt sustainability mechanism for the SIDS.

SIDS in need should have access to the Debt Service Suspension Initiative, which should be expanded beyond 2020.

Ultimately, what we are faced with is that we can not keep postponing the SIDS’ debt distress.

We must look into debt relief and address institutional inequities in the international debt architecture.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Finally, much more must also be done to strengthen regional collaboration and new partnerships.

The private sector is a key partner in the efforts towards realizing SIDS’ energy transitions.

The generous support from the government of Denmark made it possible for OHRLLS to initiate the SIDS Global Business Network.

That network is all about strengthening private sector engagement in the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway and Agenda 2030.

The upcoming 2020 SIDS-GBN Forum that OHRLLS is organizing together with Palau provides a platform to take discussions forward.

The Forum is a further opportunity to push the strong business case for energy transition in SIDS.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The task ahead is complex. There is no one size fits all response. In our global response package, we must ensure responsiveness to the SIDS’ specific requirements .

It is vital that we now seize the momentum to integrate our short-term responses and recovery plans with the medium and long-term goals on sustainability and resilience.

The investments we make over the next few months in responding to COVID cannot be short term, expedient band- aid. We must ensure their lasting impact on generations to come.

I thank you for your attention.

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Malawi Sustainable Energy Investment Study: Validation Workshop and Launch

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 15:42:00 +0000

Wednesday, 09 October 2019 - 9:00am to 12:15pm

BACKGROUND

This workshop marks the finalization of the Malawi Sustainable Energy Investment Study. The project was launched in February 2019 to articulate how Malawi can attract and generate the required investment to achieve SDG7, and leapfrog to clean energy, with a view to contributing to the objectives of the Paris Agreement and holding the increase in the global average temperature to “well below 2°C”.

Over the past 9 months, Rocky Mountain Institute has supported the preparation of the Investment Study in close collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy, and Mining. The study proposes a clear roadmap for achieving Malawi’s goals: increasing supply of and access to reliable, affordable energy, as a platform for industrial and socio-economic development.

The Investment Study makes a detailed assessment of the power sector and cooking solutions, identifying and prioritizing projects to create a pathway that will achieve Malawi’s goals. A least-cost analysis of potential generation scenarios informs an optimal approach, that reaches targets at the least cost to government and consumers.

DOCUMENTS

Background Materials

Other

Malawi Sustainable Energy Investment Study Briefing Note

tags:

Sustainable Energy

Least Developed Countries

Energy Access

Renewable Energy

Energy

Sustainable Development Goals

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Events

LDCs

Promoting Investment for Energy Access in LDCs (2017)

Anonymous — Wed, 03 May 2017 16:04:00 +0000

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Bangladeshi village celebrating as they display their first solar panel.

ILO Asia-Pacific

This report makes a clear case that there is an urgency in accelerating access to clean, affordable and reliable energy in all of the LDCs, and that this will only happen if governments, investors, donors and the private sector work together to unlock investment.

Dowload (English) (French)

Front Page Article:

Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - Sustainable Energy

Business Network Explores Ocean Energy Partnerships for Small Island Developing States

34971995566_c67d4ee269_k.jpg

Advancing SDG 7 in Least Developed Countries

9386865583_8d4ef8de76_o.jpg

Statement on the High-level Briefing to LDCs Group on Accelerating Sustainable Recovery with Renewable Energy

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

14 October 2020 New York, USA

Statement at the SDG Business Forum 2020: Catalyzing Finance and Investment for the Achievement of SDG 7

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

23 September 2020 New York, USA

Statement at the Virtual Event on the Energy Transformation in SIDS

Statement by Ms. Fekitamoeloa Katoa‘Utoikamanu, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

15 September 2020 New York, USA

Malawi Sustainable Energy Investment Study: Validation Workshop and Launch

BACKGROUND

DOCUMENTS

Promoting Investment for Energy Access in LDCs (2017)

bangladesh_ilo_asia-pacific.jpg

14 October 2020
New York, USA

23 September 2020
New York, USA

15 September 2020
New York, USA