Bulletin February 2017
EUEI Bulletin
Selected news and information on European Energy Development Cooperation
No. 8 | February 2017
Dear EUEI Members, dear Readers,
A new year and a new EUEI Bulletin, featuring the latest news and information on energy development cooperation. As always we are keen to hear from you – to profile your activities or pick up on issues which support your work, so please don’t hesitate to contact us!
We look forward to seeing you at the next EUEI Meeting in Brussels, currently planned for mid-March, and wish you a productive start to 2017 until then.
With regards from Brussels,
Your team of the EUEI support project, EUEI PDF
UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2017 (OVERVIEW)
- Power Tech Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; 30-31 January 2017 |Event details
- EUEI PDF Migration and Energy Discussion Forum; Brussels, Belgium; 31 January 2017 | Event details
- Sustainable Energy Southern Africa Forum of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership; Lusaka, Zambia; 31 January-2 February 2017 | Event details
- 2nd Mozambique Power Infrastructure & Renewable Energy Investment Conference; Maputo, Mozambique; 8-9 February 2017 | Event details
- World Sustainable Energy Days; Wels, Austria; 1-3 March 2017 | Event details
- Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) Trade mission to Rwanda and Uganda; 1-8 March 2017 | Event details
- ARE Energy Access Investment Forum; Lisbon, Portugal; 22-23 March 2017 | Event details
- Sustainable Energy for All Forum; New York City, USA; 3-5April 2017 | Event details
- Global Infrastructure Forum; Washington, DC, USA; 22 April 2017 | Event details
- Vienna Energy Forum; Vienna, Austria; 9-12 May 2017 | Event details
- G7 summit; Taormina, Italy; 26-27 May 2017 | Event details
- EU Development Days; Brussels, Belgium; 7-8 June 2017 | Event details
- Africa Energy Forum; Copenhagen, Denmark; 7-9 June 2017 | Event details
- G20 Summit; Hamburg, Germany; 7-8 July 2017 | Event details
- United Nations central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda; New York, USA; 10-19 July 2017 | Event details
- International Renewable Energy Conference; Mexico City, Mexico; 11-13 September 2017 | Event details
- UN Climate Change Conference COP23; Bonn, Germany; 6-17 November 2017 | Event details
THEMATIC SECTIONS
News from the European Union : With insights on the recent gender consultation and initial reactions to the European Consensus
In the Spotlight: G20 and G7 Presidencies, IRENA General Assembly and Presidency, and possible new approaches to aid effectiveness in energy
Opportunities for the Private Sector : Featuring the Arab Future Energy Index™ and simulation information on world biomass
Africa Focus: With information from Tunisia to Tanzania, opportunities for energy and migration, and challenges to Africa-EU relations
News from the Member States : Including the Maltese Presidency Priorities, and progress on SGD implementation in a number of Member States
Media Suggestions : Offering toolkits, webinars and online resources for energy (and climate) in development cooperation
NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
International stakeholder consultation prepares gender window under Commission’s ElectriFI programme
On the 7th and 8th of December the European Commission held a stakeholder consultation on the forthcoming gender window in its ElectriFI programme. The event brought together some 100 participants from around the world, including from public authorities, donors, financial institutions, private companies, NGOs, civil society and community-based organisations. The discussions and outcomes of the consultation will help shape the forthcoming call for proposals.
More information can be found here.
In related news: The European Investment Bank Group has adopted the EIB Gender Strategy, building upon an extensive review of and alignment with relevant EU legislation and policy documentation
Initial civil society reactions to the European Consensus on Development underline the need for action
The revised European Consensus on Development, published in November by the Commission, is currently under review by the European Council and European Parliament. On the 25th of January members of the EP’s DEVE Committee will vote on the report on the revision of the European Consensus on Development. Meanwhile, others working in the international development field have also commented on the proposal put forward by the Commission. Building on their previous responses to the public consultation, civil society organisations and others have reacted to the draft document which seeks to integrate the SDGs into Europe’s international development cooperation.
CONCORD, the European confederation of 2,600 relief and development NGOs, said that “today’s proposals must lead to real action”. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) described the outputs as a “glossy but incomplete package” of action and criticised the Consensus’ failure to sufficiently recognise sustainability as a cross-cutting issue. Oxfam described the proposed Consensus as “a sound framework for future EU development policy”, whilst also calling for “the EU as a whole to translate this ambitious vision into reality and prove that European policies can make a difference”.
Though these only represent a small selection of voices in the discussion around the new Consensus and all its complexities, they make clear that translating political ambition into practical action must lead the way forward – something which, perhaps, all sides can agree on…
For more CSO responses to the EU communications, including to voluntary national reviews, see here.
The original communication on the revised European Consensus on Development is available here.
European Union and EBRD intensify energy cooperation
A new agreement between the European Union and the European Bank for Reconstruction and development (EBRD) aims to broaden existing cooperation to a wide variety of other areas, including scaling-up energy efficiency financing, increasing investment in renewable energy, developing smart grids, and enhancing resilience to climate change. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by EU Energy and Climate Commissioner Arias Cañete and EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti in London in early December. The agreement also seeks to enhance Europe's energy security by further promoting the interconnectivity of EU-wide energy systems and by promoting nuclear safety and decommissioning, in-line with a comprehensive package of new measures published by the Commission in its “winter package” for a consumer-centric clean energy transition.
For the full announcement about the EU-EBRD agreement, click here.
EU signs €65 million grant with Zambia to improve access to energy
The European Commission and the government of Zambia have agreed a €65 million grant to support energy access in the country, helping to provide access to reliable, clean and affordable electricity services to at least 63,000 households, or about 300,000 people. Additionally, social and public infrastructure and eligible micro small enterprises stand to benefit from the agreement. Activities will focus on and around Lusaka City, a high population density but low income area, where the rehabilitation and expansion of the low-voltage distribution network will offer the benefits outlined in the agreement.
Further details can be found here.
The European Union Trust Fund for Africa: better choice of projects needed, an examination says
The EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (EUTF) was launched one year ago. A paper, published by the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) examines how the EUTF has developed during its first year and the extent to which initial expectations and concerns regarding the trust fund are proving valid. The authors conclude that current EUTF projects are not always fit for purpose, since they so far have a relatively traditional development focus - although more migration management projects are now being planned. The paper recommends a better choice of projects and an increased involvement of local actors.
For more information, click here.
Information about the EUEI Discussion Forum “Enlightening the Migration Debate: The Importance of Sustainable Energy Access”, being held in Brussels on the 31st of January, can be found here.
Germany’s G20 Presidency: High hopes for climate protection and global energy transition
In December Germany took over the G20 Presidency, and hopes are high that energy and climate protection will be a central topic for the forum in 2017. Under the motto of “Shaping an interconnected world”, the Presidency has set out three key pillars for its agenda: “Building Resilience”, “Improving Sustainability” and “Assuming Responsibility”. Making progress on the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement are central to these priorities, and climate protection and advancing sustainable energy supply will be focus areas, with calls for linking climate and energy policy more closely. Appropriate political frameworks, financing instruments and economic incentives for investments in climate-resilient infrastructure and technological innovations towards economically efficient and greenhouse gas neutral energy supply should be fostered, according to the priorities for the Presidency already set-out by the German government. The G20 Summit will take place 7-8 July 2017 in Hamburg.
For official information about the German G20 Presidency, visit their website.
For insights into the global energy transition and energy sector developments in 14 of the G20’s members, see this IASS study.
The Climate Diplomacy Initiative, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, also provides insights into the climate-energy nexus and the G20 in a recent report.
Meanwhile, with a series of high-level dialogue fora with CSOs planned as part of the Presidency, the WBGU - German Advisory Council on Global Change has published a special report, for the G20 Presidency on “Development and justice through transformation: The Four Big ‘I’s”, calling for the transformation of energy systems and high-emissions infrastructure to inspire innovation and increase investment in sustainability.
Italy assumes Presidency of G7 and of IRENA for 2017
This year will see Italy assume the Presidency of the G7, with migration and a geographic focus on Africa on the agenda. Energy will also be a priority issue and take on an important role during the Presidency, with renewables and security of supply focal aspects. In their Ise-Shima Declaration at the G7 summit in Japan last year G7 leaders promised to “formulate and communicate ambitious mid-century long-term low greenhouse gas emission (GHG) development strategies well ahead of the 2020 deadline”, underlining their commitment to the Paris Agreement and ambitious action on energy and climate change “so as to ensure economic growth with reduced GHG emissions”. This comes as Italy was elected to chair the General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and thus assumes its rotating Presidency in addition.
The G7 Summit has already been scheduled for 26-27 May in Taormina, and an Energy Ministerial will also be held then.
7th IRENA General Assembly pushes for progress in implementing the SDGs
The seventh session of the General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was held on 14-15 January in Abu Dhabi. Under the Presidency of Italy, government officials from over 150 member states and more than 75 ministers participated in the event. The Assembly focused on key elements to accelerate the deployment of renewable energies, including innovation and scaling-up private financing. Moreover, discussions at the Assembly highlighted the importance of technical and systemic innovations for the decarbonisation of the energy sector, and of increasing the ambition of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to help achieve SDGs 7 and 13.
This year’s Assembly was then followed by the World Future Energy Summit from the 16th to the 19th of January.
Cash on delivery: A new approach to guarantee aid effectiveness in energy?
Traditional development projects often follow a cost-reimbursement logic, seldom looking at impacts throughout the implementation process, and with little incentive to use funds in a sufficient and sustainable way – so the criticism of many development experts. This coincides with an increased focus on improving results and impacts.
A recent policy paper, published by the Center for Global Development (CDG) discusses how a distinctive approach to development aid - disbursing funds against improved outcomes - could make aid more effective. Cash on Delivery (COD) would see aid donors pay for measurable and verifiable progress on specific outcomes. CGD is working with technical experts, potential donors and partner countries to design COD Aid pilots and research programmes. A recent CDG paper explores the use of COD Aid for the energy sector, and outlines possible application for energy projects.
The German Development Bank KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) has also recently been looking into and summarising options for results-based approaches (RBAs) in international development cooperation. Under RBAs, donors agree with partners in advance on the funds disbursed for each “result unit” achieved. The partners have sole responsibility for the achievement of the results (ownership), and have a clear incentive to do so as cost-effectively as possible. The clear benefit of this arrangement is that the success of the project is guaranteed and, according to the KfW, donors only pay for results.
All this will not be new for those closely following the OECD’s (and the UK Department for International Development’s, DFID) work, which published an “Introduction to Cash on Delivery Aid” – a guide for funders – already in 2014. In that they profiled the first aid programme most directly inspired by the COD Aid model – a secondary education programme implemented by DFID and the Government of Ethiopia.
For general information and reports on the COD Aid discussions at CDG, see here.
UNDP premiere: Providing a comprehensive strategy for Sustainable Energy
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has published the “Sustainable Energy Strategy Note 2017-2021: Delivering Sustainable Energy in a Changing Climate”. With the publication the organisation outlines for the first time UNDP’s vision, mission, approach, guiding principles and focus in the area of sustainable energy. The publication also highlights the critical role that sustainable energy plays in advancing major outcomes from post-2015 global processes including the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the New Urban Agenda.
The strategy comprises three key action areas in line with the SDG7 target. UNDP’s approach consists of integrated interventions in policy, technology, finance, delivery systems, capacity development, community mobilisation and awareness-raising.
The full paper can be downloaded here.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR
Arab Future Energy Index™: Renewable energy report released
The Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) has recently launched the Arab Future Energy Index (AFEX), the first Arab index dedicated to monitoring and analysing sustainable energy competitiveness in the Arab region. It offers both quantitative and qualitative analysis on key renewable energy and energy efficiency markets across 20 Arab countries. Ranked by over 20 different indicators, the index helps to shed light on key energy market characteristics per country, including policies, institutional and technical capacities, strategies and investments.
For more information, see here.
Simulate to stimulate: Online data on global bio-energy potential available
A new online simulator has been developed by IRENA in partnership with the Abu-Dhabi based Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and with ValBiom (the Belgian “Association de valorisation de la biomasse”, association for biomass promotion). It enables users to estimate the potential yields of bio-energy produced anywhere in the world, with the aim of increasing private investment in this field. “Through the development and inclusion of the bio-energy simulator in the Global Atlas platform, we believe the simulator provides invaluable access to potentially transformative data,” says Hosni Ghedira, Director of Masdar Institute’s Research Center for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment.
More information can be found here.
Africa’s push for clean power may help EU migrant crisis, says Guinean President, head of AREI
A boom in African clean-power investment could help curb the influx of migrants into Europe – itself blamed for the rise in populism and the U.K.’s decision to quit the European Union – according to Guinean President Alpha Conde. “The big challenge for the EU is really immigration,” said Conde, who also heads the African Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI). “How can we keep our population in our countries if we don’t have development?” said the President, speaking at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos. The best way for European governments to keep young Africans at home is to invest in renewable energy, creating jobs and boosting access to power he outlined, drawing parallels with Guinea’s push for hydropower and solar.
Details of his comments at the WEF can be found here.
Tunisia announces Renewable Energy Action Plan 2030
Building on a number of previously conducted energy studies – and addressing the country’s lack of a unified energy strategy – the Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energy has launched a “Renewable Energy Action Plan 2030” for Tunisia. The strategy’s aim is to strengthen both national fossil and renewable energy resources. This will be implemented by improving energy intensity by 3 % per year from 2016 to 2030. The strategy also aims to save energy by 17 % during the 2016-2020 period. A renewables target has also been set: 30 % of Tunisia’s electricity by 2030 by installing 1,000 MW in the first phase (2017-2020) and 1,250 MW in 2021-2030.
The original news can be found here.
Lightning and understanding: “UMEME” guide supports African countries in NDC implementation through renewables
Countries are increasingly recognising renewable energy deployment as a way to reduce emissions and implement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) agreed to under the Paris Agreement. To support African countries in this, IRENA has published the “UMEME” guide. “UMEME” mirrors the Swahili word for lightning or electricity - but also stands for Understand, Measure, Evolve, Modify, Evaluate, the five key stages that policy makers are invited to follow as they use the guide. Financial and technical assistance, and online tools to assist policy makers are included in the publication. The publication builds on the outcomes of several regional expert meetings on climate change and renewable energy, held in African capitals in 2016.
For more information and to download of the publication, see here.
US$11.84 million to boost renewable and efficiency energy projects in Tanzania
The Bank of Africa Tanzania has signed a credit facility agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) worth US$11.84 million to boost renewable and efficiency energy projects in Tanzania. The programme will enable the bank to provide both short- and long-term funding at attractive interest rates. The credit line is accompanied by a technical assistance programme funded through the European Union.
More news can be found here.
Challenges and opportunities ahead: Report on Africa-EU Relations in 2017
The European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) has published its annual Challenges Paper, this year looking at the status and future of Africa-EU relations in 2017. Outlining changed priorities, shared challenges and possible opportunities across the two continents, the paper offers food for thought as policy makes on both sides set about shaping their partnership this year.
Read the full report here.
Additionally, the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative explores six overarching themes and priorities for Africa in 2017, in its Foresight Africa Report.
East Africa leads in clean energy, according to Bloomberg Index
Clean energy policies are becoming more widely adopted across sub-Saharan Africa, according to the latest report by Climatescope, the clean energy country competitiveness index drawn up by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Fourteen countries from the region have introduced renewable energy targets which saw their clean energy investment nearly double between 2014 and 2015, reaching US$5.2 billion. Kenya remains a global leader in geothermal energy, adding 58 MW. With this it raised its total installed capacity to 740 MW at the end of 2015. Ethiopia commissioned 150 MW of onshore wind power in 2015, nearly doubling its cumulative wind capacity since 2010. It is second to South Africa in terms of new installations.
For full news, follow this link.
France, Germany, Portugal and Spain
Four European countries – France, Germany, Portugal and Spain – have signed a joint agreement to establish a roadmap for exchanging electricity from renewable sources between Morocco and Europe. The aim of the SET Roadmap is to review economic, legal, regulatory and technical issues relating to the energy exchange, particularly looking at potential grid bottlenecks. While Morocco has strong renewable resources, exchange of energy between the continents could provide mutually-beneficial investment opportunities for all the parties involved, and generate a significant number of jobs. Electricity market integration between the MENA region and Europe could help relieve the challenges of grid congestion and curtailment of renewable energy. The electricity grids of Morocco and the European Union are already partially interconnected through Spain. This is expected to be strengthened further through a new interconnection with Portugal.
For more information, see here.
Germany
In January the German government launched its National Sustainability Strategy, with the aim of implementing the 17 SDGs both domestically and abroad. Part of the strategy is the support for projects which mitigate climate change, and which amount to 200 million tons of CO2 emission reductions, according to the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Ministry also wants to help African countries on their way to renewable energy production. Within the framework of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI), supported by Germany, it is foreseen to produce renewable energy in a quantity equivalent to approximately ten fossil power plants by 2020.
For more information (in German), see here.
Malta/Council Presidency
Malta took over the Presidency of the European Council on the 1st of January 2017 and has outlined its priorities for its six-month stint at the helm. Focusing on development, these include bringing about the new European Consensus for Development, preparing the new European External Investment Plan (EIP) for its launch at the end of June, and making preparations for the formal negotiations on future relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). The full programme of priorities and information about the Presidency can be found under www.eu2017.mt. Additionally, Dr. George Vella, the Maltese Foreign Minister, will present his country's Council Presidency priorities to the European Parliament’s DEVE Committee on the afternoon of Wednesday the 25th of January.
Netherlands
A coalition of 18 Dutch financial institutions, the SDG Investing (SDGI) Initiative, has recommended that the Government of the Netherlands and the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) accelerate their investments in SDG-related issues and areas. The SDGI sees the SDGs as “a catalytic driver for positive change” and considers it in the interests of their clients to consider the “largest societal challenges of our time in our work and investments.” Highlighting areas where cooperation with the Dutch government and DNB would have the greatest impact, the Initiative recommended four areas for action, including in the systematic deployment of blended finance instruments.
Find out more about the initiative, their recommendations and read the full report here.
Spain
On the 12th of December the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Spain launched the Spanish edition of the SDG Index & Dashboard in Madrid. The SDG Index is a global report which ranks countries according to their performance on the 17 SDGs, and is drawn up by SDSN and the Bertelsmann Foundation. During various discussions during the event, participants looked at where Spain stands in the ranking – 30th out of 149 countries on the SDG Index – and what ca be done to address the challenges the country faces, in particular on SDGs 13 (climate action), 14 (terrestrial ecosystems), and 15 (marine ecosystems).
Sweden
Sweden has been a partner in Uganda's energy sector since 1993 and is now reaffirming its continued support to Uganda's development in this crucial field. A new agreement between Sweden and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) will enable the UNCDF to scale-up its CleanStart programme in Uganda. This new phase addresses some challenges by providing a mix of technical support, marketing and awareness raising, grants, and by enabling access to loans for energy distribution enterprises in Uganda.
More information can be found here.
MEDIA SUGGESTIONS
Competition: Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) AWARDS 2017. Submit applications here
Policy Brief: ODI: Aligning Objectives - International climate commitments and national energy strategies. Here; Full Report
Toolkit: WorldWatch Institute: Energy Toolkit 2.0 - Leading Instruments & Methodologies for Sustainable Energy Planning. Full Report and Webinar
Online Resource: UNFCCC: TT:CLEAR (Search function for climate technology projects endorsed by developing country ministries and seeking support from technology needs assessments). Here
Webinar: Africa-EU Energy Partnership: Enabling Enterprise Development: A Selection of Best Practices in Harnessing Distributed Energy for Productive Uses. Here
Online Resource: UNFCCC secretariat etc. al.: NDC Explorer. Here
Report: Global Wind Energy Council: Global Wind Energy Outlook. Here
Report: REN21’s 2016 Annual Report. Here
Toolkit: GIZ HERA: Mini-Grid Sustainability Assessment Tool. Here
Report: German Development Institute/Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungszusammenarbeit: Ensuring SDG-sensitive development cooperation. Here
Report: IRENA: Renewable Energy for Islands case studies from SIDS and stakeholder organisations. Here
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