Overview of meetings at/around the eleventh Council meeting May 2016 Pre-meetings, IRENA Headquarters

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1 Monday, 23 May Overview of meetings at/around the eleventh Council meeting May 2016 Pre-meetings, IRENA Headquarters pm pm Unlocking Renewables Investment: The Role of Risk Mitigation and Structured Finance Sun/Energy meeting room pm pm Reception on the occasion of IRENA s 5 th Anniversary Atrium Tuesday, 24 May Eleventh meeting of the Council, Sheraton Hotel, Corniche am pm Council meeting, Arzanah ballroom pm pm Lunch meeting: IRENA s Engagement with Islands Lunch meeting: Decentralized Renewable Energy: Impact on Livelihoods in Agriculture Suite 749, 7 th floor pm pm Council meeting, Arzanah ballroom Wednesday, 25 May Eleventh meeting of the Council, Sheraton Hotel, Corniche am am Breakfast meeting: Regional Market Analysis: Latin America am pm Council meeting, Arzanah ballroom pm pm Lunch meeting: Climate Change and Enhanced Renewable Energy Deployment Lunch meeting: Global Geothermal Alliance Suite 749, 7 th floor pm pm Council meeting, Arzanah ballroom Thursday, 26 May Innovation Day, IRENA Headquarters am pm Innovation Day Sun/Energy meeting room pm pm Lunch pm pm Innovation Day Sun/Energy meeting room

2 23 May 2016, 04.30pm-06.30pm IRENA Headquarters, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi Sun/Energy meeting room Unlocking Renewable Energy Investment: The Role of Risk Mitigation and Structured Finance Scaling up renewable energy requires significantly larger investment than currently forecasted in order to meet energy security and climate objectives. While renewables are increasingly competitive, constraints exist that prevent the private sector from picking up many of the existing investment opportunities. IRENA has been engaging with governments and the international investor community to examine the current financing landscape in the renewable energy sector. This work has culminated in a report which identifies the main risks and barriers limiting investments in renewables, and analyses various financial instruments and structures that could address these constraints. The report puts forward practical recommendations to unlock renewable energy investment for governments, international financial institutions and project developers. The report finds that investment in renewable energy can be scaled up rapidly to accelerate the global energy transition, if the right policy and financial instruments are used. Furthermore, the use of public finance would be most effective if it focused on unlocking private investment through risk mitigation and structured finance mechanisms. Building on a pipeline of investment-mature projects, these mechanisms could de-risk investments to open up new markets and structure larger portfolios of aggregated projects to attract funding from institutional investors. Through this meeting, IRENA aims to highlight the report s key findings and messages, to receive feedback and address questions, and to discuss practical ways to implement the recommendations. The meeting will include an introductory presentation by IRENA of the key findings of the report and an interactive discussion. Panel members will discuss their experience and review the specific recommendations contained in the report. Henning Wuester Director, KPFC (HWuester@irena.org)

3 24 May 2016, 01.00pm-02.30pm Sheraton Hotel, Corniche, Abu Dhabi IRENA s Engagement with Islands Numerous island states have been increasing their renewable energy ambition in recent years, some aiming for a complete transition of their power generation to renewables in less than five years. For islands, the transition to clean energy not only makes economic sense, but it also improves lifestyles, resilience, and sustainability. The economic and social motivators behind these transitions are further enhanced by the need to act in response to climate change as islands are on the front line in terms of its impact. The Paris Agreement reinforces the impetus and commitment to accelerate this transformation. International support to island states is thus critical in their efforts towards achieving a sustainable energy future. For the past three years, IRENA has collaborated with island Members that are pursuing an energy transition. The SIDS Lighthouses Initiative and the Global Renewable Energy Islands Network (GREIN) have provided the basis for this collaboration. The SIDS Lighthouses Initiative is a framework for action for Small Island Developing States and partners, to move away from a piecemeal approach to energy transformation and transition to a structured, holistic and sustainable approach, taking into account medium and long-term requirements and impacts. This comprehensive approach from resource assessments and target setting to project planning and execution along with capacity building, knowledge and data sharing, is one that IRENA implements in partnership with international, regional and local stakeholder organizations to ensure these transitions achieve long-term sustainable success. While there are many similarities between island states, there are also important specificities for each country, and tailor made approaches to address their needs are required. GREIN ensures that experiences are captured, shared and replicated among islands and similar settings. At the meeting, the Secretariat will present a status update on the achievements of the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative to date, future activities envisaged to deal with challenges ahead, and how knowledge sharing can be better leveraged through developing the Global Renewable Energy Islands Network. The presentation will be followed by a discussion among Members. Jennifer DeCesaro Senior Programme Officer, CSP (JDeCesaro@irena.org) Daniela Schmidt Programme Officer, SIDS Lighthouses, CSP (DSchmidt@irena.org)

4 24 May 2016, 01.00pm-02.30pm Sheraton Hotel, Corniche, Abu Dhabi Suite 749, 7 th floor Decentralized Renewable Energy: Impact on Livelihoods in Agriculture Agriculture is the largest employer in the world, sustaining the livelihood of 40% of the global population. Increasing productivity in the sector is widely recognized to be an effective way of fighting poverty and stimulating socio-economic development. The integration of decentralized renewable energy along different segments of the agri-food chain can bring substantial benefits to rural communities. In the pre-harvesting stage, renewable energy-based water pumping can increase yields, displace existing fossil-fuel based systems and expand irrigation in a manner that is cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Renewable energy can also be used in post harvesting activities for heating, cooling and motive power applications for food processing and preservation, thus maximizing the productivity and profitability of activities, including crop drying, milling, pressing, cooking and refrigeration. Building on its earlier work on Renewable Energy Jobs & Access, as well as Renewable Energy in the Water, Energy and Food Nexus, IRENA has analysed renewable energy off-grid applications in the agriculture sector and their associated socio-economic impacts. The study will be presented in the format of an interactive e-book that contains links to reports published on the topic, websites and videos documenting evidence of the ensuing benefits. Key findings of the study will be presented at the meeting, followed by an interactive discussion on efforts to support dissemination of such applications. Rabia Ferroukhi Head of Policy Unit and Deputy Director, KPFC (RFerroukhi@irena.org ) Diala Hawila Associate Programme Officer, Policy Unit, KPFC (DHawila@irena.org), Divyam Nagpal Junior Professional Associate, Policy Unit, KPFC (DNagpal@irena.org)

5 25 May 2016, 08.30am-10.00am Sheraton Hotel, Corniche, Abu Dhabi Regional Market Analysis: Latin America Latin America hosts some of the world s most dynamic renewable energy markets. Countries in the region exhibit some of the world s highest shares of renewables in their energy mix, mainly due to the historical deployment of hydropower and bioenergy. Recent trends point to an impressive growth in the uptake of non-hydropower renewable sources, in particular wind, solar and biomass-based electricity. Brazil, Chile and Mexico ranked amongst the top ten markets in terms of global renewable energy investment in Altogether, renewables already represent over 90% of electricity generation in a number of Latin American countries (e.g. Costa Rica, Uruguay and Paraguay). Growth in non-hydropower renewable energy in the region has been driven by the rapid decrease in technology costs and the adoption of enabling policies. Several countries in the region have been at the forefront of innovative renewable energy policy design. Uruguay and Brazil, notably, have implemented successful auction schemes to procure large quantities of wind power at competitive prices, while also supporting the development of a local industry. In 2015 and early 2016, auctions for solar PV in Mexico and Peru have resulted in record low prices globally. Given large untapped renewable energy resources and high policy learning curves among countries in the region, there is high potential for further renewable energy deployment across all sectors. IRENA s Renewable Energy Market Analysis: Latin America captures the wealth of knowledge and experience embedded in the region and identifies emerging renewable energy trends and important themes at the intersection of public policy and market development. The region s advanced renewable energy developments and policies bring valuable insights for other energy markets around the world. The report provides an analysis of renewable energy in the context of the region s energy sector dynamics and underlying social and economic trends. The most up-to-date status and trends in renewable energy development highlight their rapid growth both for power generation and in the transport, industrial, and residential sectors. The framework enabling such trends has seen a consolidation of renewable energy policies in the region, with instruments ranging from auctions for renewable generation, to solar mandates and blending mandates for biofuels, among others. Such policies, coupled with recent renewable energy technology cost reductions and broader energy drivers such as energy diversification and climate change, have played a decisive role in the rapid uptake of renewables in the region. In addition, the growing recognition of the multiple benefits brought by renewable energy in terms of job creation, GDP growth, local value, energy access and the water-energy-food nexus, have further strengthened the case for renewables in the region.

6 While the exact characteristics of the framework for investment in renewable energy are country specific, common attributes underlie successful experiences in the region. Chief among them is access to financing and cost of finance. Given limited financial resources, the ability to leverage on locally available sources of capital and to allocate risks between the public and private sectors in an optimal way will be crucial in providing additional finance for renewable energy projects. The significant participation of hydropower in the electricity mix of several Latin American countries creates unique opportunities for scaling up other renewable energy technologies in the region by harnessing a range of complementarities between hydropower and other renewables. Acknowledging the specific relevance of this topic, the report includes an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms through which hydropower and other renewables can complement each other and can improve the economic and reliability performance of power systems. This analysis can be extended to countries with lower shares of hydropower in their electricity mix through crossborder electricity interconnections. Renewable Energy Market Analysis: Latin America brings together lessons learnt and recommendations to scale up renewables in the region, by further refining the overall enabling environment, leveraging synergies across technologies and maximising the associated socioeconomic benefits. IRENA s regional analysis benefited from the input provided by Members and regional experts at various stages. Preliminary findings were discussed in an expert workshop organised in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) which gathered about 30 renewable energy experts from the region in Santiago de Chile in October An extensive peer review process involving about 15 regional experts and institutions contributed additional insights, and the main messages from the report were discussed with Members in a special event on the side-lines of the 6 th IRENA Assembly in January During the meeting, the key findings of this report will be presented. This will serve as a basis for a panel discussion on the prospects for scaling up renewable energy in the region. The discussion will aim to address the following questions: How are renewables in Latin America affected by the region s current economic slowdown and the fall in fossil fuel prices, as well as other factors? How can the socio-economic benefits arising from renewables deployment be maximised in the region? How can the existing complementarities between hydropower and other renewable energy technologies be efficiently harnessed? What policy lessons from Latin America can be most useful for other regions? Ghislaine Kieffer Programme Officer, Policy Unit, KPFC (GKieffer@irena.org) Alvaro Lopez Pena Programme Officer, Policy Unit, KPFC (ALopezPena@irena.org)

7 25 May 2016, 01.00pm-02.30pm Sheraton Hotel, Corniche, Abu Dhabi Climate Change and Enhanced Renewable Energy Deployment: Towards the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) The Paris Agreement established a process for bottom-up climate action that builds on countries priorities, circumstances and capabilities. A key feature of this process are national economy-wide plans for climate action the nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) for 187 countries were submitted prior to or at the Paris Conference. Renewable energy features in many of these as a means to achieve the mitigation objectives and in some cases to contribute to the climate resilience objectives. While the Agreement establishes an international process, action on the ground starting immediately will ultimately determine its success. IRENA is looking into the development of a comprehensive knowledge framework for the renewables component of NDCs to assist with progress towards implementation and ensure effective links to the transformation of the energy sector. This work started with a focus on Africa and will continue to expand to other regions, subject to Member feed-back and the availability of resources. 53 African countries have put forward INDCs, which cut across different sectors, with mitigation actions mainly focusing on the energy and transportation sectors. IRENA, in collaboration with a number of partners*, recently organised two regional expert meetings in Dakar and Addis Ababa for Western, and for East and Southern Africa respectively, to examine the renewable energy elements contained in African INDCs. These meetings brought together climate and energy officials, as well as experts from regional organisations, financial institutions and the private sector. Issues discussed included how to chart the process forward to translate the INDCs into concrete implementation plans and strategies that will see the expected action materialise on-theground as soon as possible. Drawing on the conclusions of these two regional expert meetings, as well as other ongoing work at the Agency, this meeting will highlight key issues for consideration as countries advance in their efforts to realise the renewable energy measures included in the NDCs. It will provide an opportunity to discuss how IRENA can contribute to developing a global knowledge framework to support the further development and implementation of NDCs and to obtain Member feed-back on future work of the Agency on this issue * African Development Bank, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Economic Commission for Africa, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, West African Development Bank, East Africa Development Bank Angela Churie Kallhauge Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change, KPFC (AKallhauge@irena.org)

8 25 May 2016, 01.00pm-02.30pm Sheraton Hotel, Corniche, Abu Dhabi Suite 749, 7 th floor Global Geothermal Alliance The Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) is a global platform for improved dialogue, cooperation and coordination between the geothermal industry, policy makers and geothermal stakeholders. It brings these partners together to work towards increasing the share of geothermal energy in the global energy mix through both geothermal power generation and direct use of geothermal heat. Through customised support to regions and countries with geothermal market potential, and through the exchange of insights and experience among key stakeholders in the geothermal energy value chain, the GGA aims to foster an enabling environment to attract investments in the geothermal sector. The coordinated outreach offered through the GGA will help raise awareness of the importance of geothermal energy in the context of a sustainable global energy future. Following the official launch of the GGA at COP21 in Paris, the Agency facilitated consultations within the GGA constituency towards the preparation of a plan of action for the alliance for consideration and adoption by GGA members. At this meeting, the GGA action plan will be presented to provide the latest information on GGA developments, to inform participants of its action plan and the implementation timeline of the planned activities, and to catalyse further support and engagement from interested Members. Gurbuz Gonul Senior Programme Officer, Regions, CSP (GGonul@irena.org)

9 26 May 2016, 09.30am-05.00pm IRENA Headquarters, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi Sun/Energy meeting room Innovation Day: The Age of Renewable Energy The agreement at COP21 in Paris reflected a global consensus on the need to accelerate the transformation of the energy sector. Countries have identified renewables as the foundation for a low-carbon energy system by 2050, on the path towards a zero carbon energy system in the period 2060 to However, a future with a low-carbon energy system continues to be far from materialising under the current business as usual scenario. Despite substantial advances witnessed in the electricity sectors of many countries, IRENA s statistics indicate that solar photovoltaics and wind account for 5% of the global net electricity generation in Current biofuel demand accounts for just 2.9% of final consumption of liquid fuels used in the transport sector. The share of renewables in the industrial sector is approximately 7%. These one-digit figures make it evident that the climate and sustainable energy objectives will not be met without immediate, concerted action to substantially increase the renewable energy share in the global energy mix by IRENA s recently published REmap 2030 analysis shows that a doubling in the share of renewables is possible, cost-effective, and economically and socially beneficial. The REmap 2030 report identifies ten key solutions for doubling the share of renewables in the global energy mix, including Research and Development (R&D) and Technology Breakthroughs. Efforts to develop, commercialise and deploy innovative technologies should be intensified. This includes innovative technologies that enable higher shares of mature renewable energy technologies, as well as new technologies to allow for renewable energy deployment in new markets. Scaling up the deployment of renewable energy technologies is also linked to the integration of these technologies into a dynamic energy system. In the power sector, addressing the variability in supply from solar and wind resources requires technological and nontechnological innovations - including new system operations to manage power flows and regulations like sub-hourly markets - as demonstrated by front-runner countries. Doubling the existing share of renewables in end-use sectors, such as transport, building and industry, will require innovation in, for example, infrastructure development, logistics as well as new business models for bioenergy. New industrial processes will have to emerge, incorporating electrification in a number of sectors, including the production of cement, iron and steel. Technology innovation is often a complex, non-linear process, which emerges through a network of stakeholders including R&D institutions, universities, utilities, government agencies and private sector companies. A successful innovation strategy necessitates both an innovation policy with appropriate funding, and an enabling business environment for the commercialisation of new technologies.

10 The Agency has been working on the innovation theme and has produced a number of tools to support the Members in catalysing and accelerating innovation. These include innovation technology outlooks for ocean energy, offshore wind and advanced biofuels; technology briefs providing key data for policy-makers; interactive web-applications, such as the patents and standards platform INSPIRE; and others. Over the next two years, these platforms for exchange of technology information will be expanded. The IRENA Innovation Week conference, to be held in Bonn from 11 to 13 May 2016 will bring together industry, scientists and policy makers to share information and define common action plans to accelerate the transformation of the power sector. The Agency will produce a comprehensive report on the landscape of technology innovations contributing to scaling up renewables deployment, facilitating decision-making processes on where to focus on R&D and system integration. All of these efforts aim at creating a shared common understanding of what could be achieved and where to steer international efforts in order to deliver the required technology development and innovation. Objective The objective of the meeting is to present the knowledge and technical tools developed and planned by IRENA to support countries in fostering renewable energy innovations. The meeting will also serve to obtain feedback from Members on how to make these products more relevant for the membership. The key outcomes of the IRENA Innovation Week will be disseminated and discussed. Members will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the Agency s innovation related work. Format The one-day meeting will include introductory presentations by IRENA staff and invited speakers, in addition to two panel discussions. The morning session will focus on the outcomes of the IRENA Innovation Week. In the afternoon, guidance will be sought for IRENA s Innovation Landscape Report, and two technology case studies will be presented and discussed. Both morning and afternoon sessions end with an open discussion, providing Members with an opportunity for feedback on IRENA s work in this field. Guiding questions for feedback to IRENA IRENA informs its Members about the landscape of technology innovations contributing to scaling up renewable energy deployment. IRENA may also provide advice to countries about implementing national technology innovation strategies, as well as supporting cooperation networks for technology R&D. Which areas of systemic, technology and operational innovation still deserve to be analysed? Where can innovation contribute to large-scale, transformational change in the global energy regime? Is the depth of analysis in IRENA s work products suitable to the target audiences? Are country and regional specific challenges and needs appropriately addressed? Ruud Kempener Analyst, Renewable Energy Technology Roadmaps, IITC (RKempener@irena.org) Francisco Boshell Analyst, Renewable Energy Technology, Standards and Markets, IITC (FBoshell@irena.org)

11 Programme: 9:30 9:45 Opening 9:45 10:15 Innovation Week Summary of plenary presentations on systemic, technology, and operational innovation Systemic innovation 10:15 10:45 Technological innovation 10:45 11:15 Operational and business innovation 11:15 11:40 Invited speaker 11:40 12:15 Panel Panel of group leaders (from the Innovation Week) and member country representatives discussing the relevance of different innovative solution for their specific energy systems, countries and regions. 12:15 12:30 Summary of morning session Conclusions from the IRENA Innovation Week for IRENA s programmatic activities 12:30 13:30 Lunch 13:30 14:30 14:30 15:15 IRENA Innovation Landscape Report Concept and plans to produce the Innovation Landscape Report Inputs from countries Technology Outlook : Offshore wind Presentation of IRENA s innovation study on offshore wind Q&A 15:15 15:30 Coffee Break Transforming the transport sector Electric vehicles 15:30 16:30 Advanced liquid biofuels Q&A 16:30 17:00 Summary and closing