The Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) hosted high-level representatives from 27 countries and the United Nations at its inaugural forum, held in Copenhagen, Denmark on 11–12 October 2011. The forum included sessions focused on public-private partnerships related to energy, transport, and finance topics.
The 3GF founding governments of Denmark, Mexico, and South Korea recommended that governments support the conclusions and recommendations from the various sessions and carry them forward into other fora, such as the Clean Energy Ministerial. As such, the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and finance are expected to receive particular focus in future international policy processes leading up to the third Clean Energy Ministerial in London.
Read more:
"Global Green Growth Forum sets paths for ambitious public-private partnerships" (Globalgreengrowthforum.com, 12 October 2011)
The Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership held its first workshop on 12–13 September in Washington, DC, to prepare for the future activities of the initiative’s six working groups.
The workshop brought together public- and private-sector stakeholders for the first in-person meeting of the GSEP working groups, with the objective of identifying the collective strategic goals and the work plans for each of those working groups. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry; the U.S. Department of Energy; and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy of Finland jointly hosted the event.
Read the full news release:
"1st Workshop for the Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP)" (Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, 6 September 2011)
A recent workshop organized by the Department of Energy of South Africa highlighted the challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs working in clean energy fields. During the event, Deputy Minister of Energy Barbara Thomson spoke about the Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) women’s initiative as a pathway for women to gain real-life, hands-on experience through team research opportunities in partnership with academic institutions.
Read the full article:
"Energy opportunities on the cards for women" (BuaNews, 25 August 2011)
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to lay the groundwork for an emerging partnership between NREL and the UN. The partnership will work to achieve a UN goal of ensuring universal access to electricity and doubling reliance on renewable energy by 2030.
The partnership will be supported by a variety of Clean Energy Ministerial/NREL technologies and resources, including the Clean Energy Solutions Center (an online clearinghouse for clean energy policy information), a new solar blanket technology developed by NREL scientists, and other innovations that could help bring electricity to low-income parts of the world.
Read the full article:
U.N. chief to NREL: Think bold and we will support your work (The Denver Post, 24 August 2011)
IBM will work with India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency within the Ministry of Power, a member of the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN), to create a cost-benefit analysis for smart grid initiatives as part of India’s National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency. The company will also produce a smart grid business case and methods for calculating the return on investment for smart grid projects planned within India and ISGAN.
The world’s urban population is expected to double by 2050, and smart grids are crucial to addressing the associated increases in power demand.
Read full article:
"IBM Teams With Bureau of Energy Efficiency to Prepare for India's First Smart Grid Project" (Telecomlead.com, 15 August 2011)
In June, the Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) initiative released for stakeholder comment a draft of the requirements for its 2012 SEAD Global Efficiency Awards for Televisions. This is the first in SEAD’s planned series of competitions to identify the world’s most energy-efficient appliances in specific product categories.
In the television competition, which will open next spring, candidate models will be assessed via internationally agreed on test procedures for on-mode, standby, and luminance. Manufacturers will be invited to nominate commercially available flat-panel television products for four regional awards (Australia, the European Union, India, and North America) in each of three size categories. Winners will be announced in September or October 2012.
The SEAD Global Efficiency Awards program is designed to help consumers recognize and make purchases based on energy efficiency differences between appliances. Subsequent installments of the competition will highlight other appliances.
Read more:
"When ‘Energy Efficient’ Isn't Enough" (Power Integrations, 17 August 2011)
Notice of Solicitation of Comments, Draft Competition Rules for a Global Appliance Efficiency Award for Televisions (Federal Register, 23 June 2011)
Draft Program Requirements for the 2012 SEAD Global Efficiency Awards for Televisions (Superefficient.org, 9 June 2011)
In March, the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) hosted leading experts from the public and private sectors at a workshop focused on high-impact energy efficiency. The session explored the potential for a variety of innovative initiatives to effectively harness public- and private-sector collaboration to realize major energy efficiency gains. The session also showcased the Clean Energy Ministerial’s collaborative initiatives related to advancing energy efficiency.
Read the event summary and watch the event video:
"High-Impact Energy Efficiency" (CSIS.org, 22 March 2011)