Second COP25 side event with WISIONS

The second side event at COP25 where the WISIONS team will be present, is organised by the GEF Small Grant Program (SGP) implemented by UNDP. The event will be an interactive panel discussing the opportunities of small-scale energy access investments to achieve Agenda 2030 goals. SGP COP25 Programme

Side Event 2
SDG Pavillon
December 6th, 13:30-14:45

“Transformative potential of small-scale energy access investments: linking community action to SDGs and NDC implementation”

With the current state of affairs, it is unlikely that SDG 7 as a policy objective will be achievable until at least 2030. However, the coming 3 years will be crucial for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Off-grid solutions have the potential to create the necessary impact for achieving the goals but, at present, only 30 countries are actively considering these options (RLI 2019).

In this context, this COP25 side event aims to highlight local community action and small-scale energy solutions, which often remain unnoticed or not considered in the national ambitions. Appropriate and proven local solutions are laying the groundwork of new infrastructure at the community level, addressing energy service needs of rural, urban and remote communities and entrepreneurs, who cannot be served by the central grid in case of electricity or centralized distribution systems in case of cooking and heating fuels. There is a wealth of good practices and experience among local energy practitioners that might make a greater contribution to improving access to energy and enriching the NDCs.

The event will feature experts and energy practitioners exploring practical ways of anchoring national and global policies and commitments in the local context as well as opportunities to amplify local knowledge and innovation through larger policy frameworks. The event will be organized in the form of interactive panel with panel member:

  • Carmen Dienst, Head of Research Unit “International Energy Transitions”, Wuppertal Institute, Germany
  • Willington Ortiz, WISIONS Regional Coordinator, RedBioLAC (Latin America)
  • John Kioli, Kenya Climate Change Working Group & ACCESS Coalition (Kenya)
  • Mara Gomez, Co-benefits expert, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Germany
  • Bahareh Seyedi, Global Energy and Climate Policy Adviser, UNDP

Moderator: Angelica Shamerina, Climate Change Program Adviser, SGP

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