Energizing the SAMOA Pathway – Launch of the SE4ALL Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
Find here the Vienna Declaration on the SE4ALL Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres for Small Island Developing States in Africa, Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific an outcome of the event.
Download the agenda here!
VEF Side Event: Energizing the SAMOA Pathway – Launch of the SE4ALL Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
19 June | 17.00 to 18.15 | Hofburg Palace | Trabantenstube
The Energy Branch of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the SIDS Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Initiative (SIDS DOCK), the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are organizing the side event “Energizing the SAMOA Pathway – Launch of the SE4ALL Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)”. The event will inform on the status of the SIDS DOCK process and the network of regional sustainable energy centres for SIDS the Pacific, Caribbean, Africa and Indian Ocean.
The panellist will discuss the potential role of the south-south triangular partnership in the context of the emerging post-2015 energy, climate and development architecture and the Decade of Sustainable Energy For All (SE4ALL). The network will particularly contribute to the cross-cutting area of SDG 7 on sustainable energy and SDG 9 on sustainable industrial development. The outcomes of the side event will be presented at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), to be held between 26 June 2015 and 8 July 2015 and the following post-2015 and climate negotiations. The side event will feature the official launch of the network of regional sustainable energy centres and the “Island Women Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Network”. The side event follows a “Davos-style” format.
Side Event: Energizing the SAMOA Pathway – Launch of the SE4ALL Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
Moderated Discussion | 19 June 2015 | 17.00 to 18:15 | Hofburg Palace / Room: Trabantenstube
Moderators
H.E. Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the UN and H.E. Irene Giner-Reichl, President of the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE)
Panelists
Short introduction: Mr. Pradeep Monga, Director of the Energy Branch, UNIDO
Short key note: Mr. Kandeh Yumkella, UN Under-Secretary-General and SRSG for SE4ALL
H.E. Vince Henderson, Permanent Representative of Commonwealth of Dominica to the UN, Chair of the SIDS DOCK™ Steering Committee
H.E. Darcy W. Boyce, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Energy, Immigration, Telecommunications and Invest Barbados
Mr. Devon Gardner, Director of the Energy Unit of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Mr. Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), SIDS DOCK focal point for African SIDS
Mr. Solomone Fifita, Deputy Director (Energy), Economic Development Division, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
Mr. Roberto Ridolfi, Director, Sustainable Growth and Development, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
Discussant
H.E. Aliioaiga Feturi Elisaia, Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations
Mr. Stefan Scholz, Head of Department, Planning and Programming Development Cooperation, Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs
Technical clarifications
Mr. Al Binger, Energy Science Advisor of 5Cs and SIDS DOCK coordinator and Mr. Martin Lugmayr, UNIDO coordinator of regional energy centers
Group Photo
SIDE EVENT OBJECTIVES:
Identify SIDS priorities and provide input for the upcoming High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations.
Inform on the status of the the ratification process of the SIDS DOCK statute and the role of SIDS-SIDS cooperation to achieve SE4ALL and the SIDS DOCK Goals.
Launch the SE4ALL Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and discussion of its potential role to achieve SDG 7 on Sustainable Energy and SDG 9 on sustainable industrial development.
Inform on the status of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) and Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) and announcement of the tentative host locations.
Inform on the activities of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) as hub for African SIDS.
Inform on regional flag-ship programs such as the “Island Women Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Network” and a regional waste to energy program for the Caribbean.
CONTACT:
Al Binger, SIDS DOCK Coordinator, abinger [at] sidsdock.org
Martin Lugmayr, UNIDO Coordinator of Centres, m.lugmayr [at] unido.org
BACKGROUND:
The side event takes place, only a few months before the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in New York and the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris. The forthcoming decisions on the post-2015 climate, energy and development architecture will frame the future for Small Island Developing States and Territories. The Rio+20 outcome document reaffirmed also that SIDS remain a special case for sustainable development given their unique and particular vulnerabilities.
The Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), held from 1-4 September 2014 in Apia, Samoa, called for “Sustainable Development of SIDS Through Genuine and Durable Partnerships.” Twenty-one heads of state and government and 3,500 delegates attended the conference and produced the outcome document, titled “SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.” The conference called for innovative partnerships to empower SIDS to take full advantage of energy and climate resources.
In this context, the SIDS conference featured also the signing of the international SIDS DOCK Statute. By the close of the signature period in Samoa there were a total of 20 signatories from SIDS. The statute is currently under ratification. The innovative SIDS-SIDS mechanism is expected to play an instrumental role in reaching the needed economies of scale to transform the energy systems to more sustainable and climate resilient pathways. SIDS DOCK aims at catalysing the transformation of the energy sector of SIDS to increase energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and generate resources for investment in adaptation to climate change. In line with SDG 7 and the SE4ALL objectives, the SIDS DOCK Steering Committee has adopted the Island Energy for Island Life 25-50-25 targets: increase energy efficiency by 25 percent (2005 baseline) and to generate a minimum of 50 percent of electric power from renewable sources and a 50 percent decrease in conventional transportation fuel use by 2033.
To strengthen the implementation capacities of the new SIDS-SIDS mechanism and the SE4ALL initiative, it was decided to establish a network of regional sustainable energy centres for SIDS in the Caribbean, Pacific, Africa and Indian Ocean. In March 2014, SIDS DOCK, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with support of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Clinton Foundation, formed a powerful south-south and triangular multi-stakeholder partnership. In 2014, the partners executed a comprehensive preparatory process to determine the technical and institutional design of the centres. The process included the development of needs assessments and project documents, as well as validation workshops and stakeholder consultations.
The creation of the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) was adopted by the Pacific Ministers for Energy and Transport in a regional meeting, held from 2nd to 4th April 2014 in Nadi, Fiji. The creation of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE) was adopted by the Council of Ministers for Trade and Economic Development in its 39th meeting held from 3 to 6 November 2014 in Georgetown, Guyana. The competitive selection processes for the determination of the host locations of the Pacific and Caribbean centres are in the final stages. The UNIDO supported ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), based in Cabo Verde, was nominated as a centre of excellence for African SIDS. It is expected that the SIDS-SIDS network will be operational in the beginning of 2016.
The creation of the SIDS-SIDS network of centres responds to the urgent need for enhanced south-south cooperation and capacities to promote sustainable energy investments, markets and industries in SIDS. The islands share similar challenges and opportunities in the energy sector and there is plenty of room for exchange of knowledge and adapted technology solutions. The Centres will act as a regional hub and think-tank for sustainable energy issues and activities. They will address existing barriers and strengthen drivers through regional methodologies and tools. They will complement and strengthen ongoing national activities in the areas of policy and capacity development, knowledge management and awareness raising, as well as investment and business promotion. The centres will have a strong local identity, ownership and work according to local rules and procedures. They are closely linked to the regional organizations and their decision-making processes. They will form a strong global advocacy group for SE4ALL and climate resilience in SIDS.
Links: www.sidsdock.org, www.unido.org, www.ccreee.org, www.pcreee.org, www.ecreee.org
CVs of Experts:
Moderators
H.E. Inga Rhonda King, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ Permanent Representative to the UN
Ms. King who comes to diplomacy from the private sector has lived and worked in several Caribbean countries, North America and China. She is a business owner, business strategist, the author of three books, a management accountant with more than two decades of professional experience as a financial controller and has taught Mathematics and English as a second language. She is the immediate past chair of the Investment Promotions Agency of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
H.E. Irene Giner-Reichl, President of the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE)
She has been a member of the Austrian Diplomatic Service since 1982. She was director of the international department of the Austrian Ministry for the Environment and Austria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, IAEA, UNIDO and CTBTO in Vienna. She headed the UNIDO Office in New York in the rank of an Assistant Director General. From 2005 to 2012, she was in charge of Austria’s development policy and cooperation as Director General in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Since January 2012, she is the Austrian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia. She founded the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE) in 1999 and is Vice-President of the REN 21 Steering Committee.
Key Notes
Mr. Kandeh Yumkella, UN Under-Secretary-General and SRSG for SE4ALL
24 September 2012, the Secretary-General announced Dr. Kandeh Yumkella’s appointment as his Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and chief executive responsible for the planning and implementation of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Prior to his appointment, Kandeh Yumkella served two terms as Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Mr. Yumkella has also chaired UN-Energy since 2008, convening UN organizations working on energy issues. From 2008 to 2010, he chaired the Secretary-General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change (AGECC). Before, he was the Minister for Trade, Industry and State Enterprises of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Mr. Pradeep Monga, Director of the Energy Branch of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
An energy expert with over 30 years of working experience in the field of energy policy, strategic planning and clean energy technologies, Dr. Pradeep Monga is presently working as Director of Energy Branch at United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna. Prior to joining UNIDO in 2001, Dr. Monga worked with UNDP for over five years overseeing their energy and environment portfolio in India. He is closely involved in strengthening of global partnerships and networks on energy such as UN Energy, Global Bioenergy Partnership, REEEP, REN 21, and has been closely associated with the global initiative on Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL).
Panellists
Mr. Roberto Ridolfi, Director, Sustainable Growth and Development, European Commission
Mr. Ridolfi is Director for Sustainable Growth and Development at DG Development and Cooperation – EuropeAid. Twice Ambassador/ Head of delegation to the European Union, he was first in Suva where he served from 2005 to 2007. There he was in charge of all the relations of the European Union with 15 countries and territories as well as with the Pacific Forum. In 2011, he was appointed in Uganda by HRVP C. Ashton. In between, during his duty as head of unit of Europe Aid F3, he managed programmes dealing with Environment, Food security, migration and asylum as well as the One-Billion-Euro Food Facility in 50 countries. Mr Ridolfi joined the EC in 1994 and took up duty in the European Delegation to Malawi as advisor on infrastructure, transport and health.
H.E. Vince Henderson, Permanent Representative and Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Dominica to the United Nations
Dr. Vince Henderson is the Permanent Representative and Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Dominica to the United Nations in New York since March 2010. He is the chairman of SIDS DOCK initiative, since 2011. Dr. Henderson is also the chairman of the Government of Dominica Geothermal Energy Development and Negotiations Team. Dr. Henderson was elected to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Dominica for two consecutive terms in 2000 and 2005 and served as a Minister. He holds a Doctor of Law and Policy degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, a (master of laws) degree, an LLB (Hons) (Bachelor of Laws), a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a Diploma of Education.
Mr. Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)
Mahama Kappiah is the Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), based in Praia, Cape Verde. He was eminent in the establishment of the Centre which aims to ensure increased access to reliable, affordable and clean energy in the West African region. Under his leadership, ECREEE has attained international recognition as a unique regional renewable energy and energy efficiency promotion agency in sub-Saharan Africa. ECREEE was also appointed as focal point for the SE4ALL initiative in West Africa and SIDS DOCK focal point for African SIDS.
H.E. Darcy W. Boyce, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Energy, Immigration, Telecommunications and Invest Barbados
Mr. Boyce graduated from the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies with a first class honours degree in Economics. He is a Certified Management Accountant, holds an M.B.A in Finance and Applied Economics from the University of Toronto. He has worked as an Economist with the Caribbean Development Bank, as a Director of Coopers & Lybrand Associates, as the Executive Director of the Agricultural Venture Trust, as the Partner in charge of Management Consulting with KPMG, as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, and as CEO of the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc.
Mr. Solomone Fifita, Head of the Energy Programme of the Economic Development Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
He is currently the Head of the Pacific’s Regional Energy Programme, housed at the Economic Development Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in Suva, Fiji. He has served as Project Manager for regional energy and climate change projects for the Pacific Islands and prior to that he was the Energy Planner for the Kingdom of Tonga. Solomone was a lead author in the IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy, the IPCC 5th Assessment Report and was recently a Lead Reviewer of National Communications for the UNFCCC. Solomone has more than 25 years in the energy sector and holds a Master of Science in Energy Planning and Policy.
Mr. Devon Gardner, Head of the CARICOM Energy Unit
Mr. Devon Gardner heads the CARICOM Energy Unit since September 2014. Before he worked as consultant for Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and other energy think tanks in the Caribbean. He was closely involved in the creation of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE).
Discussants
H.E. Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations
Elisaia is a Samoan diplomat. He first served in the Samoan Mission to the United Nations in 1979. From 1979 to 1981, he was Acting Division Head, and then as Division Head, at the Economic and Aid Division of the Samoan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1981 to 1984, he served as First Secretary at Samoa’s High Commission in New Zealand. He was Deputy Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1984 to 1988, then co-director of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Samoa from 1988 to 2001. From 2001 to 2003, he was Assistant Chief Executive Officer at the Samoan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Stefan Scholz, Head of Department, Planning and Programming Development Cooperation, Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs
PhD University Vienna, Stanford University (Fulbright Scholar Program); The John Hopkins University Bologna Centre (Diploma); Institut Universitaire de Hautes Etudes International (Diploma); entered the Austrian diplomatic service in 1993; assignments: 1993-1994 Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations Office in Geneva, 1994-1995 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1995-1999 Austrian Embassy Washington, 1999-2002 Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations Office in Geneva, 2004-2009 Austrian Embassy Beijing, 2009-2012 Ambassador to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS; since 2012 at the Austrian MFA Head of Department for strategic geographic planning of Austrian ODA.
Technical Clarifications
Mr. Al Binger, Energy Science Advisor, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre
Dr. Al Binger currently serves as Energy Science Advisor for the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), located in Belmopan, Belize, and Science and Technical Cooperation Advisor to SIDS DOCK initiative of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). He is also a representative of the AOSIS on the Technology Executive Committee of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Dr. Al Binger is a research scientist with almost 30 years experience and training in diverse scientific areas. From 1997-2005, he was Professor and Director for the University of the West Indies Centre for Environment and Development (UWICED). He was Director of the Global Environment Division to the Rockefeller Foundation.
Mr. Martin Lugmayr, Sustainable Energy Expert, UNIDO Energy Branch
Mr. Lugmayr coordinates the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers. He works closely with SIDS DOCK, SPC, CARICOM and ECOWAS on the creation of regional centres for SIDS. For several years, the UNIDO expert was based in Cape Verde and assisted in the establishment of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and its technical program. A number of years, he managed the energy program of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and worked on international energy-development policy at the Development Cooperation Department of the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as well as the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE). He holds a MSc in renewable energy technologies and MA in political science.