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Newsletter - December 2018
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Dear Readers,
 A year comes to an end, a moment to look back on a year of transition and make wishes for the future!
For REN21, this has been an exciting year with some major highlights: we started work on a new report series, the Renewables in Cities Global Status Report; the REN21 Community convened in November at the REN21 Academy for peer-to-peer learning and creating; the General Assembly agreed on the next three-year strategy. We have also launched thematic reports on Renewable Energy Policies in a Time of a Transition with IRENA and IEA and on Decarbonising Transport in G20 in cooperation with Agora Verkehrswende and GIZ. A new regional report, the SADC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Regional Status Report, produced in cooperation with SACREEE and UNIDO, was just released. And obviously, we have launched another outstanding Renewables Global Status Report which builds on the power of many.
2018 has also been a year of transition, not only in the REN21 Secretariat, but also for our reporting on the status of renewable energy. In view of the alarming climate change situation, there is a serious need for a reality check on the role renewable energy play and can play in responding to urgent climate and sustainable development issues. Major energy players note the great advancement of renewables in the power sector while simultaneously agreeing that it is insufficient. They also point to the lack of developments in key, end-use sectors such as heating and transport. The transition in the power sector clearly shows that there is no more need to prove that renewables are a key solution for the energy system and are fundamental in addressing climate change. However, a deeper, accelerated transformation is needed.
This requires a change in thinking: we need to evolve towards greater integration, across sectors and between policy levels. This means that we have to leave our comfort zone: we cannot remain in silos. The fight should be for sustainable energy, before we fight for energy efficiency or renewables. We all need to fight for renewables, before fighting for a specific renewable energy technology.
Energy is everywhere. We all need to bridge renewable supply and demand despite our different ways of thinking and despite the need to develop a joint language to implement integrated planning, policies and action. The renewable energy community also needs to decide how to include more players in the global energy debate, whether it be fighting for a social, just-transition, or facing detractors of the sustainable energy transformation.
All this is challenging and may make people uncomfortable, but it is also exciting! It is exciting, as there is fact-based evidence about the opportunities renewables offer. It is exciting, as there are many inspiring examples of countries, regions, cities, companies and citizens that are making the transformation happen. It is exciting, as there are stories to tell that paint a future that many want to see. And this is key if we want to build on the power of many, to create the necessary political pressure for disruptive change, for building political leadership, policies and regulatory frameworks.
I am grateful to be where I am; part of REN21, a global renewable energy multi-stakeholder policy network. Our collaborative, multi-stakeholder, reporting culture generates the fabulous conditions that allow us to bridge the renewable community with those communities of decision-makers outside the renewable energy sphere but who are relevant for the global renewable energy uptake.
My wish for 2019: that the sustainable energy community will work together over the course of the year with the objective of speaking with one, strong voice at COP25 to make sure that decision-makers cannot ignore the realities that energy efficiency and renewable energy play and need to play!
And finally, I would like to end this year by thanking my team at the REN21 Secretariat for their energy and engagement in this time of transition. And in particular, Arthours Zervos, REN21 Chair and the REN21 Bureau for their trust and support during my first ‘year’ as REN21 Executive Secretary.
I wish you all the best for the end of the year and many happy returns for 2019. May it be filled with many opportunities to accelerate renewables uptake!
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News from the REN21 Secretariat
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Vital Power of Many
 The 2018 REN21 Academy took place in Berlin 19-21 November. Over 160 members from the REN21 Community, representing 80 different countries met to discuss how to accelerate the energy transformation. The collective engagement of the participants made the event a real success; people were curious, enthusiastic and openly shared knowledge and insights.
Over three days, participants collectively addressed themes such as renewable heat, transport, energy system 2.0; topics all chosen as entry points for creating integrated energy solutions to enable the energy transformation. Participants shared perspectives, asked tough questions, innovated together and were guided by a programme that had been co-developed in advance with the participants. REN21 will build on this community spirit to help inform its work over the next three-year work programme.
Mark your calendars for 2020, when the next REN21 Academy will be held. Until then, watch the video, see the photos, review the programme and download the presentations. A report documenting the outcomes of the REN21 Academy will be available in early 2019. |
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Faces of the REN21 Community
 Want to know who makes up the REN21 Community? Check out REN21’s new Instagram account. Here you will find photos of our Community, taken over the course of the REN21 Academy. We will continue to populate this page with new photos and images. Follow us and discover what people are thinking about renewables, REN21 and the REN21 Community. |
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Help us Develop our Next Instagram Campaign
 Share political, rhetorical and funny cartoons on renewables and climate change for our next Instagram campaign. They can be in any language and from any where. Just make sure to send us an accompanying translation in English.
Send your cartoons to us here at the Secretariat and keep your eyes peeled! |
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REN21@COP24
 REN21 was active again at the climate talks, held this year in Katowice, Poland. REN21 was asked to present at various events, including those hosted by the OECD, IEA, GEIDCO, SLoCaT, European Bioenergy Council and UN DESA. We participated in a press conferences on solar cookers and on transport and cooperated with the World Future Council and IASS on a joint, official side event “Delivering Renewables at Scale: A must to meet the Paris Agreement”. REN21 also signed an MOU with the Solar Impulse Foundation, which has the aim of identifying 1000 solutions that protect the environment in a profitable way and awarding them the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label. If you would like to be a technology reviewer for this process, then please subscribe here. |
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Decarbonising Transport in the G20
 CO 2 emissions from transport are still rising. If immediate action is not taken, more radical measures will be unavoidable in the future. This is the conclusion from the newly released joint report by the Berlin-based, think-tank Agora Verkehrswende, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ( GIZ), and REN21.
Towards Decarbonising Transport – A 2018 Stocktake on Sectoral Ambition in the G20 provides a summary for each G20 nation, including data on CO 2 emission trends in the national transport sector, climate policy targets and measures for lowering emissions. The data makes clear that only three countries from the G20 have set targets for reducing emissions in the transport sector: Germany, France and Japan. You can download the report here. |
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Building and Bridging the Energy Transition
 The Transport and Climate Change Global Status Report (TCC-GSR) is now out! The report intends to help ensure that low-carbon transport is a central strategy in climate action activities. It is a resource for policy-makers to raise ambition on climate mitigation and adaptation in sustainable transport plans and programmes.
The TCC-GSR describes recent trends in transport demand emissions, illustrates recent policy targets and measures across several transport sub-sectors, and sets a baseline from which to demonstrate the potential of transport to make a proportional contribution to the 1.5-degree scenario.
REN21 was special advisor to this new SLoCaT publication. The TCC-GSR builds on the structure and process that has made the Renewables Global Status Report series the industry standard on the status of renewables. REN21 and SLoCaT will continue to work together to ensure that renewables are integrated in the decarbonisation of the transport sector. |
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Renewables Rising in Southern Africa
 Want to know about the latest renewable energy and energy efficiency developments in Southern Africa? Consult the newly released SADC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Report, produced in cooperation SACREEE, the SADC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Center, based in Namibia.
Building on the 2015 edition, the report looks at national and regional policy, market and investment developments. While the region has seen progress in the power sector, uptake of renewables in the transport and heating sectors lag significantly, mirroring trends seen elsewhere in the world. |
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Asia in Focus
 Its official! The 2019 International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) will be held in Seoul, South Korea.
On 5 November, REN21 and the Korean Ministry of Technology, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) formalised their partnership for the 8 th IREC. Titled KIREC – Seoul 2019, this will be the first IREC where both a national government and a city government (Municipality of Seoul) are cooperating to develop the IREC programme. This partnership reflects the growing importance of cities in the renewable energy transition and their role in vertical policy integration.
The event will take place 23-26 October 2019. More information about the event, registration etc., will be made available in our next newsletter (March 2019). In the meantime, mark your calendars and practice saying “yeoboseyo” (“hello” in Korean). |
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Tracking Developments in Asia
 Development of a new regional status report is underway! The Asia and the Pacific Renewable Energy Status Report will look at renewable energy developments across the Asian continent. Covering 18 countries ranging from Georgia in the West to Tonga in the East, the report will look at sub-regional developments. A set of common indicators will allow readers to compare developments across sub-regions. The report will be a key input to KIREC – Seoul 2019 so will be available October 2019.
If you are interested in providing data or reviewing text, please complete this Expression of Interest. |
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Renewables in Cities Global Status Report
 REN21 is developing a Renewables in Cities Global Status Report series. It will provide a platform to collaboratively map out the current developments and trends of renewable energy in cities and to make the role that cities play in advancing the energy transition visible to policy makers and other stakeholders. This publication intends to inform and collectively shape the debate on cities in the energy transition. It is also a starting point to linking cities, in a more holistic way, to the energy debate.
This publication builds on the success and lessons learned in producing the Renewables Global Status Report series. Join the data collection to collectively advance the energy transition in cities. To learn more about this work, click here or email us. |
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Ready, Set, Review!
 The first set of chapters of the Renewables 2019 Global Status Report will soon be ready for review. Reviewers will be asked to comment on the following:
--Energy Efficiency chapter
--Systems Integration & Enabling Technologies chapter
--Policy Landscape chapter and data tables
--Distributed Renewables for Energy Access (DREA) chapter
--DREA dataset, in collaboration with IRENA
The peer review will take place 8-20 January 2019. Please save the date! Should you wish to contribute and are NEW to this process, then please complete the following Expression of Interest form so we can include you in the process. |
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REN21 and the Holiday Season
 The REN21 Secretariat will be closed 24-26 December in celebration of the Christmas holidays. As staff will be with their families at various times over the holiday period, please direct any questions (24 Dec. 2018 - 6 Jan. 2019) to secretariat@ren21.net. Thank you!
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New Reading: RISE 2018 - Policy Matters
 The World Bank, with support from its Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) has launched the 2018 edition of Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE): Policy Matters.
The report finds that in the past decade, the number of countries with strong policy frameworks for sustainable energy has more than tripled since 2010, with a dramatic increase in the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency targets. However, it warns that the world, as a whole, is only about half-way towards the adoption of advanced policy frameworks for sustainable energy, leaving significant room for improvement in order to reach global climate goals and the sustainable energy goal on energy (SDG7).
RISE 2018: Policy Matters — a global stocktaking of policies and regulations to achieve SDG7 – measures country-level adoption of policies and regulations for electricity access, clean cooking, renewable energy and energy efficiency. With indicators covering 133 countries and representing 97 percent of the world’s population, RISE 2018 provides a reference point for policymakers to benchmark their policies and regulatory frameworks against those of regional and global peers and identify any gaps that may hinder their progress toward universal energy access.
RISE 2018: Policy Matters is the second edition of RISE which was first released in 2016.
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Visualise the Energy Transition in Japan
 ISEP Energy Chart is an energy data visualisation project by Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP) in Japan. The website provides – among other things – graphs of energy data on electricity generation and demand, renewable energy share in electricity, cumulative installed capacity (electricity & heat). The "Data Search" function provides maximum and minimum records of renewable electricity in Japan. The website was released in Japanese February 2018: the English version is also now available.
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Prioritising Clean Cooking for Local Development
 A partnership contract for the distribution and installation of Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS) was signed 18 October between JVE International and the Municipality of Tsévié located just 35km north of Lomé, Togo’s capital.
This partnership supports the uptake of cleaner, more efficient cooking solutions. Household energy is central to sustainable development and needs to be a central piece of local and regional policies. This is particularly important where the concept of decentralisation is still new. Over 8,000 households will benefit from this programme which includes raising awareness on how to access and use cleaner stoves and cooking in Togo. The programme also offers training and capacity development to the local youth and artisans who will, in turn, support the project team.
Over the course of one year, JVE International will distribute 7,500 mobile ICS, and will construct 700 fixed Nepalese model ICS. You can read more about this work here. The programme is part of the activities under the Program for Promotion of Energy for Development ( PPED) and is co-financed by the European Union and the Municipality of Tsévié.
The partnership supports the community’s sustainable access to essential services in Tsévié and the surrounding area with energy efficiency and JVE's work “Empowering Communities Program” ( ECP), which focused on reaching SDG7.
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Global Greenhouse Gas Goals Need Inclusion of Biofuels
 A landmark new multi-country report launched 10 December states that the world’s greenhouse gas reduction goals cannot be met without increased use of biofuels and bioproducts. The report also outlines the four biggest barriers that are impeding progress.
Creating the Biofuture was launched by the Biofuture Platform, a government-led, multi-stakeholder initiative designed to support the Sustainable Development Goals by promoting international coordination on the sustainable low-carbon bioeconomy.
The report states – in line with models and scenarios by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – that biofuels and bioproducts must play an integral role in the global energy transition, in tandem with other complementary mitigation efforts across all sectors.
The four biggest barriers currently impeding further progress are related to: 1) investment; 2) competitiveness in the current subsidised-oil environment; 3) policy frameworks; and 4) access to sustainable feedstock. The report adds to a growing international consensus on the importance of bioenergy, including IEA´s recent Renewables 2018 Energy Market Report, and calls for a reinforced international collaboration for the sustainable development of bioenergy and bioproducts.
To help further drive this collaboration, IEA will assume the role of Facilitator (Secretariat) for the Biofuture Platform, following the Government of Brazil’s interim tenure in that role. The report is available here.
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New Interactive Scenario Explorer to Visualize 1.5C Pathways
 IIASA and the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium ( IAMC) have made the scenarios underlying the recent Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publicly available in an interactive online explorer. The resource provides visualisation and analysis tools, making the assessment more transparent to researchers, policymakers and the public.
The scenario explorer is the first systematic and curated community effort to compile model-based climate change mitigation pathways in the context of warming of 1.5°C, the Paris Agreement, and sustainable development. The process of compiling and assessing the scenario ensemble was featured in a recent commentary in Nature Climate Change.
The dataset includes 414 scenarios for future climate change developed by more than a dozen research teams from around the world. These scenarios, which focus on limiting temperature rise to below 1.5°C or 2°C above pre-industrial levels, include information related to the energy system, renewable penetration, greenhouse gas emissions, land-use change, and other factors related to climate change and sustainable development.
The suite of assessment and visualisation tools is free and accessible to the general public. Policymakers and researchers in related fields such as climate finance can explore alternative climate actions and their potential consequences, to better understand mitigation options and their synergies and trade-offs with sustainable development and other societal priorities.
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Calling for More Ambitious Emission Reductions
 Fundación Renovables applauds the important change of direction in Spanish energy policy with the change of government in June of this year. However, Fundación Renovables considers the ambition of the Draft Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition insufficient and reflects a similar criticism of the EU's Winter Package. The Spanish goal of reducing GHG emissions 20% by 2030 compared to 1990 is inadequate, as is the 90% target set for 2050, which is not in line with the recent IPCC report advising a scenario of zero net emissions by mid-century. Greater ambition in renewable energy and demand management objectives coupled with efficiency and energy saving is also needed.
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GWNET Mentoring Programme: Apply now!
 Do you feel your career in the sustainable energy field needs an extra kick? The GWNET Mentoring Programme might be the right thing for you: GWNET offers an energy-sector specific, global mentoring programme for women in junior/middle management positions. The success of a mentoring relationship depends to a high degree on the compatibility of mentor and mentee, GWNET will therefore carefully select the best possible match for each mentee, drawing from a large pool of willing and suitable mentors. The mentoring programme runs for 12 months and will begin March 2019. For further information and conditions for application, please see the GWNET website.
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Bamako Community Power Declaration
 Over 400 people from more than 45 countries participated in the 2 nd World Community Power Conference WCPC2018 in Bamako, November 2018. Participants agreed on the Declaration "Community Power and Energy Access for All!" where, the free use of wind, solar and all other renewable energy sources for self-supply should be recognised as a true and natural right of all citizens and communities. This basic right should be provided by:
- avoiding respectively removing all kind of actual and bureaucratic barriers to the use of renewable energy;
- enabling and supporting citizens and communities to develop and operate renewable energy technologies;
- making renewable energy technologies available to all human beings;
- developing and promoting business models that allow and emphasise the productive use of renewable energy;
- supporting local, community-based investors, by making use of innovative financial instruments that help to close the equity gap.
The full text of the Declaration can be downloaded here.
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Inaugural Clean Cooking Investment Forum Highlights Sector's Growth Potential
 The first-ever Clean Cooking Investment Forum convened over 250 business leaders, investors, donors, and government representatives from over 40 countries to collaborate on the development of a global and sustainable clean cooking industry at scale.
Co-hosted by the Clean Cooking Alliance and Energy Private Developers Rwanda, the Forum amplified efforts to identify, support, and de-risk investment into businesses with the potential to massively expand the still-nascent clean cooking sector. Held in Kigali, Rwanda, 5-6 November 2018, the event featured targeted panel discussions, an exhibition of clean cooking technologies, and a matchmaking session that resulted in more than 200, one-on-one meetings between leading businesses, market development organizations, investors, and policymakers.
Representatives from across the public and private sectors expressed their optimism and support for increasingly prominent efforts by the Alliance and others to create a sustainable, profitable market for high-impact clean cooking solutions.
“This first Investment Forum has been a remarkable and visible start to that effort, but much more needs to be done,” said Clean Cooking Alliance CEO Dymphna van der Lans. “We look forward to ramping up our private sector engagement in the coming months, using our convening power to support models which can ultimately attract the billions of dollars in investments required to make clean cooking accessible to all.”
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India Distributed Energy Forum and Expo: January 2019
 India is the world's largest standalone solar market, but how will the market develop in the upcoming years as the Indian Government pursues ambitious electrification targets? Join GOGLA and our partners IFC Lighting Asia/India and Ashden India Collective in New Delhi at the India Distributed Energy Forum & Expo to get the latest insights into the market & showcase your distributed solar products and services to 250+ key stakeholders, including investors and government representatives. Learn more here.
Would you like to join the growing list of sponsors or exhibitors? Don't miss out and get in touch with Serra Paixão . The Distributed Energy Forum and Expo runs 30-31 January 2019.
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Join Us: 5th ARE Energy Access Investment Forum in Abidjan
 The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) is excited to announce that the 5th ARE Energy Access Investment Forum will take place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast 13-14 March 2019.
The Forum, supported by ECREEE and UNIDO, convenes public, private and other stakeholders to boost clean energy access globally and in particular in Africa, where 588 million people still lack electricity. To intensify the exchange with players from and outside Africa, ARE will also hold its Annual General Meeting in conjunction with the Forum the day before.
Building on the success of previous editions, the event will showcase the latest off-grid political and funding initiatives, discuss trends and innovations, and build win-win partnerships through matchmaking. Register now and get an early bird discount on the first 100 tickets!
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Solar World Congress 2019 Announced!
 The International Solar Energy Society is very pleased to invite you to participate in the next International Solar Energy Society (ISES) Solar World Congress (SWC) 2019 in Santiago, Chile 4-7 November 2019.
The Congress will be held jointly with the International Energy Agency (IEA) Solar Heating and Cooling Programme’s (SHC) International Conference of Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry. IEA SHC is a key strategic partner and is a co-Chair of SWC 2019.
Santiago is a dynamic city of seven million inhabitants, and in a country, that’s deeply committed to the fast deployment of renewable energy with the aim or reaching a 100% renewable energy. Chile’s SERC-Chile (Solar Energy Research Center) – a consortium of seven Chilean universities, as well as Fraunhofer-Chile Foundation – will host the event. All these institutions are deeply involved in solar energy research and development for Chile and the Latin American region. The event is also supported by Chile’s Energy Ministry, and CORFO Solar Committee, and a broad spectrum of industrial, research and technology partners. We invite you to submit your abstracts - the call for papers in now open and we are looking forward to your contribution!
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Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue: Mark your Calendars
 High-level policymakers, energy experts and leaders from industry, science and civil society from around the world will gather 9-10 April 2019 at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, the capital of the Energiewende. Since its inception in 2015, the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue ( BETD) has become a leading international platform which shapes the discourse on energy worldwide.
In 2018, over 2,000 participants from more than 90 countries, 40 ministers and state secretaries, and 100 high-level speakers came to Berlin to be part of the discussion. In 2019, expect to hear insights about the digital transformation, innovative flexibility solutions and efficiency efforts to lead towards “New Horizons”, the tagline for this year’s dialogue. The Energiewende will transform geopolitics and require solutions for structural change while providing huge business opportunities. Policymakers are challenged to provide the right framework to combine national realities with global goals. The BETD is an invitation-only event. Participation is subject to approval by the Federal Government. Non-German participants may register here.
You can also experience the energy transition first hand at a variety of events around the conference during the Berlin Energy Week 8-12 April 2019 by attending official side events, guided tours, receptions, workshops, B2G and B2B meetings.
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Upcoming Events
India Distributed Energy Forum & Expo 2019
New Delhi, India. January 30 - 31, 2019 | Event details
5th ARE Energy Access Investment Forum
Abidjan, Ivory Coast. March 13, 2019 | Event details
Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2019
Berlin, Germany. April 9-10, 2019 | Event details
ICCA2019. Vertical Integration for Climate Action
Heidelberg, Germany. 22–23 May, 2019 | Event details
ISES Solar World Congress 2019
Santiago, Chile. November 04 - 07, 2019 | Event details
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