18 April 2013: Leaders from the Clean Energy Ministerial’s (CEM) 23 participant countries have announced new actions and reaffirmed existing commitments to accelerate clean energy deployment, improve energy efficiency, and increase access to clean energy around the world. The energy ministers and other high-level delegates who gathered for the Ministerial’s fourth meeting (CEM4) also outlined progress on CEM’s 13 current initiatives and welcomed further work on clean energy finance to be delivered to CEM5 in the Republic of Korea in 2014.
CEM4 took place in New Delhi, India, from 17-18 April 2013. In a video message delivered at the meeting, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the CEM to build on synergies with the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative, noting that, “Both promote public-private collaboration. Both focus on energy efficiency and clean energy. Both call for urgent action.”
US Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the Outstanding Off-Grid Product Awards’ television competition, as well as a new international standard for solar lanterns and other solar-powered light-emitting diode (LED) lighting devices. The CEM’s Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (LEAP) is hosting a competition on energy efficient televisions, which will recognize awards for low-voltage prototype and commercially available color televisions meet demand in un-electrified and under-electrified parts of the developing world.
The solar lantern standard, with support from Global LEAP and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), is designed to expand access to modern off-grid lighting among low-income households in developing countries by supporting an international harmonization of quality assurance for affordable off-grid lighting and energy systems.
The Government of India announced that it has joined the Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI).
The World Bank announced the launch of the South-South-North Knowledge Exchange (SSNKE) Facility, which will work with the CEM’s 21st Century Power Partnership to share information and lessons on clean energy through learning networks and communities of practice, study tours and field visits, policy dialogues, peer-to-peer interactions, and formal training programs.
The meeting also reviewed the CEM’s key accomplishments over the last year, including: the implementation of action plans for deploying cool roof technologies in Mexico and India through the Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP); the fielding of 80 requests for policy assistance by the Clean Energy Solutions Center; and enhanced energy efficiency plans in the US state of Arkansas through technical assistance from the 21st Century Power Partnership (21CPP). [CEM Press Release] [CEM Press Release on Global LEAP Awards] [CEM Press Release on Solar Lantern Standard] [Summary Document on CEM Accomplishments] [Bloomberg New Energy Finance Presentation on Global Trends in Clean Energy Investment] [IEA Presentation on Tracking Clean Energy Progress] [UN Press release]