Challenges

By looking at the moderate growth rates of sustainable energy product and service markets in developing countries, particularly least developed countries (LDCs), we can see that SDGs 7, 9 and 13 cannot be attained by 2030 in business-as-usual scenarios. The deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions remains hindered by a broad range of demand and supply-side barriers, including policy and regulation, qualification, knowledge management, as well as investment and business promotion. Regionally, energy transition tends to remain uncoordinated between LDCs and common barriers and opportunities are not addressed jointly for the benefit of all. Duplication, fragmentation and lack of regional agenda-setting lead to inefficient use of international funding. Moreover, in a number of LDCs the inability of the domestic private sector to supply quality sustainable energy products and services is questioning the inclusiveness of energy transition in terms of local job and income generation. 

Toward a Solution

To make regional cooperation a priority, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with various regional economic communities (RECs), and with initial seed funding from the Government of Austria, launched the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC). Since 2010, UNIDO has assisted RECs in the creation and operation of sustainable energy centres, which serve 38 of 46 LDCs in Africa, Himalaya-Hindukush, the Caribbean and the Pacific. From the very beginning, the centres have been in the ownership of the RECs. Under a joint platform, the centres implement South-South and triangular activities, projects and events.  

Soon the network will cover the entire African continent. In a historic meeting on 3 June 2021, in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, the eleven Energy Ministers of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) approved the establishment of the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Central Africa (CEREEAC) as a specialized institution. Under the umbrella of the African Union (AU), ECREEE (from the Economic Community of West African States – ECOWAS), SACREEE (from the Southern African Development Community – SADC), EACREEE (from the East African Community – EAC), RCREEE (from the Arab League) and CEREEAC (from ECCAS) will promote an inclusive energy and climate transition. 

GN-SEC contributes to achieving SDGs 7, 9 and 13, as well as Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) Priority Area 1, particularly in the field of energy. In particular, the IPoA sets a strong focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency, regional cooperation and the strengthening and creation of regional institutional capacities. The GN-SEC provides the RECs with a dedicated technical capacity to lead, coordinate and implement sustainable energy and climate policies in partnership with Governments and other regional energy institutions, such as the power pools and regulator organizations. The centres quickly become a platform for manifold domestic and international partnerships.  

The GN-SEC centres aim to address the existing barriers for sustainable energy product and service markets by promoting economies of scales, equal progress and spill-over effects between countries. Through cross-border approaches and methodologies, the centres complement and accelerate national efforts particularly in LDCs in the areas of policy, regulation, standards, qualification, knowledge and facilitation of investment and entrepreneurship. Moreover, they serve as a knowledge resource facility, and provide advice to Member States on how best to manage the transition towards sustainable energy.  

Some of the centres have achieved remarkable progress to the benefit of LDCs. For example, the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) has developed regional renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, which triggered the adoption of national action and investment plans in fifteen countries, most of them LDCs. Moreover, ECREEE has developed an internationally unique regional policy for gender mainstreaming in the sustainable energy sector, which is approved by ECOWAS Governments and is currently under implementation through national action plans. ECREEE has also established the ECOWAS Observatory for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECOWREX), the first regional sustainable energy information system in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

Another good example for triangular cooperation is the Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances (EELA) project, which is being implemented by UNIDO in partnership with the Southern African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) and the East African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREEE). The centres support the development and adoption of regional Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for lighting and appliances (e.g. refrigerators, air conditioning) in the SADC and the East African Community (EAC). Regional efficiency standards are a valuable tool to accelerate the clean energy transition and create economies of scale. The harmonized standards will have a positive impact for more than 450 million African energy consumers. As a result of the project, SADC has already approved MEPS for lighting products in April 2021.  

The GN-SEC has proven to be a scalable model that achieves global results with limited resources, particularly to the benefit of LDCs and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).