6 June 2016

ACEF 2016 started off today with nine deep dive workshops (DDWs) and technical seminars, all with great turnouts and engaged participants. The auditoriums were near capacity and during some presentations, there was standing room only. Here are some of the key messages from today’s events.

Joshua Forgotson of the USAID LEAD Program described examples of greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting platforms in Thailand and the Philippines. Speakers at the USAID LEAD session at ACEF described the role that these governments are playing in providing well-documented platforms for organizations to measure, report, and certify their carbon footprints, and the emerging drivers for corporate participation.  During group discussion, participants highlighted the benefits of linking energy audits, and associated energy cost savings, with corporate greenhouse gas reporting programs. In the future, as markets for GHG emissions reductions evolve, there will be tremendous value in “linked markets” as the ultimate end game in GHG reporting.

"Greenhouse gas reporting programs are an essential foundation as countries move toward implementing their obligations under the Paris climate change agreement. You can't manage what you can't measure"

“The Renewables Academy builds capacity among bankers and the financial community on clean energy project bankability, showing how to predict investment value and mitigate risks.”

Dr. Philip Andrews-Speed
Principal Fellow, Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore DDW on Powering ASEAN: Can the Nordic Model Work?
“Interconnecting power across the ASEAN grid shows the potential to improve the security, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of energy for all. This deep dive workshop included a panel on how the Nordic model can help light the way.”

Karen H. Jacob
Social Safeguards and Social Development Consultant, World Bank: DDW on Reaching the Last Mile: Gender and Socially Inclusive Approaches for Energy Access
Karen Jacob pointed out that the many issues related women in energy access, affordability, alignment, and management. Jacob said that international research points out the important gender dimensions of access to energy services, and that energy issues affect women and men differently, as men and women have different roles and responsibilities in households, markets and their communities.

Alexander Perera
Global Director – Charge (WRI’s Electricity Initiative): DDW on How Corporate Demand for Renewable Energy Can Support Renewable Energy Markets in Asia
“Companies are now motivated to secure large amounts of RE globally. Multinational companies are looking beyond the USA for renewable energy opportunities. The discussions in Paris were a game changer. We moved from asking whether there should be an agreement, to establishing an agreement and taking the conversation forward to implementation. Large companies are reacting to this.”

Special Side Events on Wednesday and Thursday 8-9 June
There will be two special side events hosted by ADB on Wednesday and Thursday 8-9 June during ACEF week. On Wednesday 8 June, ADB and the International Labor Organization will be featuring a side event on Policy Dialogue on Skills for Clean Energy Transition. During this workshop, panelists and participants will debate the implications of the energy transition for the labor market, training and education policies. Participants will be informed of ways to mobilize employment, training and education stakeholders to prepare and facilitate implementation of national objectives in line with what can be required by the clean energy transition. The policy dialogue will discuss how the energy transition can reinforce three key socio-economic targets: decent jobs, fighting unemployment and poverty.

Then, on Thursday 9 June, the ADB Pacific Department will host a side event on Small Grids: Towards 100% Renewable Energy. This session will explore trends and recent project experiences.  Advances in grid design and falling costs for solar and wind generation, and in battery storage technologies, offer greater opportunities for small systems to reduce their reliance on fuel oil for power generation.

To learn more about these special events, click here.

We highly recommend that you download the ACEF 2016 App for smart phones and tablets to help plan your activities at the Forum throughout the week.  You can review and set your schedule, and connect with others in the ACEF community right from your mobile device. It is the quickest way to check on what’s happening in the schedule!

Step 3: Open the Guide, Check In, and start Interacting with the ACEF Community
Be sure to Check In as an attendee and start networking with other ACEF 2016 attendees. You can do this by tapping “attendees” on the toolbar on the left side of the App. Then tap “Check in to this guide” at the bottom. Once you have checked in, you can start networking with other by tapping the “Interact” feature on the left toolbar.

For more information and updates on ACEF 2016, go to our website at:
www.asiacleanenergyforum.org