Energy ministers, business leaders, and policymakers will gather in Pittsburgh 21 to 23 September for the Global Clean Energy Action Forum (GCEAF). The meeting includes a joint convening of the 13th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and the 7th Mission Innovation (MI) summit.
This year, the US hosts have rebranded CEM/MI as the GCEAF to emphasize the need for rapid innovation and deployment of clean energy. Ahead of COP27 climate talks in Egypt and the Indonesian G20, the GCEAF is intended to demonstrate and catalyse concrete action on the energy transition.
In addition to ministerial meetings, the GCEAF will include business forum sessions, a clean energy technology showcase, over 100 side events, and youth involvement.
GCEAF in Pittsburgh – The key things to watch
- The Breakthrough Agenda report, launched by the IEA (International Energy Agency), IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), and the UN High-Level Champions for Climate Action on September 20, assesses the state of the energy transition across key sectors – power, hydrogen, transport, steel and agriculture, and highlights the urgency to scale up international cooperation across these sectors. The key focus in the coming months and years must be on improving the accessibility of support to developing countries, cooperating to create larger markets and boost demand for new technologies (e.g. hydrogen) and low-carbon products (e.g. near-zero/zero-emissions steel), as well as scaling up support for small enterprises and research and development to foster sustainable agriculture. CEM/MI offers a platform for governments to coordinate first steps on all these issues.
- Focus on implementation – CEM aims to help member countries accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies. Following COP26 and in the lead-up to COP27, countries will aim to demonstrate concrete progress toward implementing clean energy goals across a range of sectors. This year, CEM will launch a new workstream focused on ramping up solar energy worldwide, and additional countries are expected to join the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative.
- Need for rapid innovation – MI aims to catalyze action and investment in research, development, and demonstration to make new clean energy technologies affordable and accessible. Areas to watch include technologies necessary for reaching net-zero, including long-term energy storage, clean heat solutions, and industrial decarbonisation.
- Clean energy and resilience – The invasion of Ukraine and the global rise in gas prices point to the need for an emergency plan to scale up clean energy to improve resilience and energy security. Ensuring resilient and fair distribution of supply and value chains will be critical to delivering clean energy and will offer an opportunity for development and job growth. In particular, creating opportunities for developing economies and emerging markets to secure their position as new industrial centres will be key to boost local value creation and ensure the sufficient and fair distribution of the supply and value chains to accelerate the global transition.
- International cooperation and handover to India – Ensuring continuity of the CEM/MI agenda through an inclusive forum will be critical ahead of the handover to India, which will host next year’s CEM/MI alongside the G20.
Available for comment and background briefings
- Claire Healy, Director, Washington DC office, E3G
+1 202 420 0628 claire.healy@e3g.org - Max Gruenig, Senior Policy Advisor, E3G (Geopolitics, Diplomacy, and Security)
+1-202-550-9072 max.gruenig@e3g.org - Jonathan Held, Senior Researcher, E3G (US energy transition, EU-US energy diplomacy)
jonathan.held@e3g.org - Madhura Joshi, Senior Associate, E3G (India, Energy Transition)
+91 9650783893 madhura.joshi@e3g.org
Notes to Editors
- Tuesday, September 20 10:30 EDT. The UK’s Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) is hosting a discussion at Climate Week NYC, with expert panellists moderated by Kate Levick, Co-Head of the TPT Secretariat and E3G Associate Director; and a keynote speech from Shane Tomlinson, E3G CEO. Ahead of publishing its first major consultation, members of the TPT will discuss how climate transition plans can provide an essential framework to support the transition to net zero. Register here to join online or in person.
- Thursday, September 22 • 12:30 – 13:30 EDT – Through E3G’s involvement with the Clean Heat Forum, we are collaborating with the Rocky Mountain Institute, Regulatory Assistance Project, the IEA, Mission Innovation, and the UK government to hold a panel on innovation and policy measures needed to meet the global heating challenge.
- Friday, September 23 • 12:45 – 13:45EDT – In collaboration with the International Solar Alliance and the German Agency for International Cooperation, E3G will host a roundtable with key business leaders and other stakeholders focused on scaling up solar energy manufacturing, especially in countries and regions with untapped potential.
- E3G is an independent climate change think tank with a global outlook. We work on the frontier of the climate landscape, tackling the barriers and advancing the solutions to a safe climate. Our goal is to translate climate politics, economics and policies into action. About – E3G
- For further enquiries email press@e3g.org or phone +44 (0)7783 787 863
