COP 22 Low-Emissions Solutions Conference

The final day of the Low-Emissions Solutions Conference convened in Marrakech, Morocco, on 16 November 2016. Held on the sidelines of the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the conference discussed issues around sustainable power systems, sectoral mitigation opportunities and low-carbon policies.

In the morning, participants addressed sustainable power systems with panel discussions on leading the clean energy transition, and smart grids. These panel discussions looked at the future of the global energy mix, assessing how this is affected by, inter alia, new technology, innovative renewable solutions, new financial business models and policy drivers. The session on smart grids looked at how smart grid technology can serve economic and social development, and explore the challenges and opportunities this presents for the future energy mix.

In the afternoon, participants addressed sectoral mitigation opportunities and low-carbon policies. The sessions on sectoral mitigation opportunities included: industry action and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS); and climate smart agriculture (CSA) and innovation. These panels recognized that reducing emissions are crucial for maintaining competitiveness in a carbon-constrained future, and, in this context, discussed: approaches that different sectors are taking towards CCUS; and practical CSA solutions as a response to challenges such as deforestation, soil and nutrient management, and protecting smallholder farmers. The session on low-carbon policies provided an overview of the policies and regulations needed for deep decarbonization. The day ended with a wrap up of lessons learned and the pathways going forward.

The Low-Emissions Solutions Conference concluded at 6:39 pm.