Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

The Special Session of the 2018 Vienna Energy Forum convened on Monday, 14 May, in plenary session and high-level roundtables with the participation of over 430 attendees. The Special Session breaks the bi-annual cycle of the Forum in order to provide feedback on SDG 7 (energy) to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). During the morning plenary, focusing on the transformation of energy systems, participants heard Jeremy Rifikin, Foundation on Economic Trends, describing the energy transition as humanity’s third economic revolution, which he said was founded on the convergence of decarbonization, decentralization and digitization of transport. Panelists discussed challenges and opportunities in several regions, including energy access, energy efficiency, the EU clean energy package, and private sector considerations. In the first afternoon plenary, panelists addressed climate change and clean energy technology innovation, as well as how to empower and catalyze entrepreneurial eco-systems for climate innovation in developing countries. In the second plenary, focused on the role of partnerships in achieving development, panelists addressed, among others, interlinkages between different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), regional initiatives and centers of excellence in the energy sector, and the role of donors. The morning high-level roundtable focused on enhancing the participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups from developing countries in climate and clean energy technology and innovation markets. Participants discussed, among others, policy support needed to nurture SMEs, how to move from project-based to integrated approaches, how large companies can provide support for SMEs, and barriers for clean energy development. In the afternoon, a roundtable heard from the clean energy centers of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) and other regional initiatives on the role of regional approaches to scaling up clean energy. The last roundtable addressed socio-economic impacts of low-carbon energy systems, finance, and the potential for clean energy to catalyze industrial transformation in developing countries. In the high-level segment on powering innovation for prosperity, panelists reflected on national experiences, the effectiveness of policy instruments, and how the international community can help accelerate energy transitions. During the closing session participants heard about preparations for the SDG 7 review during the HLPF. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided digital coverage and a summary report from VEF 2018. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening Session From L-R: Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); Karin Kneissl, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria; Li Yong, Director-General, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Marie Chatardová, President, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); and Abdelrahman Ayman Ibrahim, Global President, International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences (AIESEC) Li Yong, Director-General, UNIDO Marie Chatardová, President, ECOSOC Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN DESA Karin Kneissl, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Austria Abdelrahman Ayman Ibrahim, Global President, AIESEC Li Yong, Director-General, UNIDO, with Abdul Hussain Ali Mirza, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Bahrain Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, with Abze Djigma, CEO, AbzeSolar High-level Segment: Powering Innovation for Prosperity Simon D’Ujanga, Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Uganda Waldemar Łagoda, Deputy Director of the Department of Energy, Ministry of Energy, Poland Philippe Scholtès, Managing Director, Programme Development and Technical Cooperation, UNIDO Abdul Hussain Ali Mirza, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Bahrain Dadan Kusdiana, Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia Plenary 1: Energy System Transformation: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing and Emerging Economies From L-R: Jeremy Rifkin, President, Foundation on Economic Trends; Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA); Edu Willemse, Public Relations and Partnerships Manager, Energising Development (EnDev) program, GIZ; Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All; Lamberto Dai Pra, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Australia, Enel Green Power; and Megan Richards, Director of Energy Policy, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission Rachel Kyte, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All Megan Richards, Director of Energy Policy, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE Jeremy Rifkin, President, Foundation on Economic Trends Mohamed Ali Alhakim, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, ESCWA Lamberto Dai Pra, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Australia, Enel Green Power Plenary 2: Climate and Clean Energy Technology and Innovation: Empowering and Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Eco-systems for Climate Innovation in Developing Countries From L-R: Harish Hande, Chairman, SELCO India; Tadej Slapnik, State Secretary, Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Slovenia; Pavel Kabat, Director-General and CEO, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); Stephan Sicars, Director, Department of Environment, UNIDO; Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Howard Bamsey, Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF); and Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Howard Bamsey, Executive Director, GCF Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, WMO Pavel Kabat, Director-General and CEO, IIASA, and Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC Harish Hande, Chairman, SELCO India Tadej Slapnik, State Secretary, Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Slovenia Stephan Sicars, Director, Department of Environment, UNIDO Plenary 3: Delivering Prosperity through Partnerships: North-South and South-South Technology Cooperation From L-R: Dirk Fransaer, Managing Director, Flemish Institute for Technological Research; André Faaij, Professor, University of Groningen; Robert Zeiner, Director of International Programmes and Projects, Austrian Development Agency; and Christine Lins, Co-Founder, Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition Peter Traupmann, Managing Director, Austrian Energy Agency Irene Giner-Reichl, President, Global Forum on Sustainable Energy Alexandre Pinho, Global Lead for the UN, Microsoft Round Table 1: Enhancing the Participation of SMEs and Start-ups from Developing Countries in the Growing Markets for Climate and Clean Energy Technology and Innovation Nisha Pillai, International moderator and Journalist Leena Srivastava, Vice-Chancellor and Professor, TERI University Habiba Ali, Managing Director and CEO, Sosai Renewable Energies Company Vijay Modi, The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and Dennis Pamlin, Senior Advisor, Research Institute Sweden Faris Hasan, Director, OPEC Fund for International Development, and Paul S. Horwitz, Strategic Planning Consultant, Green Climate Fund Round Table 2: A “New Deal” for Economies of Scale and Inclusiveness - The Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) From L-R: Christine Lins, Co-Founder, Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition; Robert Zeiner, Director, Programmes and Projects International, Austrian Development Agency; Albert Binger, Secretary-General, Small Island Developing States Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience International Organization; Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO; and Igor Barat, Director, European Regional Office, International Investment Bank Solomone Fifita, Manager, Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Radia Sedaoui, Chief Energy, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia Mark Lister, Head, Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, and Yan Huang, Deputy Chief Engineer, Chang Jiang Survey Planning Design Research Co., Ltd. Berthold Breid, CEO, The Renewables Academy, and Benedikt Hoskuldsson, Partnerships Lead, Sustainable Energy for All Round Table 3: Emerging Low-carbon Energy Systems as a Catalyst for Industrial Transformation in Developing Countries From L-R: Miquel Muñoz Cabré, IISD; Cecilia, Ugaz Estrada, Director, Department of Policy Research and Statistics, UNIDO; Edu Willemse, Public Relations and Partnerships Manager, EnDev program, GIZ; Carsten Hellpap, Programme Manager, Energising Development Partnership, German Corporation for International Cooperation; and Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO Rana Ghoneim and Mark Draeck, Energy and Climate Change Branch, UNIDO Roberto Ridolfi, Special Advisor on Strategy and Financing Development, Food and Agriculture Organization, and Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director-General and Deputy CEO, IIASA Rana Adib, Executive Secretary, Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, and Tarek Al-Amad, CEO, European Jordanian Renewable Energy Projects Abze Djigma, CEO, AbzeSolar, and Scott Foster, Director, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE Closing Session Tareq Emtairah, Director, Department of Energy, UNIDO Minoru Takada, Team Leader (Sustainable Energy), Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN DESA Between Sessions

On the third and final day of the Forum, the daily Wake-Up Call challenged panelists to consider universal energy access in the context of sustainability, suggesting achievement of the SDGs will force trade-offs in an uneven playing field. During the session on Marshalling the Evidence, panelists provided practical and inspirational examples that showcased the tangible benefits of energy, and H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Founder and CEO of AbzeSola, and Ambassador of Burkina Faso for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, noted the importance of women’s empowerment in accelerating progress. In the session on putting Knowledge into Action, leaders highlighted how energy services help generate jobs, improve education and health, enable businesses to grow, and create new markets. During the lunch-time Deep Dive sessions, leaders focused on: leveling the playing field by addressing issues of affordability; unlocking the opportunities at the bottom of the pyramid in low-income countries; and increasing productivity through decentralized solutions. During the afternoon, the Partner Working Sessions showcased: the SHINE initiative – investing in energy access for all; integrating sustainable energy into humanitarian relief as an opportunity for local markets and SEforAll goals; developing partnerships to integrate energy resources and last-mile access for income generation; a People-centered Accelerator to advance gender equality, social inclusion and women’s empowerment in the sustainable energy sector; making the case for greater investment in health facility electrification; and the role of off-grid solar solutions in meeting the needs of underserved households. The Forum closed with UNGA President Peter Thomson and SEforAll CEO Rachel Kyte providing concluding remarks. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the 3rd SEforAll Forum. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has produced a summary report of the Forum in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. The Wake-Up Call (L-R): Steve Howard, Co-Chair of We Mean Business, Campaigner, Business Leader, and Former Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Group; Laura Tuck, Vice President, Sustainable Development, World Bank; Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA); and Martin Shearman, Ambassador for Development and Human Rights, United Kingdom (UK) Steve Howard, Co-Chair of We Mean Business, Campaigner, Business Leader, and Former Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Group Laura Tuck, Vice President, Sustainable Development, World Bank Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA Martin Shearman, Ambassador for Development and Human Rights, UK Marshalling the Evidence Participants watched an introductory video about the event (L-R): Riccardo Puliti, Senior Director, Energy and Extractives, World Bank; Princess Abze Djigma, Founder and CEO, AbzeSolar S.A., and Ambassador of Burkina Faso for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; Aaron Leopold, Global Energy Representative, Practical Action; Martin Kariongi Ole Sanago, Founder, Institute for Orkonerei Pastoralists Advancement (IOPA); Anish Thakkar, Co-Founder, Greenlight Planet Inc.; and Niru Shrestha, ENERGIA’s Women Entrepreneur 2017, Nepal Princess Abze Djigma, Founder and CEO, AbzeSolar S.A., and Ambassador of Burkina Faso for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Riccardo Puliti, Senior Director, Energy and Extractives, World Bank Aaron Leopold, Global Energy Representative, Practical Action Martin Kariongi, Community Leader, Terrat Village, Tanzania - Smart Villages Anish Thakkar, Co-Founder, Greenlight Planet Inc. Niru Shrestha, ENERGIA’s Women Entrepreneur 2017, Nepal Participants listen to panelists Knowledge into Action (L-R): Roberto Ridolfi, Director, European Commission for Sustainable Growth and Development; Chitalu Chilufya, Minister of Health, Zambia; Ana Hajduka, CEO, African Green Co; Philippe Scholtès, Managing Director, Programme Development and Technical Cooperation, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Nicola Armacost, Managing Director, Arc Finance, Ltd.; and Saadia Madsbjerg, Managing Director, The Rockefeller Foundation Roberto Ridolfi, Director, European Commission for Sustainable Growth and Development Ana Hajduka, CEO, African Green Co Chitalu Chilufya, Minister of Health, Zambia Nicola Armacost, Managing Director, Arc Finance, Ltd. Philippe Scholtès, Managing Director, Programme Development and Technical Cooperation, UNIDO Saadia Madsbjerg, Managing Director, The Rockefeller Foundation Disruptive Voices Steve Howard, Co-Chair of We Mean Business, Campaigner, Business Leader, and Former Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Group Media Briefing - SHINE Investing in Energy Access for All (L-R): Rachel Kyte, CEO, SEforAll, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All; Mary Robinson, President, Mary Robinson Foundation; Ellen Dorsey, Executive Director, Wallace Global Fund; John Kioli, Chairman, Kenya Climate Change Working Group; and Archbishop emeritus Anders Wejryd, Europe President, World Council of Churches The Deep Dive: Leaving No One Behind (L-R): Rachel Kyte, CEO, SEforAll, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All; Clare Shakya, Director, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED); Mary Robinson, President, Mary Robinson Foundation; Ilmi Granoff, Director, Sustainable Finance ClimateWorks Foundation; and Sheila Oparaocha, Energia The Deep Dive: Off Grid - On Target (L-R): Fletcher Harper, Executive Director, GreenFaith; Faris Hasan, Director of Strategic Planning and Economic Services, OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID); Vijay Modi, Director, Quadracci Sustainable Engineering Lab, Columbia University; Allison Archambault, President, Earthspark International; Gareth Martin, Head of Sustainable Energy, Climate and Environment, DFID; and Sarah Best, Senior Researcher, Shaping Sustainable Markets, IIED The Deep Dive: The New Market (L-R): Nawal Al-Hosany, Executive Director, Masdar, and Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize; Mayank Bhargava, Founding Partner and CEO, NextGen Solar; Neha Misra, Chief Collaboration Officer and Co-Founder, Solar Sister; Paul Needham, Simpa Networks; Ali Ozair Alshafar, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Hugh Whalan CEO, PEG Africa; and John Holmes, Smart Villages SHINE - Investing in Energy Access for All (L-R): Aniket Shah, Program Leader, Financing for Sustainable Development Initiative, Sustainable Development Solutions Network; Neha Misra, Chief Collaboration Officer and Co-Founder, Solar Sister; Archbishop emeritus Anders Wejryd, Europe President, World Council of Churches; Sarah Butler-Sloss, Founder Director, Ashden Awards; Sarah Wykes, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD); and Fletcher Harper, Executive Director, GreenFaith Voices from the Village – Are you Listening to What We Really Want? (L-R): Gregory Etienne, Mayor of Pilate, Haiti; Martin Kariongi, Community Leader, Terrat Village, Tanzania - Smart Villages; Alfonso Guevara Chota, District Mayor, Napo, Peru; Molly Hurley-Dépret, Smart Villages Initiative; Tri Mumpuni (Puni), Co-Founder, IBEKA; Marc Antoine Archer, Observatoire Haitien de l’Energie-Observer; and Jessica Olivares Magill, Acciona Microenergy, Peru Partnerships to Integrate Energy Resources and Last-mile Access for Income Generation (L-R): Daniel Schroth, SEforALL Africa Hub Coordinator, African Development Bank (AfDB); Faris Hasan, Director of Strategic Planning and Economic Services, OFID; Ariel Yepez, Chief, Energy Division, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); Jean-Marc Fontaine, Vice President, Social Business and Societal, Total; William Landuyt, Energy Advisor, ExxonMobil Corporation; Jay Taneja, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UMASS-Amherst; and Vijay Modi, Director, Quadracci Sustainable Engineering Lab, Columbia University Integrating Sustainable Energy into Humanitarian Relief: An Opportunity for Local Markets and SEforAll Goals (L-R): Glada Lahn, Chatham House; Ben Good, CEO, Energy 4 Impact; Shanti Kleiman, Mercy Corps; and Olivier Lompo, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) A People-Centered Accelerator to Advance Gender Equality, Social Inclusion and Women’s Empowerment in the Sustainable Energy Sector (L-R): Ana Rojas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN; Sheila Oparaocha, Energia; Harish Hande, Managing Director, SELCO India; Mary Robinson, President, Mary Robinson Foundation; Nawal Al-Hosany, Executive Director, Masdar, and Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize; Rachel Kyte, CEO, SEforAll, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All; Nicola Armacost, Managing Director, Arc Finance, Ltd.; Susan Gibbs, Wallace Global Fund; Linda Davis, Director of Partnerships, wPOWER Hub; Nathalie Weisman, ECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE); and Sarah Butler-Sloss, Founder Director, Ashden Awards Turning the Power on for 1.1 Billion People: The Role of Off-grid Solar Solutions in Meeting the Needs of Underserved Households (L-R): John Foye, Fenix International; Jacob Lewandowski, Senior Manager, Platform, d.light; Tom Derksen, Managing Director, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation; Johanna Diecker, Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA); Arne Jacobson, Director, Schatz Energy Research Center; and Grace Horwitz, Blue Haven Initiative Powering Healthcare: Making the Case for Greater Investment in Health Facility Electrification (L-R): Will Zeck, Chief of Health and Nutrition, UNICEF; Guy Rino Meyers, Senior Advisor for Procurement and Supply Management, UN Development Programme (UNDP); Gareth Martin, Head of Sustainable Energy, Climate and Environment, DFID; Nawa Raj Dhakal, Director, Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, Nepal; Chitalu Chilufya, Minister of Health, Zambia; and Jem Porcaro, Senior Director of Energy Access, UN Foundation Going Further, Faster - Together Participants watch a video on energy access Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), during the closing of the 3rd SEforAll Forum Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the UNGA Peter Thomson, President of the 71st Session of the UNGA, and Rachel Kyte, CEO, SEforAll, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All Participants at the end of the Forum (L-R): Miquel Muñoz Cabré, IISD Reporting Services; Diego Noguera, IISD Reporting Services; Rachel Kyte, CEO, SEforAll, and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All; Suzi Malan, IISD Reporting Services; and David D. Sussman, IISD Reporting Services