Where to Find Efficiency for Access at COP26

Where to find Efficiency for Access at COP26?

This year, at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the Climate Convention in Glasgow, Scotland, Efficiency for Access will be physically and virtually present, co-hosting four events on Thursday 4 November in the COP Resilience Hub and the SDG7 Pavilion. These events will conclude Efficiency for Access’ ‘Solar Appliances for Our Planet’ campaign, a collaborative, global campaign that demonstrates how supporting the development of efficient, affordable solar-powered appliances and technologies can help accelerate a just and inclusive clean energy transition globally, and assist vulnerable communities in adapting to climate change and building resilience.

COP26 Resilience Hub

Efficiency for Access will serve as an Energy Access co-theme lead, alongside ICF and the International Energy Agency (IEA) at the COP26 Resilience Hub. As the home of Race to Resilience, the Hub will serve as a physical pavilion in the COP26 Blue Zone, as well as a centre for virtual activities, that will connect diverse actors from across the globe to mobilise action on climate resilience and adaptation. Efficiency for Access will host two hybrid events in the Resilience Hub:

11.15 –12.45 pm GMT: ‘Building the resilience of smallholder farmers through solar-powered agricultural technologies’

Efficiency for Access, ICF and IEA join forces to convene an interactive live Q&A with diverse speakers from IKEA Foundation, Efficiency for Access Acumen, SNV and Wala. This event will showcase the work of talented people and organisations who are creating innovative technologies that enhance clean access for smallholder farmers and help them enhance their livelihoods.

By spotlighting the affordable, high-performing appliances and technologies that are available, the event aims to raise awareness on what tools and solutions already exist and require scaling up. The live Q&A session also seeks to enhance the understanding of the connections between energy access and climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies. With representatives from aid agencies and foundations, entrepreneurs and development practitioners, this event provides an opportunity for participants to network across the energy and agricultural sectors. Register for the event.

5.15 – 6.45 pm GMT: ‘Supporting clean energy entrepreneurs’

This discussion panel event within the Resilience Hub takes place on Thursday, 4 November at 5.15pm GMT. Efficiency for Access will bring together a diverse group of panelists, clean energy cold storage entrepreneur Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu of ColdHubs, Katherine Owens from M-KOPA, Chris Beland from EST, and other representatives from GOGLA and SEforAll.

This conversation aims to raise awareness of how clean energy entrepreneurship is helping to advance the off-grid solar sector’s role in building climate resilience. By pointing to potential gaps or obstacles that are impeding necessary expansion, the discussion will also offer recommendations on how to support renewed growth and entrepreneurship in the off-grid solar sector. Register for the event.

SDG 7 pavilion

Efficiency for Access is participating in two events on Thursday 4 November in the SDG 7 pavilion, which can be found in Hall 4 at the Blue Zone at COP26. You can register online for the events here. Coordinated by Sustainable Energy for All, in partnership with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the pavilion provides a showcase for work that helps contribute to SDG 7. The organisations highlighted in the pavilion will explore the following aspects of SDG 7:

• How to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services by 2030

• How to substantially increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030
• How to double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030.

The pavilion will also give the opportunity to raise the visibility of equitable energy access, a just transition and the continued generation of new commitments.

3 – 3.45 pm GMT, How solar-powered technologies can help empower people and protect the planet

Efficiency for Access, Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) and Transforming Energy Access (TEA) are hosting a showcase event that will demonstrate how innovative, solar powered technologies for developing countries can help accelerate the global clean energy transition.  

The event will comprise a live Q&A session with speakers including  Souryadeep Basak, PhD student, TERI School of Advanced Studies, (Design Challenge student participant from 2020 – 2021), Jon Lane, Head of Energy Access, Carbon Trust and Vimbai Chapungu, Research Associate at MECS.

4.45 – 5.30 pm GMT, 4 November: Efficiency for Access will be contributing a student speaker from the Design Challenge 2021 – 2022 to a panel discussion TEA and University of Cape Town are hosting on ‘Boosting economic empowerment by building local skills and expertise in clean energy’

This event will focus on the engagement of youth in relation to the scale-up of the off-grid energy sector. Investment in skills and expertise development on-the-ground lags behind and remains among the least common form of technical and financial assistance considered nationally and internationally. This urgently requires a shift in focus, as the significant skills and capacity-related gaps risk limiting progress on the roll-out and scale-up of low carbon energy technologies and their implementation in many non-OECD countries.