US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz hosted 23 governments and the European Union for the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7) and the inaugural Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial, held in San Francisco last week.
At CEM7, the 24 CEM members, representing 90% of global energy investment and 75% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to US DoE, agreed to launch an enhanced effort called ‘CEM 2.0’, to increase the level of political engagement of energy ministers with sustained initiatives by voting to move the CEM Secretariat to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
In addition, 21 countries, the European Union, nearly 60 companies and organizations, and 10 subnational governments, have made more than $1.5 billion in commitments to accelerate the deployment of clean energy and increase energy access.
Three new global campaigns that can cut global carbon emissions while driving economic growth were launched at CEM7 including the Advanced Cooling Challenge, the Energy Management Campaign, and the Corporate Sourcing of Renewables Campaign .
Ernes Moniz said: “CEM7 and MI are major driving forces for how the US and global community can achieve the commitments made under the Paris Agreement . The outcome of these two meetings can play an important role in deploying clean energy technologies today and developing tomorrow’s solutions that will facilitate the world’s transition to a clean energy economy.”
At the inaugural MI Ministerial, Moniz and ministers from the original 20 MI partner countries welcomed the European Union as the 21st Mission Innovation partner.
Furthermore, ministers from all 21 MI partners announced their respective governments’ specific plans to seek to double clean energy research and development funding over five years.
Collectively, these 21 partners committed to double their current funding of nearly $15 billion per year in global public investment in clean energy research and development, reaching just under a combined total of $30 billion per year by 2021, according to US DoE.