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  2. [2018] Capacity Development Workshop on Fossil Fuel and Renewable Energy

[2018] Capacity Development Workshop on Fossil Fuel and Renewable Energy

Tuesday, 13 November 2018 - 11:00am to Saturday, 17 November 2018 - 7:00am

Description

With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Change Agreement adopted in 2015, the issue of energy transition is becoming ever more central to both national and global agendas. The Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Goal 7) advocates universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. It aims for a substantial increase in the share of renewables in
the global energy mix, while increasing affordability of energy and doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

In line with its capacity development mandate, and in response to requests from Member States, UNDESA and its UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) have supported the organisation of training workshops on Fossil Fuel to Renewable Energy (FFRE) transition policies and fiscal reforms. A first one-week workshop was hosted in Mauritius in May 2014 for the benefits of policymakers of ten island states, mostly from the Indian Ocean basin. The event also provided the opportunity to develop a FFRE capacity building and collaborative policymaking methodology, already re-used with other regional groups, notably in Nairobi for East African and South Asian countries in October 2014.

In a spirit of continuity in integrating more sustainable energy-related activities in its portfolio and considering the growing interest generated by such UNOSD-supported activities, UNOSD has pledged to continue its efforts supporting Goal 7, including the transition of fossil fuel towards renewable energy. Accordingly, as part of its 2017-18 Work Plan approved by its Steering Committee in May 2017, UNOSD is planning to implement a FFRE workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean region, with 20 to 30 participating countries. UNOSD is therefore working in collaboration with the Costa Rica Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (MIDEPLAN) and the UN Country Team of Costa Rica to host a bilingual (Spanish and English) FFRE workshop in that country in November 2018.

 

Programme

Concept Note

Agenda

 

Formal Opening

Opening remarks

Dr. Yoon Jong Soo (Head, UN Office for Sustainable Development)

 

Day 1 (November 12, 2018) "Introduction to Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Renewable Energy Transition"

Session 1: Linking sustainable development to fossil fuel subsidies

Presentation:

 

Session 2: Policy instruments for energy transition (Part 1)

Presentation:

Group discussions: Energy transition strategies and policies in participant’s countries

 

Session 3: Policy instruments for energy transition (part 2)

Reporting of selected group results: 

  • Renewable energy policies in participants’ countries

Summary and conclusions:

  • SWOT analysis with the group looking at the advantages, disadvantages and potentials of specific instruments

 

Day 2 (November 13, 2018) "The Political Economy of Energy Policy"

Session 4: Energy policy and governance: addressing the concerns of stakeholders in the energy sector

Presentation:

  • "Stakeholder Analysis"

Group work:

  • Stakeholder analyses – each group to focus on a specific set of stakeholders 

 

Session  5: Dismantling fossil fuel subsidies in the energy sector: Developing a concrete policy proposal for the fictional country of NIRA (part 1)

Presentation:

  • Policy Proposal for the fictional country of NIRA

Group exercise:

  • Mapping stakeholder interests and presenting the case for subsidy phase-out while dealing with their concerns

 

Session 6: Dismantling fossil fuel subsidies in the energy sector: Developing a concrete policy proposal for the fictional country of NIRA (part 2)

Presentation of results / Plenary and round-up

 

Session 7: Environmental Fiscal Reform

Presentation:

Case studies of EFR – to include environmental taxes, fees and charges, emissions trading

 

Day 3 (November 14, 2018) "The transport sector"

Session 8: Fossil fuel subsidy reform in the transport sector: The fictional case of MURUNDI (part 1)

Presentation: 

Group work:

  • Strengths, weaknesses and contradictions in Murundi’s transport policy

Brief plenary discussion:

  • General lessons for your country 

Group work:

  • Developing a reform proposal for the transport sector in Murundi

 

Session 9: Fossil fuel subsidy reform in the transport sector: The fictional case of MURUNDI (part 2)

Presentation of results / Plenary and round-up, general lessons learned

 

Day 4 (November 15, 2018) "Designing Robust FFRE Policies"

Session 10: Designing robust and feasible FFRE policies in participants’ countries (part 1)

Presentation:

  • Designing robust and feasible FFRE policies

Group work:

  • Participants work with the other members of their group, with the support of the facilitators, to develop an FFRE action plan for their country

 

Session 11: Designing robust and feasible FFRE policies in participants’ countries (part 2)

 

Day 5 (November 16, 2018) "Peer review of FFRE policies"

Session 12: Presentation and peer review of policy proposals

Presentations:

  • Participants present their proposals in the plenary

 

Session 13: Presentation and peer review of policy proposals (continued)

Presentations:

  • Participants present their proposals in the plenary

 

Session 14: Personal action plans

Participants develop personal action plans / Museum visit to review the personal action plans in the plenary

 

Documentation

Workshop Report

Participant List

Internal Report

 

Pictures

You can find meeting pictures here.