Energy Ministers from 23 different governments have met in Abu Dhabi earlier this week as part of the second Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) focussed on speeding up global efforts to transition to clean energy technologies.

Member nations of the CEM, which was launched in July last year, collectively represent 80 per cent of the world's energy consumption and over 90 per cent of the world's clean energy investment.

 

The CEM has 11 agreed initiatives to progress its work. Australia shares the leadership of two initiatives, the Clean Energy Solutions Centre and the Carbon Capture, Use and Storage Action Group (CCUS).

 

Attending the meeting, Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP said that progress had been made on both initiatives.

 

“We now have international agreement from key Clean Energy Ministerial governments on specific proposals developed by the CCUS Action Group under the joint leadership of Australia and the United Kingdom.

 

“With over 75 per cent of our electricity generation currently coming from coal-fired power, breakthroughs in CCS technology are of particular importance to Australia.

 

“At the CEM we also launched the Clean Energy Solutions Centre portal, an important knowledge sharing tool.  Australia also signed on to the International Smart Grid Action Network Implementing Agreement for international co-operation on smart grids.

 

“This ties in well with the work we are doing in Australia to test smart grid technologies through the $100 million Smart Grid, Smart City project.

 

“International co-operation in this area is vital to achieve breakthroughs in clean energy technologies.

 

“At [the] meeting there was clear agreement among governments on the energy challenges the global community faces, and a willingness to work co-operatively to work through these challenges.


“This means working together and working with industry to increase the deployment of clean energy technologies and reduce their costs.


“We must also allow an approach to clean energy technology deployment that reflects the unique circumstances of different countries.


“In Australia this means continuing our work on a mechanism to price carbon which will  complement the measures we have already put in place to drive clean energy technology development and deployment through the Expanded Renewable Energy Target and the $5 billion Clean Energy Initiative.”

 

The CEM and Australia’s election to the International Renewable Energy Agency Council earlier this week build on Australia’s history of engagement in the global clean energy space. 

 

This week also saw the final meeting of the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate in Bangkok.  Australia worked on more than 50 projects under this initiative.  The expertise, including valuable insights on how public-private partnerships can encourage innovation, is being taken on by other programs, including the CEM.

 

Further information on the work of the Clean Energy Ministerial is available at www.cleanenergyministerial.org