ECREEE at COP28

From December 9 to 12, 2023, ECREEE actively participated in the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). ECREEE was represented by Mr. Kouakou Alexis Kouassi, Director of Operations, and Ms Monica Maduekwe, Program Officer for Resource Mobilisation and Project Development.

ECREEE’s purpose for attending was to showcase the Centre’s groundbreaking work in climate change mitigation and adaptation. As the go-to institution for the energy transition in West Africa, ECREEE’s efforts have contributed to the adoption of renewable energy technologies and the promotion of low-carbon practices across the region. The COP28 provided a platform for ECREEE to share information about these achievements with a global audience and to explore partnerships with likeminded organizations, deepening the region’s progress toward global energy transition goals.

To this end, ECREEE presented at four (4) side-events organized by partners, covering areas of interest for the region: climate finance, renewable energy development, and youth empowerment and workforce development. Specifically, key ECREEE initiatives, such as the ECOWAS Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Facility (EREEEF) and the ECOWAS Certification Program, were discussed at these events.

The side-events were as follows:

1. BOAD’s outlook for the next fifty years in the financing of renewable energies, organized by the Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD)/West African Development Bank.
2. Green Hydrogen Program, organized by the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL).
3. Catalysing Climate Finance to Translate Global Climate Decisions into Actions in the Least Developed Countries, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)/Global Network of Sustainable Energy Centre (GN-SEC).
4. Empowering Youth in Cooling and Building of Local Skills, organized by the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR).

In addition to these events, ECREEE also participated in meetings with partner countries and organizations, such as the Ministry for Petroleum and Energy of Saudi Arabia, the African Development Bank, the European Union, Sustainable Energy for All, and a selected number of ECOWAS Member States, among others.

Considering the needs and interests expressed by ECOWAS Member States as well as partners, ECREEE’s activities in its climate change program will place additional emphasis on climate change adaptation in the energy sector, as well as addressing loss and damage issues affecting the energy sector.