ECREEE AT COP29

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Published On - November 21, 2024

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ECREEE participated in the twenty-ninth United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024. ECREEE took part from November 12 to 16, with Monica Maduekwe, Programme Officer for Resource Mobilization and Project Development, representing the organization. She served as a panelist at several events, including:

  1. “Partnerships for an Ecological Fair Transition: The AECID Experience”
    Organized by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID), on November 12, from 12:30 to 13:30 at the Spanish Pavilion.
  2. “Meeting the Global Energy Efficiency Target: Launch of the African Energy Efficiency Programme”
    Organized by the African Energy Commission (AFREC) of the African Union (AU), on November 15, from 11:30 to 13:00 at the African Pavilion.
  3. “Carbon Market Initiatives in West Africa: Experiences and Perspectives”
    Organized by ECOWAS, CILSS, and ECREEE, on November 15, from 16:45 to 18:15 at COP29 Side Event Room 1.

These events provided platforms for ECREEE to share its work and achievements within ECOWAS Member States.

At the AECID-organized event, Ms. Maduekwe highlighted the long-standing partnership between AECID and ECREEE, noting that AECID, as a founding donor partner, has played a key role in the organization’s successes. She emphasized how this collaboration contributed to the development of regional sustainable energy policies adopted by ECOWAS Heads of State from 2013 to 2017, including the ECOWAS Policy for Gender Mainstreaming in Energy Access. She also pointed out that the partnership aligns with Spain’s Master Plan for Sustainable Development and Global Solidarity (2024-2027), citing projects like the Circular Economy and Water-Energy-Food Nexus, which are partially funded by AECID.

Speaking at the Energy Efficiency Side Event organized by AFREC, Ms. Maduekwe discussed the ongoing energy efficiency initiatives within ECOWAS Member States. She referred to the Supporting Energy Efficiency for Access in West Africa (SEEA-WA) project, which resulted in the adoption of the ECOWAS Energy Efficiency Policy by the Heads of State in 2013. She highlighted various initiatives, including supporting the development of national energy efficiency action plans and collaborating with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to mobilize funding for projects such as industrial energy efficiency in Nigeria, the establishment of an appliance testing facility in The Gambia, and e-mobility projects in Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal. During this side event, AFREC launched the continental African Energy Efficiency Programme.

At the Carbon Market side event, co-organized by ECREEE, Ms. Maduekwe shared insights into ECREEE’s efforts to support countries in meeting the requirements of the Paris Agreement, particularly its transparency framework. She provided an update on ECREEE’s role in establishing the South-South MRV Network, created in partnership with the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC), BOAD, and other stakeholders, to facilitate peer-to-peer learning. She noted that these efforts have enhanced the capacity of Member States to pursue their national carbon markets. Furthermore, she reiterated that ECREEE’s expertise in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects positions the Centre as a vital resource for Member States in supporting decarbonization efforts for planned carbon markets. She concluded by reaffirming ECREEE’s commitment to assisting ECOWAS Member States in their transition to a low-carbon economy.

In addition to these events, ECREEE participated in the Ministerial Meeting on Circular Economy, titled “Empowering Interregional Partnerships for Circular Economy Transition: Towards a Climate Resilient and Sustainable Future via Resource Efficiency,” organized by the COP29 Presidency on November 16, from 9:00 to 10:30 at the Nasimi Conference Hall. The meeting marked the launch of the RESCUE Initiative (Regional Initiative on Resource Efficiency, Sustainability, and Circular Economy) in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) region. The founding members of the RESCUE initiative are Türkiye, Iran, and Pakistan, with Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, ECO Member States. This initiative aims to create a regional cooperation platform to advocate for a just transition to a resource-efficient, circular, and regenerative economy. The RESCUE initiative, which plans a series of short- and medium-term collaborative activities, presents a model that could be adopted by other regions, including ECOWAS.

The ECOWAS delegate was led by Mrs. Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture and Mr. Sediko DOUKA, Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization, accompanied by the technical staff of the Directorates of Environment and Natural Resources, and Energy and Mines, the Water Resources Management Center, in addition to ECREEE.