Programme

Financing and investments to double the rate of energy efficiency implementation by 2030 success factors, challenges and actions needed now.Doubling the global rate of energy efficiency improvements could yield greater emissions reductions by 2030 than any other measure. However, this goal remains far from attainable under current policy frameworks. According to IEA analysis, advancing energy efficiency is a crucial step toward limiting global warming to 1.5°C by mid-century. Reaching this target requires enhancing the global economy's energy efficiency by over 4% annually, on average, by 2030. Nevertheless, IEA data indicate that the annual improvement rate slowed from 2% to just over 1% in 2023.A large proportion of the investments in energy efficiency improvements will be private funding. How can industry and private sector contribute to unlocking the finance?This session will be divided into three sub-sessions. 

Net zero is among the largest investment opportunities of our time. While renewable energy production remains a cornerstone of the transition to net zero, the investment opportunity is much larger than this. It's about transforming our entire industrial landscape. Private capital plays an instrumental role in funding a net zero future, and public-private partnerships have a great opportunity to contribute to bringing about a just and timely transition. Join us for a conversation about the regenerative economy as an investment opportunity, private capital's role in closing the net zero funding gap, and barriers to overcome to succeed in scaling transition finance.

We need to integrate massive amounts of renewables led by wind and solar into the power grid, simultaneously addressing energy security and helping to accelerate the much-needed energy transition. Interconnectors will play a key role in facilitating the penetration of these renewables, while also driving cross border collaboration across countries and regions. Some markets, such as the EU, are aiming for a 15% electricity interconnection target by 2030 and many other regions such as Asia, North America and the Middle East are also expediting the development of interconnectors.  This session will explore the opportunities and challenges of integrating renewables and developing interconnectors at speed and scale from a power grid perspective.

Over the past 15 years, the E5P has been successful in mobilising significant donor resources from the EU and 24 donor countries. The E5P was proposed by Sweden as part of their EU Presidency in 2009. Since then, the E5P has helped to finance over 50 climate mitigation projects.The E5P projects focus on green municipal infrastructure and range from energy efficiency in public buildings, modernisation of district heating systems, water and wastewater treatment, street lighting, public transport and solid waste management.

Organised by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the European Commission in close collaboration with UN Women.Gender equality is not only a fundamental right but an economic imperative. Empowering women leads to improved economic outcomes such as higher GDP, increased productivity, and higher employment. In view of the ongoing climate changes, investing in gender equality through climate finance can be a transformative driver for both climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.This panel will highlight the importance of gender equality in the green transition, focusing on the European Union's (EU), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and partner organisations’ support to its Neighborhood and the Western Balkans.