Talking points

National Learning and Sharing on the Promotion and Development of RETs

Louise Chamberlain, RR a.i

·        I am honored to welcome you all to this important Workshop aimed at facilitating learning & experience sharing platform among the key national players that are engaged in Promotion and Development of Renewable Energy Technologies among the rural communities.

·        Ensuring access to clean and affordable energy is a critical enabler for sustainable development. Increasing energy access in rural areas, promoting renewable energy and enhancing energy efficiency is one of the six priority areas of UNDP Globally.

·        We are pleased that the Government of Ethiopia is also in line with our strategic direction and the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development to ensure access to renewable energy contributing to rural economic growth, gender equity and poverty reduction in general.

Dear Participants,

·        The previous Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP I) 2010/11-2014/15 and the current Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II) 2015/16 – 2019/2020 places a high emphasis on increasing access to energy in the rural areas.

·        The Climate Resilient and Green Economy strategy of the country has further emphasized and pinpointed the renewable energy development and promotion among the rural community as key means to achieve the middle-income status with   zero carbon emission or footprint.  

·        Despite all these efforts, currently it is estimated that over 88% of the population uses traditional biomass for cooking, resulting in significant pressure on the available forest resources in the country.

·        In order to support the Government in providing electricity to the millions of households which currently don’t have access and thereby reducing pressure on forest resources, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with financial support of GEF in collaboration with United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE) is implementing a project titled “Promoting Sustainable Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs)” that encourages significantly greater use of renewable energy technologies for household and productive uses in rural communities in Ethiopia.

·        This project strives in creating enabling environment for the private sector-driven and market-based approach towards promoting renewable energy technologies in rural communities in Ethiopia.

·        Promoting Sustainable Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) has direct contribution in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals specially in ensuring the “leaving no one behind path.

·        With this objective, the project is supporting access to renewable energy to more than 290,000 low-income households and micro-enterprises (in total 1,500,000 beneficiaries) by the end of the project. This would lead to a reduction in Ethiopia’s energy-related CO₂ emissions by approximately 2 million tones CO₂e.

·        The main activities being implemented under this project are designed to remove barriers that hamper the wide-scale use of off-grid renewable energy technologies in households and productive uses in rural areas of Ethiopia.

·        UNDP is honored to support the Ethiopian Government in achieving the initiated project objectives with participation of all key stakeholders including private sectors, financial institutions, NGOs, bilateral as well as multilateral development partners.

Ladies and Gentlemen

·        The cardinal objective of this workshop is to create a learning and experience sharing platform and conduct live discussion with renewable energy technology promoters/projects, donors, Regional Energy Bureau Representatives, micro finance institutes, commercial banks, Associations of RETs suppliers/distributers and/producers, and enhance further awareness on the Promotion and Development of Renewable Energy Technologies.

·        Finally, I would like to emphasis that UNDP is committed to help Ethiopia transition to sustainable energy systems and enhance further Promotion and Development of Renewable Energy Technologies across Regions. UNDP will also work to improve capacities of stakeholders and implementers of the different energy sector projects to draw lessons for future improvement of the sector and expansion of services. I wish you all a very pleasant and successful workshop

Thank you for your attention!