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This IEA Commentary was written in August 2023 and covers how enhancing energy efficiency and community benefits through local generation and sharing, digital tools boost the potential of local energy communities, community initiatives are empowering citizens, energy communities add to local value-chains gain, and citizen engagement is key to accelerating clean energy transitions.

In case you missed the most recent "GGKP webinar: Greening SMEs towards a Just Transition from Policies to Practice" from 11 April 2024, please find the recording below!

Jointly hosted by DCED and supported by ILO, this fourth webinar in the webinar series, "Expert insights to support effective green private sector development" discussed key policies and support services that promote both environmental sustainability and decent work among MSMEs.

The webinar set the scene by introducing the key principles of Just Transition, as outlined by ILO's Just Transition guidelines. They include a wide spectrum of considerations from mental health to gender equality; as well as inclusion of all, including workers, communities, women, indigenous communities, youth and so on.

Noting how SMEs are crucial for just transition to environmentally sustainable economies with decent work opportunities, the webinar then turned to practical examples from Mauritius, Kenya, Indonesia and Kyrgyzstan. For instance, they addressed some practical circularity measures such as enhancing resource efficiency and waste management practices which can lead to higher business productivity; insurance strategies that businesses can consider which proof them against climate change-induced events such as floods; and some product regulations as well as different eco-labels that manufacturing SMEs can keep close eyes onto.

To listen to the full webinar and retrieve further details about these hands-on examples of green and inclusive SME practices, click on the webinar recording link below.

Hi there, do you work to support SMEs? Or do you work on discovering circular economic solutions?

Every few months, the I-GO initiative at GGKP invites stakeholders and active projects around the world that support SMEs to enhance resource efficiency and contribute towards a green and circular economy transition. These roundtables provide experience-sharing and informal networking opportunities, which in turn can strengthen collaboration.

In case you missed our last quarterly I-GO Community roundtable, you can find the recording below.

At this 5th roundtable, we provided updates from the EU-funded Circular Economy project that GGKP is implementing (the first survey results and upcoming activities like a community of practice launch for Circular Economy initiatives around the world); as well as invited circular #textile practitioners to tune into perspectives from both the private sector and global projects with regional activities.

Based on the presentations from Lee-Hendor Ruiters from the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) and Ramesh De Silva from a Sri Lankan textile repair firm, Compreli, questions flowed in from the audience, such as: How can we convince big and small apparel brands to use second-hand or repaired garments? How can we secure manufacturers' buy-in for using repaired garments? How global and regional projects can enable their policy and technical support to address the pre-consumer textile waste.

Watch the recording to find out about the answers as well as access the full presentations from the experienced garment repair business and the circular textile project kickstarting in South Africa. You can also find the presentations below.

Finally, let us know in the comments or get in touch ([email protected]) to share the topics YOU want to talk about - anything SME, circular economy, resource efficiency related - at the next I-GO Community roundtable! (And join the roundtable!)

For many countries but not all:

Nearly one in three people, most of them in the poorest regions of the world, still lack access to clean cooking facilities. And women bear the brunt of the consequences of not having electricity or clean cooking fuel. The task of collecting firewood or other dirty fuels falls predominantly on them, wasting scarce time and effort. Household air pollution, mostly from cooking smoke, is linked to around 2.5 million premature deaths a year, with women and children being the most exposed. This problem is particularly acute in Sub-Saharan Africa and the needs of African women, be they economic, social, or health-related, cannot be ignored in our path to ensuring inclusive energy transitions across the world. IEA's analysis shows that achieving universal access to clean cooking would require investment of USD 8 billion annually in stoves and infrastructure between now and 2030. This is less than 1% of what governments spent in 2022 globally on measures to keep energy affordable for their citizens. Building up on this policy priority, the Agency will soon convene global leaders for a Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa and lay the foundation for ensuring clean cooking access for all. Held on 14 May in Paris.

An IEA report prepared for the Ministerial, Reducing the Cost of Capital, shows that emerging and developing economies (outside China) account for less than 15% of total investment, despite being home to 65% of the world’s population and generating about a third of global gross domestic product. The report provides detailed insights into the risk factors that affect financing costs across seven clean energy sectors in emerging and developing economies and recommendations of what can be done to address them, based on case studies and best practices from Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.

At its core, ESG encompasses several factors - environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and comprehensive governance practices. By engaging efforts from teams at every level of the organization in ESG initiatives, organizations can achieve more meaningful change and continue to embed sustainability into its business structure. As a result, companies who successfully harness the collective power of their employees, advance their sustainability objectives, and provide increased opportunity to foster innovation, reduce costs, enhance reputation, and prepare for long-term growth and resilience.

EnerSys Embraces AI to Elevate ESG Reporting and Compliance

In an environment where sustainability efforts are increasingly scrutinized and regulated, the collaboration between EnerSys and ESG Flo exemplifies the power of partnership, innovation, and shared commitment to a sustainable future. For companies embarking on their sustainability journeys, EnerSys and ESG Flo's success offers valuable lessons and inspiration, demonstrating that ambitious environmental goals are achievable with the right tools and partnerships.

This report on Just Transition Finance shows how the financial sector, particularly private banks and insurance companies, can support a just transition and outlines the social and economic impacts of the low-carbon transition. It also provides strategies to banks and insurers on how to promote the achievement of a just transition towards a sustainable future, including by redirecting funds to green technologies and innovative ventures.

Dear colleagues!

As most of the project countries completed their inception meetings, and are preparing for inventory exercise, we are happy to share the Guidance on Information Collection for Industrial Persistent Organic Pollutants!

This policy brief [Skills for Social Justice: Advancing social justice through stronger skills systems] focuses on skills for social justice, and specifically the powerful tool developing these skills can be. The strategic integration of skills in policies for greener jobs, structural transformations, social protection, digital transitions, and transitions to formality is necessary for creating an equitable and sustainable future for all. How will you use this information to further social justice and climate action?