(in photo above) Resource persons for sub-national integration session
on fund mobilization for sub-national climate actions
Over 200 policymakers, donors, practitioners, and national and sub-national governments tackled low-emission and climate-resilient development in Asia during the Asia Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) Partnership Forum held virtually from 23 August to 9 September 2021.
Organized by the ALP, this year’s forum focused on advancing national determined contributions (NDC) or non-binding national plans and targets for climate change. It also aimed to strengthen long-term LEDS to support the Paris Agreement, a global framework to address climate change by limiting global warming to below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
Specifically, the forum discussed tools and methodologies to further implementation of NDC, raise LEDS ambitions, and served as a platform for countries to share lessons learned and experiences gained in formulating and assessing impacts of climate actions.
As part of its commitment to the European Union-supported ASEP-CELLs, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Southeast Asia Secretariat (ICLEI SEAS) invited its partner Philippine local government units (LGUs) to participate in various ALP sessions, such as those on energy, sub-national level fund mobilization, and electric mobility transportation. Around 13 participants from Santa Rosa, Bohol, and Cagayan de Oro attended the ALP forum to learn climate change actions, energy roadmaps, and financing opportunities.
This also served as part of the LGUs’ international exposure to low-carbon solutions in Asia that could further help localize sustainable energy.
One of the notable sessions hosted by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory explored recommendations for creating an energy roadmap by using examples of distributed energy resources (DERs) in Asia. DERs are smaller renewable energy generation units such as rooftop solar photovoltaic, wind power, and microturbines that can facilitate sustainable energy transition.
Meanwhile, the sub-national integration session highlighted possible funding opportunities such as the Sub-national Climate Finance, a private equity fund that provides local government capacity building and incorporates third-party certification to verify social and environmental impacts of projects prior to investment.
The technical assistance of ICLEI SEAS to its ASEP-CELLs partner LGUs continues through its activities on project proposal development and upcoming webinar on sustainable energy best practices. Through these, ICLEI SEAS endeavors for its partner LGUs to better respond to the Philippine national energy efficiency policy and program.
