ADB Publications’ Post

In summary, any aspect of South Africa's electricity system that the state is involved with is a disaster. And, really, that is the factual description of the situation. #southafrica #loadshedding #eskom #debtrestructuring https://lnkd.in/d-H5rwMP

The United Kingdom has guaranteed a Sh9.6 billion loan from the African Development Bank to Kenya for climate financing, with the funds set to be used for power transmission network improvement. This comes after the country was selected as a beneficiary of the Transmission Network Improvement Project under the Room To Run Sovereign Transaction (R2RS). Neil Wigan, British High Commissioner to Kenya, says that the project is one of five to benefit from the unlocked lending capacity provided by R2RS since the agreement was signed in 2022. The announcement follows recent incidences of power blackouts that have previously hit the nation, including major installations like the JKIA. According to AfDB's DG for East Africa Nnenna Nwabufo, "Kenya is close to achieving universal electricity access with a high component of renewable energy. This represents a major milestone in both sustainable development and the fight against climate change." This is a significant step towards sustainable development in Kenya, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of this project in the near future. #Kenya #ClimateFinancing #SustainableDevelopment #RenewableEnergy #ClimateChange

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has entered into a transaction advisory services agreement with the Government of Kazakhstan for its Hydropower Development Program. ADB will work with the government to conduct pre-feasibility studies, prepare auction documents, create a template power purchasing agreement, and attract competitive bids to draw in investors. For more information: https://lnkd.in/dznuG_Am #sustainability #sustainable #climatechange #environment #climate #climatecrisis #eco #renewableenergy #renewablepower #cleanenergyfuture #ces #power #Development #investors

Three focal areas arising from the energy conference this morning: 1. The development of Guyana's Gas value chain  2. Development of a Gold Refinery 3. Collaboration with the Brazilians for hydropower development.  Finally, on the regional front a focus on climate change and addressing the future energy demands for the region whilst securing food security remains the primary concerns for Caricom. 

Ethiopia is leaning hard into EVs in part because importing fuel is expensive, and 96% of the country’s electricity comes from clean hydropower – a dual win for the country’s finances and the environment. https://ow.ly/unZM50T0HXa #EthiopiaEVs #CleanEnergy #Hydropower #ElectricVehicles #SustainableTransport #RenewableEnergy #GreenEthiopia #EnergyTransition #EVRevolution #ClimateAction

Increased funding for the roll-out of biomethane, offshore wind, the decarbonisation of infrastructure and the built environment would be a welcome boost. The Government of Ireland's plan to leverage EU funding to build a diversified energy system has been endorsed by the European Commission. Ireland’s REPowerEU programme consists of five investments and one reform:   Investments   Upscaling a Biomethane Industry in Ireland - Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine Drogheda Charging Infrastructure - Department of Transport HSE Pilot Energy & Decarbonisation Pathfinder - Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications  Expanded School Sector Pathfinder decarbonisation and retrofit Programme Department of Education  Restoration and Refurbishment of 6 Ely Place - Office of Public Works Reform Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) - Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, has today welcomed the EU Commission’s positive assessment of Ireland’s modified National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) with the result that Ireland is to receive €324m under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The Commission has also approved Ireland’s €240m REPowerEU Programme. The modified plan is now worth €1.15 billion (in grants) and covers a combination of both investment and reform projects. The Commission has simultaneously endorsed a positive preliminary assessment of Ireland’s first payment request for €324 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Minister Donohoe said:  “I am very pleased that we have progressed implementation of our National Recovery and Resilience Plan to this stage. This follows extensive engagement between Departments across Government and the EU Commission. The RRF is the main pillar of the European recovery plan, NextGenerationEU, designed to provide financial aid to Member States to combat the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and make the European economy more resistant to future shocks. It is a concrete symbol of European solidarity. I welcome the Commission’s positive assessment of Ireland’s first payment request for €324m. REPowerEU is the EU’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and I am delighted that the Commission has endorsed Ireland’s €240m REPowerEU programme which will make a valuable contribution to our Green transition.” Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery & Reform: https://lnkd.in/eGgvsMHW. #RePowerEU #powerandenergy #EuroInfraCon

Great to see this report I've co-led for Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA) is now out! The report is part of the Central Asia Hub, a program I've been contracted to help implement, and that seeks to increase investment in buildings' decarbonization in the region. 🏢 Buildings account for up to 70-80% of total emissions from Central Asian cities’ buildings, transport, and waste sectors combined, making their decarbonization crucial to expediting the region’s path to climate neutrality. Residential buildings are particularly relevant, as they account for 34% of final energy use in Kazakhstan and 39% in Uzbekistan. 🔎 However, scaling climate investment in the buildings sector remains challenging. The most important action areas we identified are awareness raising, technical assistance, capacity-building, project preparation support and collaboration and financial mechanisms development to create more and better investable projects. 📍 Dive deeper into this topic by accessing the report below!

We are thrilled to announce the release of our first output from our Local Hubs Program: the CCFLA Central Asia Hub report, "Scaling Up Project Preparation and Finance for Net Zero Carbon Buildings in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan." This report, built upon our collaborative efforts—including desktop research, interviews, and roundtables—identifies a clear pathway to accelerate the region's transition towards green and net zero carbon buildings. Here's a glimpse of what the report offers: 🔹 Mapping of Project Preparation Landscape: Identifying 12 key international entities supporting project preparation activities for buildings in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. 🔹 Challenges Highlighted: Shedding light on 6 critical challenges hindering buildings project preparation. 🔹 Actionable Recommendations: Proposing 12 concrete recommendations to address these challenges and move forward. A huge shout out to Tommaso Bassetti and Zulfira Zikrina (as well as our amazing Communications team, including Angel Jacob, Kirsty Taylor, Elana Fortin) for their incredible work in preparing this report, and to our CCFLA Hub partners for their engagement, participation and dedication to driving change forward. Among others, thank you Lukas Prinz, André Fabian, Marie-Anne Serve, Helena Monteiro, Carolina Mesa, Hiroyuki Ito, Rustam Rakhmatullin, Asil Abuassba, Bilyana Chobanova!

#NetZeroCarbonBuildings | Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have recently intensified their government policy focus on decarbonizing buildings. Uzbekistan’s government aims to improve overall energy efficiency by 50% until 2030, while Kazakhstan’s government targets a 15% reduction in energy intensity by 2029, prioritizing its efficiency in buildings. However, there has been little progress in terms of funding and project implementation so far. This report maps out 12 international entities that are implementing project preparation activities for NZCBs in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The study identifies 6 key challenges associated with NZCB project preparation, and proposes 12 recommendations to overcome them.   Dive into building decarbonization: https://lnkd.in/ehGxXRnD #netzerocarbonbuildings #urbanclimatefinance #sustainablecities #greencities #NZBC #decarbonization

South Africa is seeking to renegotiate a deal with the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) to delay the closure of three coal-fired power plants, which are among the country's biggest polluters. The plants are owned and operated by Eskom, and the government is citing energy security concerns for the request. The original agreement was part of a $9.3 billion climate pact and a $40 billion program known as the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). The development has raised concerns among South Africa's JETP investment partners, who remain supportive but are worried about the ramifications of delays in closing coal plants. South Africa relies on coal for 80% of its electricity. The renegotiation may have implications for the country's climate finance package. #ClimateFinance #SouthAfrica #JustTransition #JETP #SurgetowerAssociates #JETP