July 11, 2023 | High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) | United Nations Headquarters, New York

With the 2030 deadline to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaching, accelerating the energy transition for sustainable development is more urgent than ever. Against this backdrop, the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) pinpointed the engineering challenges obstructing the energy transition across diverse regions and discussed solutions for accelerating progress at a side-event in the course of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on 11 July in New York. Representatives from UN Economic Commissions, Multilateral Development Banks and other international organizations contributed to the discussions.

The Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) is a partnership between UNIDO and SDSN convened with the United Nations Secretary-General to deliberate upon the engineering challenges obstructing the energy transition across diverse regions.  

“By bringing 45 top-tier experts from different sectors and parts of the world, the CEET aims to provide scientific evidence and inform multilateral processes within the UN and complement other efforts for the energy transition”, highlighted Fatou Haidara, Deputy to the Director General and the Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations at UNIDO during her opening remarks. 

Discussions focused on programmatic priorities, strategies and solutions. Experts underlined that engineering challenges across regions vary widely: 

1. In Africa, the enhancement and modernization of grid infrastructure emerge as critical for expanding electricity access and integrating renewables. 

2. Asia Pacific grapples with the technologically demanding task of decarbonizing numerous gigawatts of coal-fired generation assets. Retrofitting and repurposing these assets for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage and co-firing present complex challenges. 

3. Hydropower assumes pivotal importance in Latin America and the Caribbean, where approximately 70% of the grid relies on renewables. Aging hydro assets, vulnerable to the impacts of escalating climate change, necessitate attention. 

4. Western Asia seeks solutions through solar-assisted desalination plants, addressing both water scarcity challenges and reduced dependence on fossil fuels. 

5. In Europe, accelerating public and private sector financing within the context of the Green Deal's 1 trillion EUR investment, REPowerEU and Fit for 55 initiatives remains a priority. 

The HLPF and its ancillary discussions at the United Nations Headquarters underscored the vital role of engineering in driving the global energy transition and the imperative of collaborative efforts to surmount regional challenges.