Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) met with the United Nations Secretary-General ahead of COP27 in Egypt
September 26, 2022 | The Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET), a global high-level body of engineers and energy system experts contributing to the United Nations Secretary-General’s coalition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, has been hard at work the past few months engaging in knowledge sharing and planning on how to accelerate a just and inclusive energy transition across multiple regions, sectors, and industries.
Since July, the 34 Council members have met regularly to share research, identify key technical issues surrounding the global energy transition, and determine the structure of the Council to progress on the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Council plans to build its capacity around communicating to global stakeholders on setting standard definitions, providing recommendations, and becoming a trusted and technology-agnostic source of information and guidance on the global energy transition.
In early September, the CEET reached an important milestone in meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, to discuss the critical role of engineers in supporting the UN’s goal to achieve comprehensive decarbonization by mid-century. As the Council progresses on its work plan, the members will begin to explore a regional approach to link the Council into existing stakeholder groups working on the energy transition around the world including key UN agencies, multilateral organizations, and professional engineering networks.
In the leadup to the much anticipated COP27 in Egypt this November, the CEET Secretariat is working to develop joint programming on the engineering solutions for the energy transition and some key recommendations to serve as critical engineering inputs for the COP negotiations. In preparation, the Council has created a COP27 public statement working group to synthesize the engineers’ inputs into a comprehensive statement that will be delivered at COP27. The CEET, ultimately created in service to the global community, is eager and ready to provide impartial knowledge and expertise on the current availability of clean energy technologies, offer technical guidance for policymakers and investors, and identify solutions to the challenges of scaling and deploying key technologies needed to reach global net-zero energy systems.
This will be the first time in COP history where an engineer-led and co-designed decarbonization forum will take place to support Egypt’s major theme of moving beyond discussion and getting to implementation. Having engineers at the forefront of integral conversations amongst international leaders, policy-makers, economists, financial institutions, and NGOs across the globe will be the key to determining how to best accelerate a just and inclusive energy transition.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) | www.unido.org
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. UNIDO’s mission is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development, contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For more information, contact: Nicholas Dehod, Project Administrator
About the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) | www.unsdsn.org
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
For more information, contact: Elena Crete, Head of the Climate & Energy Program, SDSN (elena.crete@unsdsn.org)