World energy leaders agree at intl forum to expand clean energy deployment

SAN FRANCISCO - Energy ministers and business leaders from 23 countries and the European Union (EU) agreed Thursday to expand clean energy deployment and cut global carbon emissions while driving economic growth.

The new commitments, announced here at an international forum, known as the 7th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7), would bring to life an enhanced effort, called CEM 2.0, to increase the group's effectiveness by creating an international secretariat to support CEM initiatives.

While CEM members, including the United States, China, India, the EU and other major economies of the world, represent 90 percent of global clean energy investment and 75 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, the group aims to work together to speed up the global transition to clean energy.

On Thursday morning, US President Barack Obama delivered a video message to CEM members calling for nations to create a better tomorrow for future generations.

Together with nearly 60 companies and non-governmental organizations, and 10 sub-national governments, CEM members announced during the event more than $1.5 billion in commitments to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies and increase energy access.

In addition, they announced three new campaigns to promote the procurement of electricity from renewable energy, commercial and industrial energy efficiency, and advanced cooling technologies.

Referring to the December 2015 Paris climate conference, or COP21, where an agreement was reached by 195 countries, US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said "CEM7 is a key tool needed to implement the clean energy goals made in Paris."

As host of CEM7, Moniz claimed that "CEM and the commitments made today demonstrate how the United States and our global partners can speed the deployment of clean energy technologies to meet our climate goals, grow low-carbon economies, and strengthen our energy security."

Yin Hejun, China's vice minister of science and technology, spoke at the event and invited CEM members to next year's CEM8 gathering in China.

The EU announced it will work with a member nation to host CEM9 in 2018.

On the sideline of the meeting, CEM7 featured a Startups and Solutions Technology Showcase held in San Francisco's Union Square, where dozens of innovation companies and organizations demonstrated their technologies and products.