Regional : Promoting Sustainable Energy for All in Asia and the Pacific - Sustainable Energy for All Regional Hub for Asia and the Pacific (Subproject C)

Energy / Electricity transmission and distribution - Energy efficiency and conservation - Energy sector development and institutional reform - Renewable energy generation - small hydro - Renewable energy generation - solar

Asia and the Pacific is the region with the majority of the energy poor globally.

ADB can leverage new support through its close involvement with the global initiative formed to respond to these energy issues - the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL). SE4ALL was launched by the United Nations Secretary General in September 2011 to achieve three inter-related goals by 2030: (1) Ensuring universal access to modern energy services; (2) Doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and (3) Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The SE4ALL Initiative will help to catalyze major new investment opportunities to speed-up the transformation of the world's energy systems, pursue the elimination of energy poverty, and enhance prosperity.

The Asia and the Pacific region faces the twin challenges of energy security and climate change challenges which ADB's 2009 Energy Policy discusses at length and outlines ADB's response: through broadening support for, and accelerating development of, clean energy: renewables and energy efficiency. ADB, through its Clean Energy Program and Energy for All Program has been supporting its Developing Member Countries (DMCs) in promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy access in terms of capacity development, project identification and development, investments and investments facilitation. ADB's annual investment for clean energy has been over $2 billion since 2011.

However, the region requires even greater levels of support. Based on current levels of energy poverty, the IEA states that the Asia Pacific region accounts for 36% of this investment need. In terms of clean energy, ADB has noted in the past that despite a strong appetite for such technologies in developing Asia, and the region drawing in high levels of investment in the sector, this is concentrated in a few countries (PRC and India) and catalyzing financial support is still required in the majority of developing Asian countries.

The TA aims to support the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy access in ADB's DMCs in line with ADB's Energy Policy and to achieve ADB's long term strategic goals of sustainable energy development. This will include, but is not limited to, targeted support in selected DMCs for development of road maps, investment prospectus, projects identification and development, investment facilitation and information sharing. By pursuing these targets, ADB will contribute to the achievement of the goals of the global Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL).

SE4ALL targets in Asia

and the Pacific achieved

1. Status of SE4ALL targets and investment readiness reports prepared and updated regularly

2. Capacity-building, knowledge management activities carried out

3. Full-fledged secretariat for SE4ALL regional hub established

CEFPF Secretariat established

Description of Project Outputs:

" Status of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) targets and investment readiness reports prepared and updated;

" Capacity-building, knowledge management activities carried out;

" Full-fledged secretariat for SEforALL regional hub established; and

" Full-fledged clean energy coordinating unit operational

Status of Implementation Progress

Output 1. Status of SE4All targets and investments readiness reports prepared and updated regularly.

" In partnership/collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), support was provided in the publication of the following: (i) Sustainable Energy for All -Tracking Progress in the Asia and the Pacific: A Summary Report. This is an annual report that looks at country-level accomplishments in Asia and the Pacific as well as the overall performance of the region, and focuses on the energy-women-children-health nexus; (ii) SEforALL Global Tracking Framework (Third Edition), a multi-agency report that monitors country-level indicators for energy access, renewable energy and energy efficiency; and (iii) Global Tracking Framework: Asia-Pacific Progress in Sustainable Energy, also published by UNESCAP which highlights how the Asia-Pacific region is progressing on shared goals in the areas of energy access, energy efficiency, and renewable energy

" A Country Action Process framework was provided for countries in the region and the conduct and submission of focus countries' rapid assessment and gap analysis, country action plans and action agenda, and investment prospectuses were facilitated. To date, the countries of Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan have received ADB assistance.

Output 2. Capacity building, knowledge management activities carried out.

" ADB's joint activities with SEforALL in the field of energy access, renewable energy, and energy efficiency included: (i) Knowledge-sharing undertakings of the ADB-initiated Sustainable Energy Center of Excellence (SECOE) based in Singapore for the capacity building of DMCs and carried out in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore as part of the Knowledge Partnership Agreement between ADB and Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) signed in 2017; (ii) conduct of Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) in 2017, 2018, and 2019 organized by ADB with sponsorship from the KEA and the USAID; and (iii) holding of first ever virtual 2020 ACEF with 3,304 online participants from the public, private, civil society, and academic sectors.

" ADB co-published a report titled Asia and the Pacific Renewable Energy Status Report with REN21 and UNESCAP. The report maps the current range of renewable energy development across the region, provides information for potential investment, and presents concrete evidence of the potential economic and social benefits in countries where uptake of renewables has lagged.

" To improve its reporting and partnership activities, the ADB-led website (energyforall.asia) was enhanced and expanded to serve additional functions: (i) a database of private entities working in sustainable energy across the Asia-Pacific, with a focus on small and medium enterprises offering smaller-scale/distributed solutions, as well as mentoring and financial services; (ii) an easily accessible repository of sustainable energy knowledge products (including multimedia) created by ADB and partners; (iii) a platform for promoting capacity building and knowledge sharing events; (iv) a platform to disseminate sustainable energy news relevant to the Asia-Pacific, including communications from ADB.

" The TA supported innovative pilot demonstration projects with significant long-term impacts on increasing access to energy. Among these are (i) a pilot deployment of solar powered atmospheric water generation units that extract water vapor from the atmosphere with no impact on surface or groundwater, was done in cooperation with the National Electrification Administration in the Philippines; (ii) pilot project with the Government of Georgia that will hybridize existing Bitekhi micro-hydro with solar PV and energy storage system in Shatili Village; and (iii) cross-sector project focusing on modernizing irrigation infrastructure and generating renewable energy in the Philippines, led by the Southeast Asia Department, Energy Division..

Output 3. Full-fledged secretariat for SE4ALL regional hub established.

" The regional hub secretariat continues to operate under Subproject C. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between SEforALL and ADB in July 2020 to strengthen the partnership of these two organizations. The MOU will serve as an umbrella agreement for improving efficiency and achieving higher impact implementing actions in the Asia Pacific Region. Aside from regular secretariat activities, Subproject C activities include support on investment readiness, stakeholders' dialogues, and capacity building among DMCs.

" The Secretariat provided support to ADB regional energy divisions and SDCC to develop clean energy projects and facilitate investments, specifically in regard to:

Project design, transaction support and due diligence in Nepal

Rapid assessments on solar sector development and policy in Pakistan

Collecting energy sector data and policy information in Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines

Integration of gender equality and social inclusion for the SARD energy sector pipeline

Verifying results for output-based aid (OBA) in Cambodia

" The TA continues to support the Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility (CEFPF) Secretariat work.

" The operation of a full-fledged clean energy coordinating unit is also being supported with funding from the Climate Change Fund. The unit, which is being managed by the Energy Sector Group of the SDCC (SDCC-ENE) handles the fund administration and management of the CEFPF that helps facilitate the increase in clean energy investments.

" The CEFPF Fund secretariat in coordination with the SDSC-ENE takes the lead in the following:

reviewing/assessing and processing of fund applications for clean energy project preparation and financing;

coordinating and tracking potential clean energy investments in projects and project progress;

supporting energy and non-energy divisions implement clean energy projects;

supporting the conduct capacity building and knowledge sharing activities in renewable energy and energy efficiency, etc. contributing to the achievement of energy targets; and

supporting non-energy divisions develop clean energy components in their projects.

Planned Activties

" Pilot renewable energy hybrid (hydro and solar PV) project in Georgia supported by the TA needs additional time to be implemented. Currently, the team is preparing the pilot project's procurement documents. The TA also plans to support additional pilot projects to replicate using technology, business plans and lessons from other projects.

" The TA may share the cost of the grid grid-tied solar PV pilot project for cold storage in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The pilot will showcase the use of solar PV for a cold storage system through net metering arrangement. The pre-feasibility study has been drafted and procurement will commence as soon as the study is finalized.

" The TA will augment resources to support the virtual ACEF 2021, which is expected to draw over 3,000 participants from the public, private, civil society and academic sectors. The TA will likewise continue to support capacity building in clean energy under the partnership agreement with SEAS. The TA will also support the organization of the Asia Pacific on Low Carbon Technology in Q3 or Q4 2021.