GCoM was invited by C40 as a supporting organisation for the 2024 Clean Energy Finance Academy, an intensive 3-day workshop that brings together cities with leading financial and technical experts to address financing challenges for cities related to buildings, energy efficiency, and small scale/distributed clean energy generation. This collaboration commenced since March 2024.
The Clean Energy Finance Academy brought together cities from C40 CFF, GCoM SEA, IURC programme and UrbanShift, creating a dynamic environment where city staff can engage, showcase their work, and share experiences with the wider partner networks. It was held from 10 – 12 July 2024 (3 days including a site visit) at Jakarta, Indonesia.
Workshop participants
Participants (two senior city staff participants each [one from finance department, one from environment/energy department] were selected. They comprised of local level officials (environment, energy and city planning departments; and finance departments and/or agencies) together with the participation and knowledge contribution of finance institutions, and research and policy institutes.
The final selection of cities that confirmed their participation were:
- Indonesia:
- Balikpapan
- Palembang
- Jakarta
- Tangerang
- Semarang
- Bitung
- Malaysia
- Kuala Lumpur
- Melaka
- Padawan
- Philippines
- Quezon City
- Thailand
- Bangkok
Throughout the 3 days, a total of 49 to 75 participants attended various sessions.
The in-person workshop was delivered via expert lectures, interactive learning features, networking, and technical site visits focusing on financing buildings and energy efficiency solutions at the subnational level. 1-2-1 bilateral and matchmaking meetings between cities and climate finance experts were carried out on Day 3.
The Energy Finance Academy Model
In order to support cities in implementing projects for accelerating the implementation of energy and energy efficiency projects, C40 developed the intensive and targeted technical training model called an Energy Finance Academy, a 3-day workshop that brings city officials together with leading financial and technical experts to address a financing challenge for cities related to accelerating the projects’ deployment. Academies are critical in helping senior-level city officials from technical and financial departments understand and shape energy related projects, so they align with the priorities of investors and the infrastructure needs at the local level. Limited technical capacity and joint planning between city finance departments and sectoral teams are significant barriers to climate action and financing of sustainable urban infrastructure. Moreover, cities across different regions have highlighted the importance of mainstreaming climate and sustainability into their budget and financial processes.
The objectives of the Finance Academies are to improve cities’ capacity to:
- Identify and access finance for city projects through a range of funding sources and financing approaches, tools, etc;
- Conceptualise, design, or incrementally progress infrastructure projects toward finance ability, also ensuring equity and inclusivity outcomes are considered in financing strategies;
- Share good practices and discuss challenges in rolling out building energy efficiency projects and finance mechanisms to support the city’s net zero targets and energy consumption;
- Overcome barriers and identify new & innovative business models;
- Discussing financing models for energy efficiency projects and integrating financing solutions policies into municipal budgets and capital investment planning;
- Adopt buildings net zero targets and enable cities to learn from one another on action to develop and implement plans to develop this commitment and access financial needs for program development; Discuss solutions and challenges to work with different levels of government and private sector;
Technical Site Visit: Jakarta Green Tour – 11 July 2024
The EFA 24 site visit was a 3.5-hour guided walk covering approximately 3km/7,500 steps. It started at lunchtime from Novotel Jakarta and then a walk towards the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, where participants learnt about green building practices related to energy and water efficiency. The next activity was the Jakarta’s public transportation system using the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), followed by learning about integrated transportation development at Dukuh Atas. The route continued to the Istiqlal Mosque and Cathedral Church to explore renewable energy applications in Jakarta’s religious sites, particularly solar energy utilization and concluded with an inclusive experience at a local café, where participants learned Indonesian sign language from a local barista, showcasing the City’s commitment to inclusivity.
Download the Programme Agenda here and master slide presentations
