Progress report for
Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE)
Achievement at a glance
Since 2014 laudable progress has been achieved and the partnership has proven to be durable and genuine in line with the SAMOA Pathway and good practice of energy multilateralism. The complex technical and political establishment process of CCREEE was successfully completed by UNIDO in partnership with CARICOM and SIDS DOCK.The Thirty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), held in Bridgetown, Barbados, 2 to 4 July 2015, endorsed the establishment of the CCREEE as the implementation hub for sustainable energy activities and projects within the region. Based on a competitive selection process, the offer of the Government of Barbados to host the centre in Bridgetown was accepted. After receiving a sufficient number of ratifications, the legal agreement establishing the CCREEE went into force on 19 May, 2018. On 22 May 2018 the CCREEE Headquarters Agreement was signed between the Government of Barbados and the CCREEE.
After the first operational phase and in line with the GN-SEC model, the centre has become independent and operates today within the decision and policy framework of CARICOM. The day-to-day management and decision-making authority is delegated to the Executive Director and the Executive Board. The centre operates through a network of national focal institutions (NFIs) and thematic hubs (THs). CCREEE is an active member of the GN-SEC platform of UNIDO and participates in the regular Steering Committee meetings.
Currently, the centre is implementing its Strategic Plan for the period 2019-2023. Initial core funding was provided by the Government of Austria through the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Spanish Government. In the meantime, the centre has established additional funding partnerships with BMZ, GIZ, EU and USAID.
The CCREEE has the official CARICOM mandate to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, markets and industries in the Caribbean. It provides action-oriented services to a broad range of public and private partners and clients. The centre is an implementing partner of the CARICOM Energy Unit.
Under the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC), the CCCREEE works closely with the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE), SICA Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SICREEE), the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) and the Central African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CEREEAC).
The centre complements and strengthens ongoing national/regional activities in the areas of policy and capacity development, knowledge management and awareness raising, as well as investment and business promotion. CCREEE will position itself as a regional renewable energy and energy efficiency promotion agency rather than an implementer on micro and grass-root levels. To maximize the local added value, the execution of specific assignments or services is in many cases delegated to national institutions and/or the private sector.
The centre focuses on activities which demonstrate high relevance for leveraging investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency infrastructure, services, local businesses and industry. Investment and business promotion will be an important activity component of the centre but also a cross-cutting issue across the other outcome areas. To create a regional RE&EE market, it is crucial for the CCREEE to stimulate as much as possible spill-over effects across outcome areas and national borders.
CCREEE and the GN-SEC were highlighted in several UN and OECD reports as best practice examples for energy multilateralism, public good and south-south and triangular cooperation.
The centre is an important infrastructure in the support of the green and blue economy aspirations of Caribbean SIDS. In the context of the COVID-19 caused economic downturn, debt escalation and rapidly increasing climate adaptation costs, CCREEE has an important role to reduce stress on national fiscal households by reducing fossil fuel import spending.
Challenges faced in implementation
The full legalization of the CCREEE required the signing and ratification of an intergovernmental agreement by all CARICOM Member States. The process took longer as expected. Another complexity is the long-term financial sustainability of the centre. There is openness of international partners to support technical activities but reluctance to support staff and core costs of the centre.Next Steps
During the next years, the centre will expand its operations, as well as its south-south and triangular cooperation activities with the other centres of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC).Beneficiaries
The CCREEE serves fifteen (15) CARICOM Member States. The main direct beneficiaries of the created regional centre are the key institutional players of the energy sector. The final beneficiaries are households and businesses, which benefit from more affordable, reliable and clean energy services. The reduction of fossil fuel import spending will free-up resources for essential social sectors, climate adaptation and economic diversification.
Actions
CCREEE has achieved important progress, to the benefit of SIDS. For example, CCREEE has developed regional policy frameworks on electric mobility for the Caribbean and provides implementation support for national actions. Another example is the energy information system established by the centre. The CARICOM Energy Knowledge Hub (https://cekh.ccreee.org) provide GIS based data on the renewable energy and energy efficiency status and concrete investment opportunities.CCREEE is supporting Caribbean energy ministries and utilities in the development of Integrated Resources and Resilience Plans (IRRPs), which take climate change impacts on the energy system better into account. Moreover, CCREEE has established a dedicated Project Preparation Facility (PPF), which provides to support for the development and financial structuring of sustainable energy projects. The established BLOOM Cleantech Cluster in Barbados is currently replicated in other SIDS through a regional approach. Over the past years, CCREEE has implemented a number of key conferences, workshops and trainings of high relevance for the energy transition in the Caribbean.
In 2021, UNIDO, SIDS DOCK and CCREEE launched the "Online Capacity Building Program on Sustainable Energy Solutions for Islands" under the GN-SEC. Composed of nine modules, the online training programme offers in-depth knowledge and practical exams on the following energy issues and technologies: solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, ocean energy, bioenergy, energy efficiency and thermal optimization in buildings, mini-grids, energy storage, e-mobility and climate change. The courses are free-of-charge and island experts can participate either through self-learning or guided training. Currently, the programme is available in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The course also applies a train-the-trainer approach, which helps national institutes to incorporate the tool into their curricula and contributes to the sustainability of the initiative. The course is available at: http://training.gn-sec.net.