What Works for Renewables in Africa!
On a per capita basis, sub-Saharan Africa is one of the lowest consumers of modern energy forms in the world (IEA, 2005). Although renewable energy is not a panacea for all of Africa’s energy problems, there is growing evidence that it can reduce the risks faced by the region’s energy sector and contribute to growing requirements for modern energy services. Renewable energy can also mitigate risks to the region’s power sector linked to high oil prices and drought that adversely affects large-scale hydropower. There are successful examples of cost-competitive renewable energy to diversify Africa’s energy sector and lower risks… 
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Steve Karekezi’s Daidalos Forum addresses a prevailing topic in international energy and development policy - Energy in Africa. Various initiatives are underway, the most important of which may be the Chinese approach towards Africa. Since renewable energy can contribute to better energy access, improve energy security, and create sustainable economic growth and local employment in Africa, these initiatives must give renewable energy the place it deserves in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

In other regions, renewable energy is becoming a key element within the policy processes that address energy security and climate change. Decisive progress is made by the EU. This stands in stark contrast to the continued stalemate often seen at the global level, most recently at the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for CSD-15.

On the national level, there seems to be a phase of redefining renewable energy strategies but only few new policies so far. China is reviewing the success of its renewable energy policy after one year of implementing some key regulations like the public tendering in wind energy. Japan has slightly increased its targets, although they are low for new renewable energy in the electricity sector.

With respect to technologies and markets, Biofuels continue being the hottest and almost universal renewable energy topic in business as well as policy sectors. In addition, more regions and countries begin to discover the heating and hot water markets as a vast potential to substitute fossil energy with a combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Towards a Europe-Africa Energy Partnership
The EU is starting to work towards an Energy Partnership with Africa with a first high-level conference to form such a Partnership held in Berlin from the 6th-7th of March. REN21’s contribution highlighted the substantial potential of renewable energy and the necessity for appropriate policies.
REN21 presentation...
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World Bank's Action Plan for Sub Saharan Africa
The World Bank is working on an action plan for energy access with special emphasis on Sub Saharan Africa as part of its Clean Energy Development Investment Framework (CEDIF). The World Bank calls for better donor coordination to scale-up sustainable energy development.
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European Union Resolute on 20% Binding Target
European Union leaders agreed on March 9th to set a 20% binding target for renewable energy in the Union's primary energy supply by 2020. The 20% target, adopted at the European Council meeting under the German presidency, will support the EU's resolution to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. The ambitious renewable energy target was proposed in the Commission’s Renewable Energy Roadmap in January, along with a binding 10% biofuels target that had already been approved by the Council of Ministers ahead of the Summit. Based on this EU-wide target, differentiated national targets will now be set for individual countries, taking into account their capacities and respective starting levels. The renewable energy community hopes that leaders will continue to make bold decisions to realise - without delay - the potential contribution of renewable energy in Europe. 
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Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security
Increasing the capacity of renewable energy while reducing costs are key elements of the Declaration signed in Cebu, Philippines on January 15th. Signatories include the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.
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Efforts to attain meaningful outcome of CSD-15  
The CSD Chair’s “negotiating document” distributed at the end of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting from 26 February to 2 March in New York has not gained widespread approval. There is persisting disagreement over issues such as the role of nuclear power and the priority given to renewable energy. Though many delegates underlined the prime importance of renewable energies, the negotiating document’s language has not advanced much since the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg. Nevertheless, some delegates sensed a generally constructive attitude…
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Negotiating document...

US Congress Raises Expectations
In the United States, all eyes are on the new US Congress, which is expected to soon and significantly improve the federal legal framework for renewable energy. Meanwhile, some States like New Mexico have moved forward to higher renewable energy targets. Hopes for an effective and broader policy to promote renewable energy at the federal level have also been nurtured by the US President’s State of the Union address, as well activities by the US State Department, including the announcement to work towards the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference.
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Biofuels between Boom and Sustainability
Governments are being unusually quick to set medium and long-term targets, and even specifying mandatory blending rules. This coincides with frenzy efforts to understand and promote the best biofuel production path and the respective R&D for second-generation technologies, such as cellulosic ethanol. Equally intense are attempts by governments, NGOs, and international organisations to find solutions for the various sustainability concerns, including the food vs. fuel debate.
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Heating and Hot Water Markets Targeted
In Europe, proposals for European Commission directives and national policies for renewable energy in the heating and hot water markets have been made. In several countries around the Mediterranean, as well as South Africa and some Latin American countries, further initiatives are underway.
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REN21 Explores Complementary Tools to the International Policy Process at CSD
REN21 organised a side event at the CSD-15 Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting in New York to discuss instruments that complement negotiated outcomes for international policy processes, such as the Case Study Matrix on lessons learnt, voluntary commitment programmes, and a global arrangement to review progress made in renewable energy.
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REN21 Kicks off Work on Global Status Report 2007
REN21 has begun work on its 2007 Global Status Report. The new report follows two earlier groundbreaking reports on the renewable energy sector and will be supported by a new exciting participatory procedure based on the Wiki method.
Global Status Report…

REN21 Completes Follow-Up of International Action Programme
Complementing the follow-up of the Bonn 2004 International Action Programme (IAP), REN21 has asked the German Öko-Institut to review the impact of the IAP actions implemented. In addition to the online follow-up, REN21 has also produced a summary report of the implementation status and a report discussing features and virtues of voluntary commitment programmes, such as the IAP, for other kinds of commitments.
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5th REN21 Steering Committee Meets in Brussels
The REN21 Steering Committee held a very successful 5th meeting in Brussels, hosted by EREC in the Renewable Energy House. The meeting was held back-to-back to the European Renewable Energy Policy Conference.
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REN21 Improves Information Services
REN21 will soon provide reviews of publications written by independent reviewers on the REN21 virtual library webpage. Publications for review are selected according to relevance for renewable energy policy. REN21 has also expanded its calendar of policy events to inform about upcoming meetings and conferences relevant in the international renewable energy policy process.
Visit Virtual Library…
See Policy Calendar…

Virginia Sonntag-O’Brien Joins REN21 Secretariat
The REN21 Secretariat will be substantially strengthened from April 2007 when Virginia Sonntag-O’Brien leaves her post as Director of the Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy (BASE) to join the REN21 Secretariat. Welcome Virginia!

New Offices for REN21 Secretariat
The REN21 Secretariat will move offices in mid April 2007 with its host, the UNEP Division of Technology, Economics and Technology (DTIE). The new offices are in the Paris 9th arrondissement. Telephone and fax contacts will not change. Address after mid April: REN21 Secretariat; 9, rue de Milan; 75009 Paris

Disclaimer
REN21 News and Update creates dialogue to emphasise the importance of renewable energy and to generate discussion on how it can be promoted. While the newsletters and website benefit from contributions of the REN21 community, they do not necessarily reflect the views of any of the other contributors, or any partner, sponsor or endorsing body of the REN21 Network.