Tag: cobeneficios

Humanity faces three global crises that threaten our survival, development and the conditions of our habitat. These are: the health crisis derived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic; the economic crisis caused by the slowdown in productive activities and in lifestyles in general, linked to the pandemic and deepening processes of poverty and inequality; and, of course, the climate crisis, expressed by the continuous increase in extreme climatic and meteorological phenomena, and the rises in sea levels, among other manifestations.

The deployment of sustainable energy–energy efficiency and renewable energy–is vital to achieving global efforts to reduce global warming. However, these actions have the potential to generate positive impacts beyond those related to greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. These additional impacts have been termed ‘co-benefits’. The quantification of social, environmental and economic co-benefits of sustainable energy makes it possible to visualise and identify those dimensions of development impacted and thereby promote agendas to which it contributes to additional purposes, such as social welfare, the reduction of ecological degradation, and green economic growth.

The technical cooperation between Mexico and Germany, through the project Enhancing the Coherence of Climate and Energy Policies in Mexico (CONECC) of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), implemented phase II of the Mexico Co-benefits initiative, called “Co-benefits of sustainable energy: an opportunity to promote well-being and sustainable development in Mexico”, aimed at providing governmental subnational organisations and key actors in Mexico with the capacity to incorporate the concept of co-benefits into their decision-making processes and strategies to promote sustainable energy, through the quantification of co-benefits and the development of narratives that highlight the opportunities and positive impacts derived from each unit of energy saved by energy efficiency measures, or generated through renewable sources, respectively.

Thus, a pilot programme to quantify co-benefits was implemented, with six projects selected for the development of an analysis of their co-benefits. These projects cover a wide spectrum of sustainable energy since they take advantage of different technologies and are applied at different scales and in different sectors. The actions related to the field of renewable energy include the generation of clean energy at the community level without connection to the supply network; distributed generation for government use; and large-scale generation. The actions corresponding to the field of energy efficiency include saving measures implemented in government and private buildings, as well as the component of energy efficiency in wastewater treatment processes. The projects that participated in the pilot are located in five states of the Mexican Republic: Coahuila, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Tamaulipas and Yucatán. Based on the lessons learned and good practices from this quantification exercise, the initial development of the CO-B MX tool was achieved: Towards a Sustainable Energy Quantification Tool.

It is with great pleasure that we share the results of the pilot programme and the co-benefit quantification tool. The general study outlines the main results, good practices and methodologies for the quantification of co-benefits. Additionally, you can find seven disclosure sheets with the specific results of each project. Finally, you will find the link to be able to use the CO-B MX tool.

Click on the logo to access the tool

We hope to inspire readers to continue the legacy of quantifying co-benefits and thus contribute to the deployment of sustainable energy to face the effects of climate change, creating a green future and triggering well-being opportunities for society at the same time.

Through the approach of renewable energy and energy efficiency co-benefits, decision-makers and experts in climate change and energy can use data to communicate the positive effects derived from the deployment of sustainable energy projects. Currently, there are different models and tools to quantify these social, economic and environmental benefits, providing accurate data on the impact of the installation of these technologies, such as the tool International Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (I-JEDI).

GIZ/ The Undersecretary Santiago Creuheras of the SMADSOT and the Mtro. Jonas Russbild director of the CONECC project sharing the welcome messages with the participants.

For this reason, the project Enhancing the Coherence of Climate and Energy Policies in Mexico (CONECC) within the framework of the Virtual Forum “Trends of the Energy Transition in the Face of Global Climate Change: Actions at a Subnational Level” organised by the Secretariat of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Territorial Planning of the state of Puebla (SMADSOT), carried out the “Specialised Training in the Quantification of Social and Economic Sustainable Energy Co-benefits in Mexico”. The training focused on the use of the I-JEDI tool to quantify the socioeconomic co-benefits of renewable energy projects. The aim was to introduce the concept of co-benefits and provide knowledge for the model to be implemented–as well as to familiarise decision makers and experts with its use.

The workshop lasted three days and was attended by 21 people from the subnational, federal, private, and academic public sectors. The training focused on practical modelling exercises for photovoltaic and wind energy projects, with a focus on quantifying the jobs generated and economic impact. Additionally, spaces for dialogue between experts were created, in order to share experiences, good practices and opportunities triggered through the quantification of co-benefits. Importance was placed on these positive impacts reaching the communities where the projects are developed. The participants concluded that the I-JEDI tool could be a basis for local governments to approach the quantification of co-benefits for the socioeconomic development of a region.

At the end of the workshop, the participants were able to distinguish the social, environmental and specifically economic co-benefits, identifying the types of employment: direct, indirect and induced–derived from the different stages of the project such as construction, operation and maintenance. In addition, the participants carried out different simulation exercises to evaluate and strengthen knowledge, as well as the skills acquired at the workshop. The event also fostered a constructive dialogue among the participants, who shared their experiences and perspectives from their different work contexts, enriching the training and the lessons learned during the workshop.

GIZ/ Participants of the specialized training in the I-JEDI employment co-benefits quantification tool

The CONECC project carried out a workshop on strategic communication, alongside different state representatives, aimed at highlighting the social, environmental and economic benefits of sustainable energy.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects are key to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change. However, they also trigger co-benefits in social, environmental and economic areas. However, the decision-makers or implementers of these projects do not always have the tools to communicate the multiple benefits.

Therefore the GIZ through the project Enhancing the Coherence of Climate and Energy Policies in Mexico (CONECC), within the framework of implementing a pilot programme to quantify co-benefits, developed a communication consultancy to share best practices and tools for the communication of the positive effects of sustainable energy. Decision-makers accompanied them from subnational governments of the six projects taking part in the pilot programme, in the states of Hidalgo, Yucatán, Guanajuato, Coahuila and Tamaulipas.

During the counselling, basic concepts were shared to strengthen the mechanisms to communicate co-benefits, through communication strategies and plans: for example, by determining audiences and channels, building key message, and through strategic content planning. A toolbox was shared, with graphic and planning elements. The objectives of the toolbox are:

  • To provide state governments with the minimum knowledge required to design a communication strategy that communicates the co-benefits of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RE and EE) projects.
  • To offer a guide that facilitates the implementation of a communication strategy and the content plans derived from it.
  • To provide graphic tools and pre-designed key messages, as well as monitoring instruments to facilitate specific strategies implementation and communicate the co-benefits of sustainable energy.

Various recommendations and good practices were also presented that focus on highlighting these benefits in other areas and strengthening local sustainable development: examples include the use of storytelling, or emotional narrative construction and monitoring and performance indicators that can measure and eventually improve communication strategies.

The coaching drew 40 participants from several sectors including energy, climate change, water resources and economic development. Representatives from six states participated. With this advice, the participants of the pilot programme are expected to have the capacities and tools to communicate the co-benefits that their projects generate.

You can download the presentation of the workshop with the essentials of co-benefits communication, as well as a guide to the toolbox. For questions, please contact cobeneficios@giz.de

 

GIZ / Laguna. Communication consultancy “The ABC of co-benefits: how to communicate the benefits of sustainable energy”

When it comes to finding solutions to climate change, the first thing that comes to mind is the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) through public policies that encourage or regulate emissions. However, reducing GHGs has a multiplier effect in different areas, such as health, the economy, employment, wellbeing, and biodiversity, among others. These multiple benefits created by climate change mitigation initiatives are called co-benefits. Discovering synergies helps to broaden the perspective and consider aspects that were previously not considered in the analysis of public policies. Further, it can help drive a sustainable energy transition that achieves the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

This is why Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in coordination with Enhancing the Coherence of Climate and Energy Policies in Mexico (CONECC), are inviting people in the climate or energy sector from Federal Ministries, local governments, decision-makers, think tanks, research institutes, and financial institutions to participate in an international online training program for South Africa, Turkey, Kenya and Mexico, and specialize in renewable energy co-benefits.

The aim is to develop the capacities of key actors in climate, energy, and environmental policy, to promote ambitious climate actions. The trainings will be online and are made up of four modules (fundamentals, public policies, methodologies and energy planning and sustainable economies). Thus, participants will gain a deep understanding of co-benefits and how to apply them in public policies and the planning of energy systems to build a sustainable future.

Applications will be received until October 4, 2020. Anyone interested in applying can do so here: Online training: co-benefits specialist in Renewable Energy.

To download the brochure: Brochure_CoBenefits_2020_final

GIZ Mexico held the launch event “Co-benefits: Climate Action for Sustainable Development in Mexico” to present the main results of two co-benefits studies and discuss national and regional opportunities to quantify co-benefits with a sustainable development perspective.

On the one hand, the 2030 Agenda Initiative team, together with the Office of the Presidency of the Republic, presented the study Doing the Numbers: Quantifying the Co-benefits of Climate Action for Sustainable Development in Mexico that explores synergies between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda and the co-benefits of an integrated implementation of both agendas. On the other hand, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), together with the project Enhancing the Coherence of Climate and Energy Polices in Mexico (CONECC), presented the study Co-benefits: Contribution of the Energy Transition for Sustainable Development in Mexico, which examines the important co-benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Mexico’s energy transition, as well as the most appropriate policy options to deliver these benefits to the Mexican people.

 

 

Credits: GIZ 2020. Word cloud with participants’ expectations

 

During the day, several experts such as Dr. Amparo Martínez Arroyo, general director of the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), spoke about the co-benefits resulting from the integration of the climate, energy, and sustainable development agendas in Mexico. After presenting the main findings and results of both studies, the engineer Yutsil Sanginés, general director of Public Policies for Climate Change at SEMARNAT, presented the design and implementation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico.

 

Credits: GIZ 2020. Opening message from Dr. Amparo Martínez Arroyo and Mr. Oliver Knoerich

 

In order to highlight the role of the states, a sub-national panel was held, in which the secretaries of Oaxaca, Yucatan, and Puebla discussed the actions and opportunities of their states in mainstreaming climate action into development policies.

Finally, the participants had the opportunity to present their ideas and opinions in three working tables, which were created to establish the future lines of investigation for the studies presented. These focused on the prospects for mainstreaming climate action into development policies and vice versa, on the elements for creating a tool for quantifying co-benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and on prioritizing co-benefits in the implementation of an Emissions Trading System in Mexico.

 

This event was held on March 4, 2020 at the Museum of Memory and Tolerance in Mexico City. It was organized by the teams of Agenda 2030, CONECC, and SiCEM, which are part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).