In preparation of the first session of the Committee on Energy, which will be held at the intergovernmental level, and as one of the three pillars of the Asian and Pacific Energy Forum (APEF) Implementation Mechanism, the 2017 Policy Dialogue on Energy for Sustainable Development will be organized on 16 January 2017. The Policy Dialogue will review trends in energy access, renewable energy, and energy efficiency, and regional cooperation on sustainable energy, which is the theme for the 73rd session of the Commission in May 2017. The Policy Dialogue will include sessions on: 1. Private sector and policy makers dialogue on creation of enabling environments to spur sustainable energy development in Asia and the Pacific; and 2) Tracking and Advancing Progress in Sustainable Energy. The event will also feature booths from the secretariat and participants, showcasing innovative ways forward in meeting SDG 7.
During the Policy Dialogue, governmental experts, academia and private sector representatives will discuss the most pressing issues, important trends and opportunities in access, efficiency and renewable energy in Asia-Pacific. Moreover, the participants are encouraged to provide guidance and ideas to the secretariat for the preparation of the Theme Study for the 73rd session of the Commission entitled “Regional cooperation for sustainable energy”. The secretariat is organizing a dialogue between private sector leaders and policy makers in the field of renewable energy to share their experiences as well as visions and strategies for the creation of enabling environments to scale up renewable energy application and increase integration of power generation from renewable energy sources. The secretariat is also organizing a session focused on Global Tracking Framework (GTF) data interpretation and consultation with member States as part of its larger effort to strengthen the process to review and assess the progress under SE4All and the SDG 7.