Thought Leader (https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/ en/); I was one of the ten Indians to be selected to travel to Germany to receive Pavlo Glazkov/Shutterstock.com language, intercultural and extensive training and to have the opportunity ConceptCafe/Shutterstock.com to work in the German renewable energy industry. After working in a few engineering firms and research organisations, I eventually came to work for a financing platform in Frankfurt, which dealt with crowdfunding of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. It is here, while networking with people Sustainable neighbourhood in Almere, Netherlands: the district heating is at various conferences, I came across partially powered by a solar panel island. professionals from ICLEI. Local Governments In my line of work on renewable energy ICLEI’s World Secretariat is based projects, I had worked with subnational in Bonn, Germany, but ICLEI has a governments, national governments secretary for every region in the world and private companies. With my and project offices in various countries. for Sustainability expertise, I helped clients with RE project For example, in Southeast Asia the A global network for the future development, design business models, Secretariat is in Manila but they also technical and financial due diligence have an Indonesian office in Jakarta, and project implementation. Later, I which looks over projects in Indonesia. In ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, active in more than 100 countries, is a global network of subnational came across an opportunity to work with total, ICLEI has around 23 offices all over governments that aims to influence sustainability policy and invigorate local action for low-emission development. ICLEI on the 100% Renewable Cities the world. The ICLEI network refers to ICLEI’s Head of Climate & Energy Action, Rohit Sen, explains to Research Features why a network like this works so well, and Regions Roadmap Project, which I the various subnational governments, and how they are building a roadmap to sustainable success. n a rapidly developing urban world, the ICLEI Montréal Commitment and developing urban low-emission, climate- it is critical that sustainability is Strategic Vision (https://bit.ly/3pE6DJh). resilient, mobility-friendly development Achieving 100% renewables Iconsidered by local and regional This vision orients the path towards strategies, and more. is one of the central pillars needed governments to support and build urban transformation (https://bit. low-impact, environmentally friendly, ly/2UMESAl) and sets a course for How did you come to be involved to deliver on the Paris Agreement, equitable and resilient developments delivering on the global sustainable with the network personally? and communities. This isn’t always easy development agenda. The Commitment I studied Mechanical Engineering in reach net zero emissions and though, and in order to learn from one defines low-emission, nature-based, India, completed a Master’s in renewable another and avoid making the same circular, resilient and equitable energy technologies in Scotland, and then ensure a livable future. mistakes in what is an increasingly developments as five interconnected 5 years later, followed it up with a Master’s urgent climate crisis, a truly global and pathways towards sustainability. ICLEI in renewable energy management in effective network is needed. supports these pathways through policy Germany. I have more than ten years’ grabbed with both hands, as this gave me in this case, various cities and regions, approaches related to governance, work experience in the renewable energy the golden chance to work on building who are part of the ICLEI network. At the ICLEI – Local Governments for innovation and finance. sector. Most of my work has revolved 100% RE Roadmaps and bankable RE moment there are over 1,750 cities and Sustainability is such a global network around renewable energy off-grid projects from scratch with the involvement regions which are part of the network. consisting of over 1,750 subnational By committing to this vision, local and projects, grid-connected projects, green of multiple stakeholders at the same time. governments who are committed to regional governments are leading buildings and e-mobility-related projects, Depending on what expertise is needed sustainable development. By working the way towards a fossil fuel free era, both from the implementation as well as You work with cities and regions at the and what the project is, the World together, they hope to bring about stimulating the green economy through research angles. In 2014, I was selected subnational government level. What Secretariat gets involved with the systemic change in urban areas, for the sustainable public procurement, for the Make it in Germany programme does this cooperation look like? regional offices and together we help the good of the public and the planet. In this interview with Rohit Sen, Head of Climate & Energy Action at ICLEI, Research kimson/Shutterstock.com Features found out how they aim to reach their goal of 100% renewable cities. What is the goal and strategy of ICLEI? At the ICLEI World Congress 2018 in Montréal, local and regional leaders across the ICLEI network released www.researchfeatures.com www.researchfeatures.com Thought Leader increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial Are there any specific projects to be a part of the 100% Renewables levels, and to support training to build or learning experience that you Cities and Regions Network (https:// capacity of subnational governments. would like to highlight? iclei.org/en/100RE.html). It’s important The Center will also call subnational One project I’d like to talk about is the that the knowledge exchange and flow governments tackling climate change 100% Renewables Cities and Regions of information happens. We need this to report annually on the CDP-ICLEI Roadmap (https://renewablesroadmap. transition to 100% renewables to catch unified reporting system and review and iclei.org/). We have three cities in on like wildfire for all cities & regions. analyse the reported data for all ICLEI- Argentina, three in Kenya and three in It’s valuable and imperative for cities supported initiatives. It aims to inform Indonesia, all in different parts of the in Kenya, Argentina, Indonesia, etc. climate advocacy messaging through world, with different topographies, to know what Orlando or Malmö are Malmö aims to reach the goal of 100% RE by 2030. Its ‘Turning data aggregation and analysis, support demographics, environment and local doing with their 100% RE plan/strategy; Torso’ tower features a high degree of energy and water efficiency, and is now a symbol of the eco-friendly city. multilevel governance and vertically requirements. The idea is that for each city it could be floating photovoltaics or Michael715/Shutterstock.com integrated reporting and coordination, (one from each country), we dive deep, recovering energy from waste, waste and enable project development and develop the 100% renewables roadmap, management for a circular economy local government directly or indirectly, ICLEI’s network, today are going ahead cities are currently committed to carbon access to finance to scale up local following the whole process of collecting or the transfer of technology and either in capacity building training, or learning from others, figuring out how neutrality or being 100% renewable. climate and energy action. Currently, we data, doing energy modelling, and so business models, or various innovative giving them advice or suggestions based others did it, not reinventing the wheel These commitments are now being are working on redesigning the role of on. Finally, we will come out with some financing ways. on experience from various previous or making the same mistakes. There translated into various strategy paths or projects implemented. Of course, as you are already many cities and regions that roadmaps and from those roadmaps, we can imagine, with respect to the way have achieved the 100% RE status. In are already seeing projects being drawn of working, approach, languages, etc., Germany, the towns of Wolfhagen and out, which are then being financed and the local governments in Germany are Bordesholm have already achieved implemented. This is not something ICLEI seeks to harness the momentum built across very different from ones in Indonesia; 100% RE status, the City of Aspen in that will be achieved overnight, it’s we always try to adjust and be flexible the United States is another example, going to be a transition in phases, and different levels of governments, academia, the private around things. For example, if I’m and Diu (a small region in Indian) has during this transition phase there will working with local governments in Kenya, already achieved 100% RE as well; these be cities and regions using coal, oil and sector, and civil society, to generate research-driven then I would work with my colleagues are just a few examples out of many. gas. But certain offset strategies can be knowledge that is transferable. from the African Secretariat. That is where There are many cities like Malmö in implemented as well. ICLEI’s strength lies in having regional Sweden, Frankfurt in Germany, Orlando offices; being aware of the various work in the United States and Adelaide in Could you outline the work and local cultures, we are able to adjust Australia which are already on their way of the carbonn Center? the carbonn Climate Center as a data bankable projects, which can be then and be flexible. implementing projects to become 100% The carbonn Climate Center (https:// services provider, technical solutions implemented as a kick-off to the transition renewable. Some of them are very close carbonn.org/) is positioned to take centre provider, and think tank, reducing the role phases. The cities from the three countries Can your goal of 100% renewable to achieving this, others have made really stage as a unifying entity in climate of data collection as a main focus of the are poles apart from each other, they energy be achieved worldwide? Are good progress.