Leading the writing team of the Chapter 2 “Emissions Trends and Drivers” for IPCC sixth assessment report on mitigation, Prof. Dhakal joined 2nd Lead Authors’ meeting in New Delhi. The meeting took the stock of Zero Order Draft, received internal feedbacks and comments, and planned for the preparation of the First Order Draft to make it ready by mid-December 2019.
The meeting comprised of 200 experts from 65 countries.
Photo courtesy: IPCC
The Global Research and Action Agenda on Cities and Climate Change Science is now published, in time for the 2019 Climate Action Summit. It is the primary outcome of the Cities and Climate Science Conference that was held in March 2018 in Edmonton, Canada, and was reported to the 48th IPCC Plenary session in October 2018 in Incheon, Korea. Prof. Dhakal served as co-chair of conference’s Scientific Steering Committee.
https://www.wcrp-climate.org/news/wcrp-news/1517-graa-published
The Agenda showcases not only the important role cities play in terms of climate impact and opportunities to address it, but the breadth of knowledge needed to support decision-makers and urban practitioners to tackle these challenges. It contains the key findings as relates to: six topical research areas; key cross-cutting issues and knowledge gaps; and approaches to facilitate the implementation. The Agenda aims to generate greater knowledge in support of practice and decision-making in urban areas, through collaborative research efforts and provision of the scientific foundation through the IPCC’s sixth and seventh assessment cycles.
In preparing the Agenda, particular emphasis has been put on the joint effort of researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers in a long-term and constructive manner, to respond to specific city-level challenges arising from climate change.
For more information and to access the Agenda in different languages, please download the following versions:
Full version (English)
Abridged versions (English, 中文, Español, Français, Русский)
Power point slides here: Please click.
At the The Fourteenth Policy Consultation Forum of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth “Enhancing and implementing NDCs with ambition and transparency” at UN Building, Bangkok, Thailand on 2-3 September 2019, Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal speaks on “Energy transition in the context of SDGs and the Paris Agreement and the need for an integrated planning approach”
Prof. Dhakal participates in an AIT event titled “is AIT #raisingambition to #actnow for CLIMATE CHANGE resilience in cities and comunities?” on 15 August 2019 at AIT Library’s Wall of Fame, organized by RRC.AP of AIT. He introduces his work in area of Cities and Climate Change and argues that world is rapidly urbanizing and there is an urgent need for knowledge and action for building low carbon and climate resilient cities.
See the presentation slides : click here
Prof. Dhakal speaks on “Cross-border electricity trade in BBIN region: Clarifying the existing scenario and way forward ” at a high level seminar in Kathmandu (Nepal) titled Taking Nepal’s Energy Sector Forward to International Best Practice”. The seminar was organized by AIT Alumni Association Nepal under patronage of Government of Nepal, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, In conjunction with AIT’s 60th Anniversary celebration.
The presentation slides can be downloaded from here.
The Chief Guest of the seminar was Hon. Barsha Man Pun, Minister, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Government of Nepal. The workshop was attended by key policy makers, experts, private sector, civil society and the development communities.
28 May 2019, 12:30-14:30 hrs, Public Foyer, United Nations Conference Centre Bangkok, organized by International Solar Alliance (ISA)
Prof. Dhakal joined the panel discussions together with Ms. Dechen Tsering, Regional Director and Representative of the UNEP Asia and the Pacific Office, Mr. Hongpeng Liu, Director, Energy Division, ESCAP, and Mr. QUAN Nan, Director of Southeast and South Asia, Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO).
WELCOME: Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP delivered opening remarks;
OPENING REMARKS: H.E. Mr. Upendra Tripathy Director General, International Solar Alliance
SPECIAL ADDRESSES: H.E. Ms. Suchitra Durai, Ambassador of India to Thailand, H.E. Mr. Jacques Lapouge, Ambassador of France to Thailand, H.E. Ms. Mareseini Vuniwaqa, Minister of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Republic of Fiji .
PANEL DISCUSSION MODERATOR: Ms. Milou Beerepoot, Regional Technical Specialist, Energy and Climate Change Mitigation, UNDP, Global Environmental Facility
See detailed program here: https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Side%20event%20on%20Solar%20Investment%2028%20May.pdf
The event was focused on the issues of developing and financing solar energy projects and aligning financial flows in line with the Paris Agreement, the One Planet Summit and the Delhi Agenda i.e. to mobilise more than $1000 billion investments to finance 1000GW of global solar capacity by 2030.
Prof. Dhakal’s key messages:
Global energy investment stands 1.85 trillion $ in 2018 while the solar investment is merely 160 billion $. About 100 GW solar has been added in 2018 alone making global installed capacity of solar of about 486 GW. In this context, how to mobilize $1000 billion to finance 1000 GW solar by 2030? We must address hurdles at the supply side as well as at the demand side!!!
Presentation slides and Panel Discussion outcomes
Session on “Challenges for Nepal’s energy security and opportunities of sustainable energy development” at the Symposium on “Responding to Development Priorities of Nepal”, Hotel Himalaya, Kathmandu.
Energy security of Nepal has multiple dimensions. Energy availability, adequacy, reliability (uninterrupted availability and quality) and affordability are key tenants of energy security. National electrification rate of Nepal was 76% in 2013 with over 7 million people yet without connection to electricity let alone adequacy and reliability issues. Nepal’s 80% of population relies on biomass-based solid fuel for cooking (IEA Energy Access Database, 2016) that has health and other sustainability implications. The energy security has also wider national implication as country has only domestic production of 865 MW in 2015-end (WECS, 2017) with estimated peak capacity demand of 1,721 MW and fully dependent on import of the foreign petroleum products (184 million litres of Gasoline, 950 million litres of diesel, 12 million litres of Kerosene and 166 thousand tons of LPG in 2014/15) which has recently seen severe supply-interruptions that has exposed the extent of severe vulnerability of Nepal. Sustainable energy development, which has large potential in Nepal from hydro and other renewables, has multiple benefits- they not only address the energy access but also open up opportunities for electricity based transport options that reduce dependency on imported petroleum products, and promote energy trade. This further can create job, reduce pollution, generate revenue through energy trade and provide vital energy inputs necessary for sustained economic growth.
Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal participated as a panelist for an open symposium on 15th March and delivered talk titled “Available data sets for urban carbon and resources studies *click to access presentation file*” to the closed workshop on 16th March in UNEP’s International Resources Panel (IRP) organized Scientific Dialogue and Expert Workshop “Decoupling in Cities in Asia: An Infrastructure Transition Perspective” at Jintai Hotel in Beijing (15-17 March 2017).
The overarching goal of the workshop was to communicate the findings of the UNEP/IRP’s Resource Requirements for Future Urbanization Report (REFURB) and customize the findings to Asian cities.
The meeting was hosted by China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center, Beijing was attended by scholars from USA, Australia, China, and Europe.
Springer released a new book titled “Creating Low Carbon Cities” co-edited by Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal (AIT, Thailand) and Prof. Matthias Ruth (Northeastern University, Boston). See details here: http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319497297
Springer has kindly provided Free Access of the book from this link: http://rdcu.be/qxcU
“The low carbon cities agenda is of bold ambition and demands rapid societal transformation. This book provides invaluable information and analysis on how the goals of this agenda can be achieved and what will be the significant obstacles in the way. The content in the book goes below the surface to reveal on-the-ground economic, engineering and equity issues that are at the heart of the Paris Climate Agreement and the ensuing policy debates. In this way, Creating Low Carbon Cities serves as a critical scholarly benchmark and as a toolkit for further action.” William Solecki, Professor, Institute for Sustainable Cities, City University of New York
“Creating Low Carbon Cities provides a refreshingly critical approach to low-carbon urban development, what has been achieved so far and the challenges ahead. It will be an important data-driven resource for local leaders, sustainability practitioners and urban planners.”- Ms. Monika Zimmermann, Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability
About the book: This 16 chapter book authored by key scholars, addresses key topics in the current deliberations and debates on low carbon cities that are underway globally. Contributions by experts from around the world focus on the key factors required for creating low carbon cities. These include appropriate infrastructure, ensuring co-benefits of climate actions, making best use of knowledge and information, proper accounting of emissions, and social factors such as behavioral change. Readers will gain a better understanding of these drivers and explore potential transformation pathways for cities. Particular emphasis is given to the current situation of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the urban level, stressing the complexity of measuring GHG emissions from cities. Chapters also shed new light on the long-term transformation pathways towards low carbon. This book discusses key challenges and opportunities in all these domains to aid in creating low carbon cities, making it of value to policy makers, researchers in academia and consultants working on climate change and energy issues.
Human Settlements, Infrastructure and Spatial Planning was a new chapter in IPCC 5th Assessment Report. Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal, as Coordinating Lead Author (CLA) of this assessment, presented its key findings to the International Conference on Understanding Climate Change and Enabling Climate Action in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, Kathmandu, Nepal, 10 – 13 April 2017. The Conference was jointly organized by International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Ministry of Population and Environment of Nepal, and the IPCC. The PowerPoint slides are available here.
Dr. Dhakal also serves as a Coordinating Lead Author of ongoing HIMAP Assessment’s Energy Related Assessment for Hindu Kush Himalayan Region whose preliminary findings were also presented at the Conference.
Conference web-site: http:/here/www.icimod.org/?q=25842