Between 11 - 24 November, representatives from Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) and Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) - two UK Aid-funded initiatives led by the University’s Centre for Sustainable Transitions: Energy, Environment and Resilience (STEER) - shared their expertise in high-level discussions, showcasing research and solutions for climate action.
During COP29, CCG joined global partners, including the Global Renewables Alliance, to host a Blue Zone event focused on the integration of renewable energy into global power grids. The event, attended by industry leaders and senior government ministers, including UK Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy, focused on strategies for grid expansion and decarbonisation by 2030.
The Minister emphasised the need to transform the global energy system and double grid investments by 2030, highlighting the role of key partners, including CCG, in developing strategies to finance the green infrastructure required for this transition.
CCG plays an important role in advancing global collaboration on research into green grids. The programme specialises in the development of innovative approaches that unlock the financing needed to drive infrastructure investment across the Global South.
Under the leadership of Loughborough’s Professor Jairo Quiros-Tortos, a globally recognised expert in energy systems and climate change, CCG also supported the development of a landmark pledge to support global efforts to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The pledge – which was launched at COP and endorsed by multiple governments, climate experts and key industry players - reflects a growing global commitment to the Net Zero transition, with members working to drive impactful investments in grid infrastructure and renewable energy.
Also in Baku, experts from Loughborough’s Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) programme participated in sessions focused on renewable-based clean cooking and scaling electric cooking. This included the official launch of a major new publication on clean cooking in Africa, developed by the African Energy Commission (AFREC) in collaboration with MECS and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).
MECS’ commitment to advancing clean cooking solutions on a global scale was further acknowledged with the announcement that the programme has been awarded a five-year, £44 million funding extension by the UK Government as part of a £74 million initiative to expand global access to clean cooking solutions.
Since its inception in 2018, MECS has enabled over 3.8 million people to adopt cleaner, more efficient cooking practices, reducing fuel consumption, improving air quality, and enhancing household incomes.
Other activities at COP 29 included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between CCG and the International Renewable Energy Agency, as well as a Blue Zone event with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) focused on capacity building. CCG also hosted a transport day, which brought together stakeholders including the World Bank and the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, along with the Hon. Minister Dieudonné Dalkane of Burundi, to explore innovative pathways and tools for achieving low-carbon transport systems.
Both MECS and CCG are part of the Centre for Sustainable Transitions: Energy, Environment and Resilience (STEER), a multi-million-pound research centre that collaborates with partners across the world - from decision-makers to energy-poor communities - to make United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals a reality.