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Energy Efficiency, Climate Change, and Leadership: Key Topics of the Second Ministerial Meeting of the ECPA

Thursday, May 14, 2015

The region’s high-ranking authorities on energy and climate will meet on May 25 and 26 to discuss the ECPA plan of action. Chief among the topics that the OAS member states will address in their discussions are energy efficiency, climate change, and charting a new course for the ECPA.

Since its inception in 2009, the ECPA has worked on diverse projects to increase energy security, promote low-carbon growth and foster regional integration to realize social and sustainable development for the Americas. These objectives have been implemented around the ECPA’s seven fundamental pillars that guide the efforts of this voluntary and flexible intraregional cooperation mechanism, achieving substantial progress and results.

The ECPA ministerial will bring together OAS member states; representatives of international agencies, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Development Bank for Latin America (CAF); and civil society and academic experts to share views and look for joint solutions to promote investment and the sustainability of the energy sector. The purpose of the Second Ministerial Meeting is to offer governments an opportunity to hold a dialogue focused on improving cooperation on energy matters and climate change.

On the first day of the meeting, actors from the public and private sectors, civil society, and international agencies will have the chance to participate in technical roundtables to discuss topics relating to each of the fundamental pillars of the ECPA. In this way, participants can reaffirm their enthusiasm and desire to undertake new initiatives in the current context of reform and technological and political progress in order to help achieve greater sustainability and diversification in the energy sector. On the second and final day, the plenary will discuss the results of the roundtable discussions, and the ministers will agree on a new plan of action and the decision-making structure for the ECPA.

The Sixth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM6) will be held immediately after the ECPA meeting (May 27 and 28). This will be a unique opportunity to highlight the work both of the CEM and of the ECPA, given that both mechanisms encourage their members to formulate policies for developing clean energies and technologies.

We invite you to watch the video below to find out more about the ECPA’s mission, vision and commitment to the Americas.