Building Public-Private Partnerships at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum

By Lisa Jacobson, President, BCSE

From the main stage of the Global Clean Energy Action Forum (GCEAF) on September 22, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm spoke about the importance of collaboration and cooperation amongst clean energy businesses, advocates, and policymakers.

“The [clean energy] opportunity may be obvious, but to seize it, we all have to work together,” she said.

That is the mission exemplified by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) staff and members that joined me in Pittsburgh, PA last week for this inaugural international conference. Serving as a joint convening of the 13^th Clean Energy Ministerial and 7^th Mission Innovation Ministerial, the three-day event featured a high-level plenary sessions; topical roundtables with CEOs, experts, and energy and science ministers from 31 countries; side events; technology demonstrations; and more.

I was thrilled to lead BCSE’s delegation and discuss solutions to advance the clean energy transition with both private sector and government leaders from around the globe. The conference served as an exciting opportunity to connect with colleagues in-person and make new connections.

GCEAF reinforced BCSE’s view that many of the technology solutions we need to propel us forward on the path toward decarbonization by 2050 already exist – and that we can deploy a broad portfolio of clean energy and energy efficiency solutions in ways that are purposeful around equity and inclusion, while also creating economic wealth and energy security.

For that future to be realized fully, public-private partnerships must be at the center of clean energy planning. This message was reinforced throughout GCEAF programming.

At private roundtable discussions, senior executives from BCSE members National Grid, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric, Trane Technologies, and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) sat down with international energy ministers to discuss the transformation of the power sector and the path to creating net-zero and community connected buildings.

A concurrent GCEAF Business Forum dove in-depth on sectors including carbon management, clean hydrogen, long duration energy storage, grid-connected buildings and homes, and critical minerals.