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Research and innovation
News article5 June 2021Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

6th Mission Innovation and 12th Clean Energy Ministerial meetings

Between 31 May and 4 June 2021, Mission Innovation (MI) and the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) held their annual Ministerial meetings, hosted virtually by Chile. This was the largest meeting on clean energy innovation since world leaders launched MI at COP21. As governments and businesses around the world set net zero targets, these meetings marked the launch of a decade of strengthened international collaboration on clean energy across the entire value chain, from research and innovation to deployment.

On 2nd June, MI second phase – MI2.0 - was launched at the Innovating to Net Zero Summit. With the opening speeches by President Piñera of Chile, UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez and Bill Gates, the summit became the place of announcement for the first MI Missions on Power, Shipping and Hydrogen, as well as the new MI Platform. Commissioner Mariya Gabriel represented the European Commission as co-leader for the Hydrogen mission, and many MI members strongly welcomed its launch. They will join forces in order to work towards the objective of making clean hydrogen cost-competitive to the end user, by reducing end-to-end costs to USD $2 per kilogram by 2030.

As part of their commitments to MI2.0, members agreed to develop new pathways to deployment by actively working in partnership with the private sector (including the financial sector) and other actors to boost demand for new solutions, and to explore  new opportunities for public-private investment.  

At CEM12, Commissioner Kadri Simson represented the European Commission and, together with the other Ministers, welcomed Portugal and Poland as new members. This event launched four new work-streams on Industrial Deep Decarbonisation, Bioenergy, Empowering People (co-led by DG EMPL) and Global Ports Hydrogen Coalition (co-led by DG ENER under the Hydrogen initiative)..

Ministers committed to reinforce the CEM initiative from 2022, when the new mandate of CEM3.0 will start for another five years. This will target three key shifts in the clean energy landscape (scale, sectors and society) to deliver a significant acceleration in clean energy deployment. In the words of Commissioner Kadri Simson, “I welcome the increased climate ambition of our partners in the Clean Energy Ministerial. The CEM will amplify our collective national clean energy efforts on the way to climate neutrality and encourage others to follow.”

This week of high-level meetings strongly reaffirmed the need for international multilateral cooperation in clean energy up to COP26 and beyond. In this regard, Commissioner Mariya Gabriel noted that, “MI-6 is an important step on the road to Glasgow, and the activities of MI, CEM and the COP26 Presidency all call for urgent joint action on clean energy innovation.”

Patrick Child, Chair of MI Steering Committee, also said, “MI 2.0 is a crucial step in bringing governments, private sectors and innovators together to catalyse clean energy solutions for all. The next opportunity for discussions will be at COP26”.

Finally, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Bill Gates of the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst programme announced an exciting new partnership to boost investment to lower the costs and stimulate the use of clean energy technologies, and the next ministerial meetings, which will be hosted by the US in 2022: MI7 and CEM13.

Details

Publication date
5 June 2021
Author
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation