Blog

Leading the Charge to Net-Zero through the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation

The world’s clean energy future just got another jolt. U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and high-level leaders recently came together to report on our momentum and to chart the way forward at the CEM5/MI-7, alongside the G20.

Office of International Affairs

November 12, 2024
minute read time
A photograph of Jennifer Granholm along with other high-level senior energy leaders attending the CEM15/MI0-7.

Secretary Granholm (fourth from the right, in red) poses with ministers and stakeholders endorsing a key outcome of the 15th Clean Energy and 9th Mission Innovation Ministerial, the Agenda for Action on Power Sector Decarbonization. 

The world’s clean energy future just got another jolt. U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and high-level leaders recently came together to report on our momentum and to chart the way forward at the 15th Clean Energy Ministerial and 9th Mission Innovation Ministerial. The “CEM15/MI-9” was held in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 alongside the G20. 

What are CEM and MI?

The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and Mission Innovation (MI) are complementary country coalitions dedicated to executing concrete action to reach net-zero. To do this, MI focuses on clean energy innovation, research and development, and CEM focuses on scaling up and deploying clean energy technologies in the market. Since their founding in 2009 and 2015, respectively, CEM and MI have grown tremendously, with both organizations now boasting more than 20 member countries, representing close to 85% of global GDP. The U.S. co-leads over a dozen initiatives across the organizations, focused on Carbon Dioxide Removal, Clean Hydrogen, Industrial Deep Decarbonization, Equality in Energy Transitions and more. 

Photo of Secretary Granholm (seated at the far right, in red) at the Opening Ministerial Session of the 15th Clean Energy and 9th Mission Innovation Ministerial

Secretary Granholm (seated at the far right, in red) attends the Opening Ministerial Session of the 15th Clean Energy and 9th Mission Innovation Ministerial

Each year, CEM and MI members gather to assess progress and take further action toward accelerating research and clean energy deployment to achieve a global clean energy transition. This year’s ministerial drew over 1,000 attendees who participated in 50 technical and high-level side events, tackling topics such as power regulation, energy storage, industrial decarbonization, carbon management, hydrogen markets, AI, solar deployment, gender and inclusivity, and much more. 

Notably, the Brazilian Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira formally announced the first-ever Joint Ministerial Statement, reaffirming CEM and MI members’ commitment to collaborate on practical actions to achieve our shared clean energy goals. 

The U.S. was proud to endorse the statement and to lead the development of a range of ministerial deliverables, including: 

  • CEM/MI Agenda for Action on Power System Solutions: Endorsed by 27 countries and supported by the European Commission, the Agenda for Action outlines a set of actions for decarbonizing the power sector. 
  • Gigatonne by 2030 Campaign: This first-ever joint CEM/MI campaign brings together CEM workstreams and MI missions working on carbon management to advance projects towards the Carbon Management Challenge’s goal of managing one gigatonne of carbon dioxide, annually, by 2030. 
  • Implementing Inclusivity Framework: This practical framework provides guidelines and recommendations for CEM and MI to embed gender, equality, diversity, and inclusion principles into their global clean energy efforts. 

These are just a handful of the 40 outcomes that were announced at CEM15/MI-9, demonstrating how these platforms are keeping up the drumbeat of concrete action to tackle climate change and drive the clean energy transition. 

We’re excited to see what CEM16/MI-10 bring next year when South Korea takes over as ministerial host. 

Up next: COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan – stay tuned for more!