The Role of Concentrated Solar Power/Solar Thermal Electricity in Climate Change Mitigation

The World Solar Thermal Electricity Association (STELA World) in partnership with the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership (UCPSL) will be hosting a CSP Side Event at COP 17 on 7th December 2011. The side event will take place at the UCPSL’s ‘Oasis of fresh thinking”, located a stone’s throw away (10 minute walk) from the main COP 17 venue.

The purpose of the event is to bring together Global CSP Business Leaders, Government Leaders, the media, the youth, civil society, academia, finance institutions, pension funds and International organisations such as the World Bank, UNEP, the Clinton Climate Initiative to discuss the role of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) / Solar Thermal Electricity (STE) in climate change mitigation, energy security, job creation, poverty alleviation, green infrastructure development and industrialization opportunities in the World’s sunbelt areas that are favourable for CSP, most of which are located in the emerging markets as shown on the map below.

The discussions will also focus on the role CSP can play in answering the call by the G20 leaders for investing in large scale infrastructure projects in developing economies to help boost global growth and attract long-term infrastructure investments from funds such as the $30 trillion global pension industry, Asian and Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds struggling to find good homes for their cash in a low growth world. The conversations will also focus on why investments in CSP infrastructure projects will allow pension funds to be in a position to pay their investors in 20 to 50 years when their investors retire.