The Delhi LCE Dialogue Forum on
Sustainable Energies for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

19 – 21 October 2009 in New Delhi

Conference Venue: Claridges Hotel, Conference Hall „The Viceregal“

New Delhi, 12 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi - 110011

Background
SMEs (Small and medium enterprises) occupy a position of prominence in the economies of both industrialized countries such as Germany as well as newly industrializing countries like China, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, etc. In the present global context, marked by liberalisation of trade, on the one hand, and the problem of climate change challenges on the other, SMEs in all countries are confronted with the challenge to sustain growth while adopting environment friendly manufacturing processes. Thus, the need to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies amongst SMEs strongly exists.

At the `Low Carbon Economy Dialogue Forum’ held at Berlin between 26-28th April 2009, organised by InWent – Capacity Building International, with support from Adelphi Research, stakeholders (policymakers, academics and public and private sector) from eight countries deliberated on three dimensions of LCE: Sustainable Energy Supply, Urban Energy Consumption and Land Use and Forest Protection.

The group discussing the challenges of a Sustainable Energy Supply identified the need to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency options, especially in SMEs for energy security and CO2 reductions. Promoting joint research and cooperation through ‘real’ South-South-North cooperation was also emphasised by the group. As a result, a follow-up workshop was proposed to further discuss the results from the Berlin workshop, specifically in the area of promoting sustainable energy solutions among SMEs.

Objective
The objective of the Delhi-LCE Dialogue, organized by TERI and InWEnt, shall bring together stakeholders from eight countries (Brazil, China, Germany, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa) to deliberate and develop strategies for accelerating adoption of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) amongst SMEs. The LCE dialogue series aims at developing concrete policy recommendations and ideally roadmaps based on specific issues.

Key questions
- What policy measures and frameworks (taxes, subsidies, environmental standards, trading systems) are appropriate to push low-carbon technologies in small and medium sized enterprises?

- How can collaborations for low carbon energy systems be promoted between academia, industries, governments, financial institutions, and other stakeholders - both nationally and internationally?

- How should concrete capacity building approaches be designed to ensure success and sustainability of SME activities and how can the LCE Dialogue Series contribute?

- Which technological solutions for SMEs are available (RE and EE-technologies)?