13th Clean Energy Ministerial / 7th Mission Innovation Ministerial 

From September 21-23, 2022, representatives from 34 countries, anchored by the Ministers and Heads of Delegations from the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and Mission Innovation (MI), along with participants from the clean energy community of companies, civil society, investors, youth, labor, innovators, and academics, met in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA to convene the first Global Clean Energy Action Forum (GCEAF).   

  1. We met during a crucible in the history of energy production and consumption on this planet, hanging between crisis and opportunity.  On the one hand, the world faces high energy prices, market volatility, and disruptions in supply chains.  On the other hand, we have entered an unprecedented opening to seize an economic and investment opportunity worth at least $23 trillion by the end of this decade, unleashed by the commitments originally made by countries under the Paris Agreement to achieve global net zero emissions by mid-century. 

  2. The events of this year have clearly demonstrated that energy can be weaponized, especially single source fossil energy.  They have also demonstrated that we must succeed in an energy transition to more diversified forms of clean energy that will respond to the ongoing ravages of climate change, the creation of millions of good paying jobs, and create lasting energy security for all. 

  3. We are making progress on this clean energy transition.  We are collectively on track to install a record amount of clean energy capacity this year, surpassing 300 gigawatts.  Over 40 million people are now employed in clean energy jobs around the world.  But we are not done. While progress is historic, our net-zero ambitions demand that by 2030, we need to add more than 600 gigawatts of solar alone. 

  4. The Global Clean Energy Action Forum brought the clean energy action community together to commit to acceleration of the transition from innovation to deployment. 

  5. Acceleration of this transition requires management toward the creation of future-proof and secure energy systems that can withstands shocks through diversification, strengthened supply chains – including responsibly produced critical minerals and materials – promotion of inclusive investments, and dedicated attention and active maintenance of inclusive and just transitions whether they are within or across national borders. 

  6. Active and enhanced investment and public-private partnerships are essential to a successful clean energy transition, which should include energy efficiency measures, renewables, and other zero emissions technologies including abatement and removal technologies, and nuclear energy for those countries choosing to use it. 

  7. Completion of this transition requires access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy, especially for vulnerable populations. 

  8. To advance these goals, the Global Clean Energy Action Forum gathered a broad array of clean energy leaders in a range of engagements from focused ministerial roundtables with the private sector – on bioenergy, power system transformation, nuclear energy, built environment and connected communities, carbon management, industrial decarbonization, freight transportation, hydrogen, and just transition – and over 170 side events, GCEAF Business Forum events, the Creating the Energy Future Forum youth congress, an innovation technology showcase, and other events open to the public and livestreamed. 

  9. Ministers of the CEM and MI welcomed the first joint meeting of these initiatives under the GCEAF and committed to turn ambition into action. They highlighted that in order to maintain their importance as centers of gravity to enable action-oriented cooperation on clean energy, both institutions need resources for their secretariats to realize the agreed upon mandates embraced by the members of CEM and MI, as well as for the individual initiatives under each platform. They encouraged focused attention on important priorities including hydrogen, industrial decarbonization, cities, and the just transition. However, careful attention is needed to maximize cooperation and efficiencies under both initiatives to ensure that the international architecture for clean energy cooperation does not hinder progress towards the goals of clean energy cooperation.  Ministers underlined that to achieve greater and bolder action, innovators must work hand-in-hand with the deployers of clean energy. Only with greater cooperation with the private sector can we hope to accelerate and achieve a clean energy transition. Members of CEM and MI also agreed to take stewardship of the Breakthrough Agenda as a first joint initiative, beginning with a pilot year, and expressed gratitude for the United Kingdom’s leadership for creation of the Breakthrough Agenda.  

  10. Members of MI an CEM encouraged wider geographical engagements beyond existing memberships to ensure representative and inclusive energy transition pathways. MI welcomed Spain as a new Member. 

  11. At the GCEAF, numerous announcements and outcomes were achieved, and can be viewed HERE