Cuba strengthens its energy efficiency with support from international cooperation

This meeting, which constituted the first preparatory session for the LIV Meeting of Energy Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean, was coordinated by the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) and supported by the European Union through the EU-Cuba experience exchange project for the promotion of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in Cuba, led by the FIIAPP.

Energy plays a fundamental role in the development and well-being of countries, and Latin America and the Caribbean are determined to face current and future energy challenges with a collaborative and sustainable vision. Among the topics discussed were the implementation of current ministerial decisions on gender and energy, methane observatory, critical minerals, new generation fuels, regional gas integration and the OLADE Business Council. Proposals have also been presented for the October meeting in Asunción, Paraguay, in the framework of the IX Energy Week.

In addition, the event hosted a specific meeting on Gender and Energy between OLADE, the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Cuba (MINEM) and FIIAPP, in which the progress made in the integration of the gender perspective in the energy sector was shared thanks to the participation of the head of the Gender and Human Rights Office of the Ministry of Energy of Chile, and head of OLADE’s Gender and Energy Working Group. This meeting has allowed MINEM specialists to learn about the different initiatives carried out in the gender and energy agenda for the new energy transition policy that Cuba is currently promoting.

Elaine Moreno, Cuban delegate to OLADE and MINEM official, stressed that “the celebration of the LXI Meeting of Experts in Havana and its collateral activities has allowed the Ministry of Energy and Mines to strengthen ties with OLADE in order to contribute to capacity building for energy transition in the country. The agreements and activities derived from these events for the rest of the year contribute directly to providing Cuban experts with tools that will allow them to design and implement a fair, affordable and inclusive energy transition, as part of the country’s commitment to advance sustainable development and mitigate the effects of climate change. The MINEM highlights the support of the European Union and FIIAPP for the implementation of the Meeting, as a further step in bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Energy Support Programme in Cuba”.

The Delegation of the European Union in Cuba pointed out that “support for energy transition is one of the priorities of the EU and its cooperation policy with Cuba and in the region. Events such as this one help to support efforts to advance towards a greater and better energy transition in the country. From the EU Delegation in Cuba we are working to continue advancing towards an effective implementation of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in the country”.

Cooperation to promote renewable sources

For Cuba and for the project, this event has contributed to facilitate regional cooperation in energy matters and to position Cuba’s energy transition in the field of regional cooperation, strengthen and strengthen inter-institutional ties and promote the exchange of experiences.

During the meeting, OLADE reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting the countries of the region in the search for comprehensive and sustainable energy solutions to achieve sustainable development goals and ensure a secure energy future. To this end, cooperation is a key tool and, in this sense, the coordinator of the EU-Cuba Exchange of Experiences project at the FIIAPP, María Sancho, pointed out:

“The participation of specialists from the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Statistical Office of Cuba has facilitated the exchange on progress, challenges and lessons learned in relation to energy policies and their implementation. Cuba is currently in the process of approving its new energy transition policy, which makes it even more relevant to know how other countries are progressing, especially in areas such as the systematisation of energy information through indicators or the integration of the gender perspective in both the public and the energy business sector”.

At the same time, the working meeting of the advisors of the energy information system for Latin America and the Caribbean (sieLAC) took place. This meeting provided an opportunity to exchange information on the different energy information systems and the efforts to harmonise the management of energy statistics in the region.