The Arab region has made progress in renewable energy penetration; however, it still lags behind other regions. In 2022, renewables accounted for only 5% of total energy consumption, underscoring the need to accelerate efforts through improved mapping and monitoring of solar energy capacity and potential.
On 26 and 27 November, ESCWA and the National Council for Scientific Research – Lebanon (CNRS-L) held a regional consultation in Beirut on mapping solar energy access in the Arab region. The meeting gathered government officials and policymakers from the region, who are experts in energy, statistics, and geographical information systems (GIS).
Participants presented their national renewable energy and statistics landscapes and participated in interactive breakout sessions where they developed mind maps that assessed national GIS and statistical technical capacities as well as policy gaps and explored opportunities to strengthen cross-sectorial coordination.
