SEOUL – May 22, 2017 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the University of Delaware(UD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today at GGGI’s Head Quarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The MoU was signed by Director of UD’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Professor John Byrne and GGGI Director-General, Dr. Frank Rijsberman.
The MoU formalizes a framework of cooperation to facilitate collaboration between the UD and GGGI to promote programs, research, and joint activities in support of capacity building and development of green growth, and a transition toward a green economy at global, regional, and national levels.
The MoU is a result of initial collaboration on the MacArthur Foundation’s $100 million challenge grant competition. GGGI’s partnership with UD catalyzes green growth research in energy. The partnership will also support the sharing of green growth knowledge and best practices from GGGI’s partner countries, which will help maintain and further energize the global momentum for green growth. The University of Delaware has a strong focus on energy and environmental policy through its Center for Energy & Environmental Policy and Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation. Under the MoU, GGGI and the UD will further develop and submit a grant proposal on micro-grid infrastructure development and delivery to funding organizations.
Through partnering with UD, GGGI will leverage the University’s policy and research knowledge and personnel to develop policy delivery capacity in Member and partner countries to advance implementation of their NDCs and progress toward the SDGs.
Excellence in energy research is exemplified by the University of Delaware being chosen as one of the US Department of Energy’s “Frontier Research Centers,” and its record of hosting The Institute for Energy Conversion, and the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy. The University of Delaware is also the first research organization worldwide to commercialize Vehicle-to-Grid technology. At its new Science Technology and Research (STAR) campus, energy is a major theme of industry partnership with the facility being used by renewable energy technology firm Bloom Energy in the manufacturing of “energy servers” utilizing solid oxide fuel cells.
The initial focus of the research partnership will be to invest in micro-grid development in GGGI partner countries and through community-driven targets in need of energy delivery. Off-grid Solar systems and bio-gas will be additional areas of research development in the next phase of the partnership. Within these thematic areas, the two institutions will join forces on proposal development to funders; engage in knowledge sharing workshops; share data and online content; and develop joint training and learning programs.
About the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
Based in Seoul, GGGI is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization founded to support and promote green growth. The organization partners with countries to help them build economies that grow strongly, are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change. GGGI works with countries around the world, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions. To learn more about GGGI, see https://gggi.org and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.