At the Strategy Session of the Energy Sector Group on 27 January, projects and project teams that have designed and processed innovative projects in 2020 were given recognition. Notable knowledge work and other initiatives were also given due regard.
What characterizes the awards in 2020 is that there were many breakthroughs and firsts. That only shows that despite the challenges in ADB developing member countries, there is still room for ambition, to dare and take the first step towards change and transformation. Secondly, more space is also being given to thematic elements such as gender, sector reform, and governance. Technology, in and of itself will always work but technology without the right institutions (as in the rules of the game), policy environment, right signals and incentives and the regulatory framework, may not be able to fly as high as it should.
Energy projects have been assessed to have very few gender elements. But from the projects in recent years, this statistic has been changing; and the projects that were approved in 2020 have virtually inked the gender and development component in project results and indicators.
Finally, the awards have also shown that One ADB has been engendered in the energy sector as can be gleaned from the projects that came into fruition with the collaboration across operations and sectors and between departments.
Congratulations to all awardees.