The ACEF 2025 aspires to have impacts in the region: (i) fostering innovation to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies, leading to increased efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced energy security, (ii) enhancing regional cooperation to facilitate more efficient and resilient energy systems, improved energy security, and greater access to clean energy, and (iii) developing sustainable financing solutions to unlock significant investment in clean energy projects, driving the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The ACEF Steering Committee works with the ADB staff to design a session that highlights innovative and successful ADB projects that have made a deep and lasting impact across Asia. The session is called ADB on the Ground and features more than 25 ADB projects, including projects from the energy sector, private sector departments, projects lying in cross-sectoral and nexus areas, and projects from other priority sectors under ADB's strategy 2030 that have overarching targets of clean and sustainable developments. ADB on the Ground uses the rotating "World Cafe" format. Based on evaluation feedback from previous ACEF's and discussions with ADB management and operations staff, the ACEF Steering Committee (ACEF SC) decided to put more effort into showcasing and communicating ADB clean energy projects and activities to the ACEF community during ACEF 2025. The ADB on the Ground Session for this year will be called "ADB on the Ground: Beyond the Silos " and will focus on cross cutting sectorial projects, nexus projects, projects for energy transition, emerging new technologies, and projects developed in the private sector domain. For this session, participants will get a high-level overview of ADB's Strategy and approach for clean energy by a rotating "World Cafe" presentations from ADB staff from various sectors and departments. Each participating ADB project will be assigned a table and highly encourage that in principle one ADB staff/consultants and one (or possibly two) DMC counterparts present. The process will be as follows:

• Participants will all sit down at one of the tables in the room (we expect to have somewhere in the range of 20-25 tables, each presenting one ADB project)
• Participants will spend 20 minutes per round (10 total rounds) at a table learning about a specific ADB project. The recommended format is a 12 minutes of introduction and presentation, followed by 5 minutes of discussion.
• After the round ends, participants will have 3 minutes to rotate to another table of their choice. There will be ADB inspired videos played during this rotation.
• ADB staff, DMC counterparts and consultants will provide promotional material, brochures, graphics/charts and visual aids.

There are many benefits of ADB staff and their counterparts presenting their flagship projects and initiatives to the broader clean energy community attending ACEF, including:

• Showcasing cross sectorial innovation and new approaching through collaboration
• Encouraging south-to-south learning across countries, and ADB departments and sectors
• Increasing awareness among ACEF participants of the transformative and innovative nature of ADB involvement resulting in deep development impact on the ground.
• Demonstrating that ADB staff are working with counterparts and stakeholders to lead and demonstrate innovative technologies, approaches, and financing mechanisms