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Now Online

 

GNESD introduction flyer

 

RE and Poverty Alleviation: Overcoming Barriers and Unlocking Potentials - Summary for Policy Makers
 

Reaching the MDG and beyond: Access to modern forms of energy as a prerequisite
 

RE and Poverty Alleviation Workshops Highlight Regional Needs and Solutions
 

GNESD's latest newsletter available,
May 2007

 

Energy Access: Making Power Sector Reform Work for the Poor
A Summary for Policy-makers

 

“Poverty Reduction: Can Renewable Energy make a real contribution” has been launched at the CSD 14 held in New York in May 2006

Read the consolidated report from the Regional Workshops on Electricity and Development in Africa, Asia and Latin America

Read about the outcomes of the the regional Electricity & Development Workshops and the results of the RETs theme in issue 3 of the GNESD newsletter" (21 November 2005)

GNESD's first French language publication on the Energy Access theme outcomes.  (23 September 2005, publication produced by the Member Centre ENDA-TM as a special issue of Bulletin Africain).

The 100 page special issue of the IEI's ESD Journal on GNESD's "Energy Access" outcomes now online. (21 December 2004, external link. Also available under the Publications section of this website).

Preliminary findings of the RETs theme now available (December 21 2004)

The full set of Energy Access outcomes is available under the "Publications" section.  (14 June 2004).

     

Latest developments and publications

The Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD) is a UNEP facilitated knowledge network of developing world Centers of Excellence and network partners. The main objective of GNESD is to carry out policy analysis on thematic energy issues which can facilitate in reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The introductory flyer on GNESD briefly outlines the thematic areas of its activities, the way GNESD works and the future plans.

Latest News

We are pleased to announce that GNESD research work has been included in the ID21 Research highlights. The newsletter has over 5,000 subscribers and is produced by id21, at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. For more information please see: http://www.id21.org/rural/r6gnesd1g1.html and http://www.id21.org/rural/r6gnesd1g2.html

A high level expert workshop on energy for sustainable development was held during the assembly in November 2007 in Paris. Papers were presented by international experts from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America on issues like energy access, power sector reforms, energy and the MDGs, CDM potentials in developing countries, biofuels and energy security for developing countries.

Annual Assembly 2007

The network will have its Annual Assembly, this year at UNEP DTIE in Paris on 2 November 2007. The theme of the Assembly is Energy and Poverty - Improving access to modern forms of energy’ Presentations from the Assembly will be available online after 2 November   

New activities

GNESD has now initiated two new studies one on Urban Peri Energy Access, phase two after an initial inception phase and one on Energy Security and Energy Efficiency with focus on both macro and micro levels in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. GNESD also intends to undertake short papers on current and important issues on energy. For example a short paper on biofuels development for developing countries will be undertaken within this year.  Updates and preliminary findings on both studies will be available in article form in the upcoming GNESD News

GNESD is currently preparing a CD rom with all studies from the Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) theme and a newsletter on current developments which will be online shorty.

GNESD organised a Side Event at the Commission for Sustainable Development 15 (CSD)
8 May 2007 at 6:15-7:45 PM, Venue: Conference Room B, UN Complex, New York, USA. Title: Poverty Reduction - Can Renewable Energy Make a Real Contribution.

Regional workshops on "Renewable Energy and Poverty Alleviation
GNESD held three theme workshops in India, Senegal and Argentina in March and April 2007. The workshops were cosponsored by UNEP, UNDP and REEEP. The three workshops identified the barriers and niches for promoting renewable energy in the regions. A summary of the workshop proceedings is available in the newly published workshop flyer.

A "Summary for Policy Makers (SPM)" based on the findings of the Renewable Energy Technology studies will be launched at CSD 15. The summary outlines some of the policies that are required to be put in place for using the full potential of RE for poverty alleviation in the developing countries.

A paper on "Reaching the MDGs and beyond: Access to modern forms of energy as a pre requisite" will be launched at the CSD 15. The study analyzes five case studies from Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, Senegal and Kenya and shows the linkages between energy access with achieve the MDGs and sustaining them.

GNESD's latest newsletter (May 2007) is now available.

Upcoming Regional Workshops focusing on Renewables and Poverty Alleviation

GNESD will together with UNEP, UNDP and REEEP carry out three regional workshops focusing on RETs and Poverty Alleviation. The key theme for all three workshops will be to address the challenge of promoting renewable energy for poverty alleviation through livelihood generation and productive use as the way forward.

The clear message that emerged from the regional studies is that promotion of renewable energy for poverty alleviation through livelihood generation and productive use is the way forward. The Regional Workshops will take place in New Delhi for Asia, Dakar for Africa and Buenos Aires for the Americas and the Pacific.

Regional Workshop on Renewables in Productive and Livelihood generating Sectors, New Delhi, India, 7-8 March 2007.
For more information please contact Ms. A. Chaurey at akanksha@teri.res.in or the GNESD Secretariat

Workshop on Renewables and Poverty Alleviation ‘Best Practices for Productive Use and Job Creation', Dakar, Senegal, 21-23 March.
For more information, please contact T. Dafallah or GNESD Secretariat enda.energy@sentoo.sn

Latin American Workshop on Renewable Energies and Poverty, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 10-12 April, 2007
For more information, please contact Director D. Bouille dbouille@sinectis.com.ar

The RETs Theme
The Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) theme of GNESD aims at development of concrete policy guidelines for poverty alleviation through RETs. The initial assessment study of this theme was based on demand side assessment and was essentially a scoping study for the entire renewable sector. The second phase was more focussed on barrier analysis and policy recommendations for promotion of RETs in identified niches.

The vital conclusions drawn by the regional studies can be summarised as:

  • Promotion of Re industry in poor rural areas and creating more opportunities for productive uses and particularly business use of RET

  • Increasing competitiveness either by cost reduction through innovative financial mechanism

  • Evolving and placing effective institutional mechanisms based on public-private partnerships for policy implementations
    • Formulation of well designed regulatory regime for proper implementation

  • Promotion of networking for sharing of knowledge and experience and increase in R&D activities

  • Capacity building of the relevant stakeholders focus on technology customisation in accordance with local energy requirements
     

Technical Reports from all Centres taking part in the Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) theme are now available

The RETs theme Working Group members have now finalized their initial assessment of RETs' contribution to satisfying the energy needs of the poor and the barriers for a further expansion. Nine reports from the participating Centres in Kenya, Lebanon, India, South Africa, Brazil, Thailand, China, Senegal and Argentina are now available under the publications section. A Comparison Report will be available shortly.

Regional Workshops focusing on Electricity and Development Facilitated

GNESD has together with UNEP, UNDP and the International Energy Agency (IEA) carried out three regional workshops focusing on the Electricity and Development issue. The key theme for all three workshops has been to address the dual challenge of ensuring electricity for national economic development and at the same time provide increased access to the poor parts of the population.

The Workshops made significant progress on understanding the linkages between poverty, development and access to electricity. One of the main conclusions is that the provision of modern energy services is crucial to the overall social and economic development and these services provide a platform without which the Millennium Development Goals cannot be attained. Lack of access to electricity in itself stood out as the clearest indicator of energy poverty and, indeed, of poverty in general. A common workshop report on the outcomes of the Workshops is under preparation and will be available shortly. The following workshop Summary Reports are now available:

The Rio de Janeiro workshop, Brazil, 13-14 April 2005
The Bangkok workshop, Thailand, 28-29 April 2005

The Nairobi workshop, Kenya, 13-14 July 2005

 

First two phases of the Energy Access theme completed successfully


The Network's first theme focused on policy research on the Energy Access issue. The theme was completed in May/June 2004. The objective of this theme was to prepare a systematic and empirically based study of the impact of power sector reforms on the poor in different developing countries. The study is based on a common and comparable set of impact indicators. Outcomes from the theme activity on Energy Access are available under the Publications section or available on the free Energy Access CD-ROM containing the full output of the Energy Access Working Group. Available from the Secretariat.
 

The second phase of the Energy Access theme focused on the dissemination of the results and was completed in December 2004. One of the main outcomes of this phase is the special issue of the International Energy Initiative's ESD Journal shown above. The publication is available under the Publications section as PDF.

In December 2004 the Energy Access Working Group embarked on the Policy Implementation phase coined at preparing detailed case studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the policy option/recommendations identified as part of the Energy Access policy research phase.

 

Read more on the "Energy Access" and RETs theme.
Read more on the MDG and the underlying rationale of GNESD
Read more on the Outcomes of GNESD.

 

 

This website is maintained by the GNESD Secretariat on behalf on the GNESD Steering Committee The objective of the website is to form a shared research and information base on policy and technical guidance, advice, and information. Information on this website may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational and non-profit purposes without special permission from GNESD, provided acknowledgment of the source is made. No use of information on this website may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from GNESD.

The opinions and recommendations on this website are the responsibility of the author, and should not necessarily be considered as reflecting the views or carrying the endorsement of the United Nations Environment Programme or individual GNESD Member Centres.

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