OpenAccess Energy Contributors Lead Call for SE4All to Make Energy Equity Core To Its Mandate
The need to establish equity at the core of international efforts to deliver universal energy access was among the recommendations made at Waterloo Global Science Initiative’s (WGSI) OpenAccess Energy Summit – a gathering of researchers, practitioners, representatives of Canada’s First Nations and energy-isolated communities, lawyers, government advisors and financiers – which took place April 24-27, 2016 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
To address this, contributors to the Summit have authored this letter for submission to the UN's SE4All Advisory Board and Global Facilitation Team in advance of their Fifth Annual meeting which will take place June 15-16, 2016.
Thank you to the 262 individuals and 67 organizations representing 55 countries who have added your support to this letter.
WGSI is serving as the communication partner for this campaign. Inquires can be directed to info@wgsi.org.
Dear SE4All Advisory Board and Global Facilitation Team,
During these final weeks of SE4All's strategy development process, you are undoubtedly intensely focused on designing a process for ensuring SE4All can successfully facilitate the global community’s aspirations to achieve SDG 7, which will in turn radically increase the chances of achieving all other SDGs by 2030. While recognizing the already challenging nature of this task, we the undersigned organizations, companies, institutions and individuals want to stress the importance of SE4All viewing its mission as not just getting the job done, but getting the job done right.
Getting the job done right requires addressing the needs of the poorest energy consumers first. As we transition the global energy system to renewables, we cannot continue to leave a fifth of the world’s people behind, forced by decision makers to live without quality electricity services while waiting for years or even decades for slow, expensive grids to arrive. Similarly we cannot leave roughly 40% of the world’s people using dirty fuels to meet that most basic of energy needs, cooking. The failure of current efforts to end energy poverty can be seen not only in the developing world, but also in energy isolated communities within developed nations. The problem is one of inequitability in energy planning and investment at all levels, and will not change unless we make it change.
This is largely due to a lack of consideration for poor and otherwise disenfranchised individuals and communities as energy consumers. Important steps have been taken to provide more support to energy policy and investment planners at various levels of governance to address this problem. This includes the establishment of the SE4All Global Tracking Framework to encourage key decision-makers to explicitly consider the energy needs of the poor and avoid metrics that obscure the inequity of the current system. Unfortunately, simple metrics like the number of electrified households still dominate energy policy planning; this simplicity leads to favoring simple solutions, including an undue focus on grid extension. Such an inequitable approach to energy access fails to capitalize on the transformative potential of energy and does not get the job done right. An aggressive and direct campaign is needed to support policy-makers in putting the energy poor constituents that they serve at the heart of energy planning processes.
We therefore call upon SE4All’s Global Facilitation Team, the SE4All Advisory Board and the SE4All Access Committee to adopt as core to their respective mandates, the responsibility to work with keystone actors and others specifically on:
- Bringing the importance of equitability, equity, quality and speed of progress on energy access into all aspects of their energy-related work on their own terms (e.g. the financial arguments for financiers, economic arguments for firms and utilities, nexus arguments for donors, etc.)
- Monitoring, together with ESMAP and the GTF team, not only the quality through the GTF tiers of access, but also the equitability, equity and speed of progress to particularly to vulnerable and otherwise disadvantaged groups;
- To nominate or create a responsible body within SE4All (for example the Access Committee or a new ‘Global Council on Equitable Energy Access’) that supports the streamlining of equitable access considerations into energy sector decision-making processes. This body should be composed of representatives from the existing committees and other key actors to ensure that all efforts to bring people access to energy are accountable to the principle of equity.
We consider these points to be of the utmost importance and are keen to work together with SE4All and others to ensure that they can be realized as soon as possible.
Many kind regards,
The undersigned
OpenAccess Energy Contributors & WGSI Team
Peju Adeosun, United Kingdom
Nkiruka Avila, UC Berkeley*, USA
Theodore Blackbird-John, TREC Education*, Turtle Island
Tom Brzustowski, Waterloo Global Science Initiative Board of Directors
Arthur Carty, Waterloo Global Initiative Board of Directors, Canada
Anna Clements, University of Oxford*, United Kingdom
George Colgate, Xeni Gwet'in First Nations Government, Canada
Hang Dao, University of Lisbon*, Vietnam
Michael Duschenes, Waterloo Global Science Initiative Board of Directors, Canada
Feridun Hamdullahpur, Waterloo Global Science Initiative Board of Directors
Joachim Knebel, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Aaron Leopold, Practical Action, United Kingdom
Daria Malyutina, OutSmart*, Russia/Germany
Yuri Rugai Marinho, Eccon Soluções Ambientais, Brazil
Chiedza Mazaiwana, Practical Action, Zimbabwe
Fred McBagonluri, Ghana
Eli Mitchell-Larson, SunFarmer, USA
Nigel Moore, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Canada
Jatin Nathwani, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Canada
Elias Ntungwe Ngalame, Journalist (Thomson Reuters Foundation, Discourse Media Fellow), Cameroon
Crystal Okudo, Greenmax Capital Advisors*, Kenya
Fabiola Ortiz dos Santos, Journalist, Brazil
Ortwin Renn, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies*, Germany
Hayley Rutherford, Waterloo Global Science Initiative, Canada
Vagish Sharma, India Eryn Stewart, Lumos Energy*, Canada
Neil Turok, Waterloo Global Science Initiative Board of Directors, Canada
Julie Wright, Waterloo Global Science Initiative, Canada
Billy Yarro, Practical Action, Senegal/Cameroon
Hisham Zerriffi, University of British Columbia*, Canada
| Individuals* *Organization listed for affiliation purposes only and does not represent endorsement of the organization |
Institutions |
| Paul Acchione, MIDAC Corp*, Canada
Elham Akhavan Rezai, University of Waterloo*, Canada Esther Olubukola Adedeji, Citygreen Solution*, Nigeria Manal Hamed Alkhalifa, Practical Action, Sudan Mary Allen, Senegal Vishwa Bhushan Amatya, Practical Action, Nepal Colin Andersen, Energy Council of Canada*, Canada Debbie Anderson, Parvati.org, Canada Miguel Anjos, Polytechnique Montreal*, Canada Marlene Susana Arrechea Alvarado, University of San Carlos of Guatemala*, Guatemala Goutam Aryabhusan, Practical Action, India Rob Bailis, Stockholm Environment Institute*, USA Andrea Bale, University of Waterloo*, Canada Lothar Band, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Tine Barnes, The Academy, Australia Hans-Joerg Bauer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Sanjut Behera, Practical Action, India John David Belcher, Belcher Research, Canada Richard Blanchard, Loughborough University*, United Kingdom Dana Bowman, Canada Clement Bowman, Bowman Centre for Technology Commercialization*, Canada Cara Bowman, Canada Michael Brauer, University of British Columbia*, Canada Wolfgang Breh, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany William Brent, Power for All*, Spain Ed Brown, Loughborough University* and UK Low Carbon Energy for Development Network*, United KIngdom Julie Brown, Practical Action, United Kingdom Adam Browning, Vote Solar*, USA Pamela Bryan, Parvati.org, Canada Nicola Bugatti, ECREEE*, Cabo Verde Rob Byrne, University of Sussex*, United Kingdom Claudio Canizares, University of Waterloo*, Canada Giovanni Cascante, University of Waterloo*, Canada Sergio Castellanos Rodriguez, UC Berkeley*, USA Julio Castro, Portugal Emre Çelebi, Kadir Has University*, Turkey Victoria Cholmondeley, Practical Action, United Kingdom Barry Colbert, Lazaridis School of Business, Wilfrid Laurier University*, Canada Wordsworth Cole, Renewable Energy Association of Sierra Leone*, Sierra Leone Barry Cox, Practical Action, United Kingdom Simon Dalby, Wilfrid Laurier University*, Country Mihai-Ionut Danciu, Politehnica University*, Timisoara, Romania Ian Derbyshire, Practical Action, United Kingdom Sinalou Diawara, Mali Katie Dick, United Kingdom Birupakshya Dixit, Practical Action, India Heather Douglas, Canada Adi Dunkelman, Canada Maurice Dusseault, Earth and Environmental Science, University of Waterloo*, Canada Helmut Ehrenberg, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Sonigitu Asibong Ekpe, Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Conservation, Government of Cross River State*, Nigeria Hosny El Lakany, Canada Kassem El Saddik, EvalMENA - MENA Evaluation Network*, Canada Jean Etourneau, University of Bordeaux*, France Rabiz Foda, Canada Davi Ezequiel François, Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis*, Brazil/Germany Carlos Frías Coronado, Practical Action, Peru Bettina Frohnapfel, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Kai Furmans, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Mel Gabriel, University of Waterloo*, Canada Grégoire Gailly, GERES*, Mali Lisa Gardner, Practical Action, United Kingdom Philip Grabherr, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Peter Gratzfeld, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Jason Gray, Canada Jonathan Gudorf, United Kingdom Burak Guler, University of Waterloo*, Canada Vikas Gupta, First Solar*, USA Veit Hagenmeyer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Michael P. Hallé, Canada Nancy Harper, Harps Ink*, Canada Carsten Hellpap, EnDev Programme, GIZ*, Germany Klaus Hesch, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Michael J. Hoffmann, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Guy Holburn, Western University*, Canada Joseph Hwani, Practical Action, Zimbabwe Md Mahobul Islam, Practical Action, Bangladesh Miranda Johnson, The Economist*, United KIngdom Seigi K, USA Yacine Kadi, CERN*, France Konstantinos Karanasios, University of Waterloo*, Canada Karim S Karim, University of Waterloo*, Canada Thomas Kaschub, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Mehrdad Kazerani, University of Waterloo*, Canada Srinivasan Keshav, University of Waterloo*, Canada Rakesh Khadka, Practical Action, Nepal Smail Khennas, Algeria James Kirby, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Canada Jechoniah Kitala, Practical Action, Kenya Kweku Koranteng, Stellenbosch University*, Ghana Christophe Krolik, Université Laval*, Canada Vasant Kumar, University of Cambridge*, United KIngdom Mahlon Kyomuhendo, Rwanda Jackie Lau, Canada Bronwyn Lazowski, University of Waterloo*, Canada Dung Le, Vietnam Tuan Anh Le, Research Institute for Climate Change - Can Tho University*, Vietnam Karen Lee, USA Andy Lei, Canada Ulrich Lemmer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Yuning Li, University of Waterloo*, Canada Yu Hsuan Liao, Duke University*, Taiwan Tina Lin, Canada Niels Lind, Canada Chad Lipton, USA Niklas Lollo, USA Ernesto Macias, Alliance for Rural Electrification*, Spain Megan MacKenzie, Canada Faisal Mahmud, Bangladesh Antonio Magalhaes, Center for Strategic Studies and Management, CGEE*, Brazil Data Magfur, Bangladesh Sophie Major, ERG UC Berkeley*, Canada Joel Makower, GreenBiz Group*, United States Richard J. Marceau, Memorial University of Newfoundland*, Canada Kudzai Marovanidze, Practical Action, Zimbabwe Laura Maxwell, University of Waterloo, Canada Nicole Maynard-Li, Canada Stephen McLaughlin, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada*, Canada Rachel McManus, USA Jen-Chung Mei, Taiwan Petra Mihalic, Society for Conservation Biology*, Germany Alison Mohr, University of Nottingham*, UK Tim Moorhead, United States Alex C. Mueller, France Martha Munyoro Katsi, Practical Action, Zimbabwe Adele Murphy, Practical Action, United Kingdom Maya Nathwani, Canada Nguessan Pacome Ncho, Cote D'Ivoire Hang Nguyen, Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID), Vietnam Thu Trang Nguyen, Vietnam Thuan Nguyen Chi, Vietnam Eric Mwangi Njoroge, Kenya Mathias Noe, Germany Hagop Ohannessian, Canada Patience Okon, Nigeria Samah Omer, Practical Action, Sudan Shonali Pachauri, International Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies*, India Debajit Palit, The Energy and Resources Institute*, India Paul Parker, University of Waterloo*, Canada Binu Parthan, Sustainable Energy Associates*, India Lee Patterson, Canada Ivalin Petkov, SunPower*, USA Witold-Roger Poganietz, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Gemany Canmanie Ponnambalam, Canada Elisa Puzzolo, Global LPG Partnership*, United Kingdom Ahmed Qamar, Afghanistan Alanna Quinn, Canada Mokhlesur Rahman, Practical Action, Bangladesh Habibur Rahman, Practical Action, Bangladesh Erwin Rathnaweera, Practical Action, Sri Lanka Bryce Richards, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Sabrina Ried, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Mathieu Ruillet, Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity, France Vandana Erin Ryder, Parvati.org, Canada Jalel Sager, UC Berkeley* and New Sun Road*, USA L. M. Sirjus Salekin, Practical Action, Bangladesh Amit Saraogi, Oorja: Empowering Rural Communities, India Hartmut Schmeck, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Maged Senbel, University of British Columbia*, Canada Ishrat Shabnam, Practical Action, Bangladesh Esther Shears, USA/Denmark Megha Shenoy, Ashoka Trust for Ecology and the Environment*, India Godfrey Sibanda, Zimbabwe Miguel Silva, USA David Simakov, University of Waterloo, Canada Peter V. Simone, Canada Simron Singh, University of Waterloo*, Canada Jarnail Singhh, The Climate Group*, India Siva Sivoththaman,, Canada Benjamin Sovacool, University of Sussex*, United Kingdom Iris Strickler, Canada Jessica Strickler, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Canada Xiaojun Su, Canada Rakesh Suri, India Orestis Terzidis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany George Todd, George Todd Consulting, Canada Julia Tomei, UCL ISR*, United Kingdom Rahul Tongia, Brookings India*, India Noim Uddin, CPMA*, Australia Uwe Wagner, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany Laura Walker, Practical Action, United Kingdom Robert Warren, WeirFoulds LLP*, Canada Olaf Weber, University of Waterloo*, Canada Nathalie Weisman, ECREEE*, Cote D’Ivoire Stephanie Whitney, University of Waterloo*, Canada John Wilkinson, Former Ontario Minister of the Environment, Canada Justine Williams, Consultant, United Kingdom Gigi Wing-Davies, Practical Action, Zimbabwe Annie Wu, Canada Do Xuan Hoan, Greenid Vietnam, Vietnam |
20/20 Catalysts Program, Canada
Alliance for Rural Electrification, Belgium Amis des Etrangers au Togo (ADET), Togo ArcTern Ventures, Canada Barefoot College, India Bennu Solar Ltd., Hong Kong Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative, USA Climate Concern Ltd., Rwanda Club of Green Journalists, Vietnam Crosstaff Solutions, Canada Danish Institute for Human Rights, Denmark Eccon Soluções Ambientais, Brazil EDUCON, Czech Republic Empower Generation, Nepal Empower Generation, USA Energie Pour Tous, Burkina Faso ENERGIA International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, International Energy Access Dialogue, Nigeria ENVenture, Uganda Environment & Livelihood Development Foundation, Phillipines Foundation for Global Climate Change Advancement and Environmental Protection, Nigeria Freeplay Energy Ltd, United Kingdom Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity, France GeoFaus Consult & Energy, Ghana HUM: Human Unlimited Media, USA IDEAS For Us, International Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, USA INTASAVE, Kenya International Movement for Advancement of Education Culture Social & Economic Development (IMAECSED), India International Rivers, International Iraqi Ministry of Science and Technology, Iraq Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany KYA-Energy Group, Togo Low Carbon Energy for Development Network, UK Lumeter Networks, USA Maxtech Limited, Bangladesh Nadji.Bi Group, Sénégal Norges Naturvernforbund, Norway Oorja: Empowering Rural Communities, India Parvati.org, Canada POTATO Education and Communication JSC., Vietnam Powerhouse, United States Practical Action, International Project Gaia, Inc. and GAIA Association, USA/International Smart Villages, United Kingdom Smarter Grid international, Nigeria / Canada / USA SMEFUNDS, Nigeria SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, Netherlands South Sudan Climatic Change Network, South Sudan Sunlabob Renewable Energy, Ltd., Myanmar, Lao PDR, Singapore, Hong Kong Sustainable Energy Africa, South Africa Tanzania Renewable Energy Association (TAREA), Tanzania Teleficient (SL) Ltd, Sierra Leone TRINE, Sweden WakaWaka, Netherlands Waterloo Global Science Initiative, Canada Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, Canada Wind Empowerment, International WWF, International Xeni Gwet'in First Nations Government, Canada |
