The Charcoal Project

Policy

UN report Energy for a Sustainable Future is pie in the sky

Posted on by Jean Kim Chaix

OPINION – Do the energy poor, especially those who depend on biomass for their primary fuel have to wait until electricity magically arrives in their home before they can get rid of their three-rocks-and-pot that is killing their children, mother, and wives?

This question was actually bravely posed at the UN last week in a closed door Q&A session held after the release of a report called Energy for a Sustainable Future.

The response given was, literally,”nothing.” Nothing is being done for the energy poor until electricity arrives.

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Germany investing in Uganda renewables, including biomass

Posted on by Jean Kim Chaix

One of the startling facts I refer to when discussing the dire biomass situation facing a number of  Sub-Saharan countries is Uganda’s announcement last year that the country is set to run out of woodfuel by the end of the decade.

It looks like someone in Germany thinks Uganda’s situation is dire enough.

Take that Greece!

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MDB: Civil Society Calls on World Bank to Reform its Energy Lending

Posted on by Jean Kim Chaix

By Matthew Berger / WASHINGTON, Apr 26, 2010 (IPS). Against the backdrop of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s spring meetings this weekend, numerous groups have chimed in on the need for and direction of a new World Bank energy strategy.  (…) The new energy strategy will try to bridge the dangerous gap between increasing energy access and not exacerbating the effects of climate change. As such, energy likely represents one of the most contentious areas of the bank’s lending policy.

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Encouraging partnership on sustainable biomass for Latin America

Posted on by Jean Kim Chaix

Addressing today the newly minted Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a series of promising initiatives. Not surprisingly, the one that really grabbed our attention was the following: Advancing Sustainable Biomass Energy: The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are inviting interested countries to collaborate on scientific exchanges to advance renewable biomass energy that is sustainable. The initiative aims to generate and share information that can be applied by participating ECPA countries for expanding production and usage of renewable biomass for energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions while Continue reading→