Policies & Positions
 

Renewable Energy

Palm biodiesel as dirty as fuel from tar sands
In his blog in the Guardian, Damian Carrington, discusses leaked data on biofuels, obtained by EurActiv from the European Comission. The EC is considering what level of carbon emissions each type of biofuel causes once burned, after everything - including "indirect land-use change" - is taken into account, and the conclusion is that some biofuels are worse than fossil fuels.

Sustainable energy for all - UN
The Secretary-General’s Initiative contributes to the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All in 2012, as declared by all UN Member States, by mobilising action from all key stakeholders. All sectors of society are brought to the table: business, governments, investors, community groups and academia.

Case studies on access to renewable energy Eastern Africa
Four case studies by INFORSE Eastern Africa for the Southern Voices Progamme (Aug 2011) discuss a wide range of issues related to renewable energy. In Uganda, the study shows how a  Feed in Tariff Policy has been a useful incentive in driving private sector investment from sugar mills in renewable energy by producing energy from burning waste from sugar cane. The second case study from Kenya demonstrates how small scale and community owned hydropower  can play a role in providing cheap energy to poor communities. The third case study presents the East African Community (EAC) Regional Strategy for Scaling up access to modern Energy services. The last case from Kenya demonstrates how a Community Driven Commercial Afforestation Charcoal project has the potential to improve the livelihoods of the rural poor.

Promoting access to sustainable energy in rural Mali - through Jathropa oil, solar and more
Three case studies by MFC Nyetaa in Mali for the Southern Voices Progamme from August 2011. The first one presents how a decentralised electrification project based on Jathropa biofuel has stimulated the local economy through new income sources and access to jobs and modern energy services; export for Northern biofuel consumption is not in focus. The next cases present how microfinance and supply chains can promote access to modern energy in rural areas – with a focus small scale energy enterprises in newly electrified rural areas (study 2) and on access to solar lightning for rural women  (study 3).

IPCC Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation
This report from the Mitigation Working Group of IPCC released on May 9th 2011 highlights"the incredible environmental and social advantages of a future powered by renewable energy over the next decades." The report documents that developing countries are hosting over 50% of global capacity, and that clean renewable energies have the technical potential to provide at least more than 20 times the energy we use today. A digest of comments from international NGOs such as Greenpeace and WWF is available at www.dailykos.

The WWF Energy Report: 100% renewables by 2050
Two years in preparation, this report by WWF from Feb. 2011 presents a provocative scenario, set in 2050, of a world run entirely on renewable energy. The report spells-out the main challenges to a 100% vision, and seeks to generate discussion.

Sustainable Energy Solutions to Reduce Poverty in South Asia
This manual, made by INFORSE Asia in 2006, gives an overview of sustainable energy technologies that can contribute to reducing poverty and provide energy for the poor in South Asia. The manual also gives guidance on how to choose the right combination of sustainable energy solutions. Available in English, Hindi, Nepali and Sinhala.