Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
23 March 2022
Post No. 240
The Week’s Contents
• Climate Action 4 from 23 to 29/03/2022: Back Clean Energy
• Coming this Spring 2022: FACS Issue No. 75 which will be titled as Energy Security for Those in Most Need
• ReLive Issue No. 14: Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Climate Action 4 from 23 to 29/03/2022: Back Clean Energy
The focus for the fourth action of our climate campaign for this month will be on directing finance away from fossil fuel burning production and consumption to back clean energy and technology.
Backing clean energy has to be placed within the context of meeting the Paris Climate Treaty. The Paris Agreement (1) is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP (Conference of the Parties) 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
Backing clean energy is about supporting or funding or financing the type of energy (here clean energy) that will help to achieve the goal of Paris Climate Treaty.
Because CENFACS is specialised in poverty reduction and sustainable development, our action on backing clean energy will focus on people, particularly our users, living in energy poverty and those who would like to embrace the net zero greenhouse gas emissions path through their energy consumption or use.
Additionally, our Climate Action 4 will include the kind of activities and tasks we can undertake to work together with our Africa-based Sister Organisations needing some support in order to continue their march towards clean energy as well as to help their locals seeking sustainable solutions to energy poverty.
Briefly, the key message or action here is back clean energy to contribute to the realisation the central goal of Paris Climate Treaty (which is to limit the global average temperature to 1.5°C) by helping energy poor to move towards clean energy. Energy poor do not have the means to move from polluting to clean energy unless they get the backing.
To conduct this action 4, we have prepared some notes that can be found under the Main Development section of this post.
• Coming this Spring 2022: FACS Issue No. 75 which will be titled as Energy Security for Those in Most Need
Energy security is one of the problems that many poor, including CENFACS users, face. The current energy crisis that has been stigmatised by the Russia-Ukraine conflict is just an iceberg of the problem which was already there.
The 75th Issue of FACS, CENFACS‘ bilingual newsletter, will address energy security for those in most need. The Issue, which will look at the positive impacts of energy security rather than its negative sides, will consider the three aspects of sustainability linked to energy; that is energy as an economic security, energy as an environmental security and energy as a social security.
The Issue will approach energy security from the perspective of the International Energy Agency (2), which defines it as
” The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price. Energy security has many aspects: long-term energy security mainly deals with timely investments to supply energy in line with economic developments and environmental needs. On the other hand, short-term energy security focuses on the ability of the energy system to react promptly to sudden changes in the supply-demand balance”.
The Issue will also take into account what Asmae Berrada et al. (3) argue about energy security. According to them,
“Energy security has two meanings. It is first interpreted as the diversification of primary energy supplies. The second interpretation of energy security concerns the reliability of the power system”.
These definitions will help to apprehend energy security problems that our users and Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) experience, throughout the 75th Issue of FACS.
Additionally, the 75th Issue will deal with some of the energy security problems encountered by energy poor by trying to secure sustainable energy in order to change their living conditions through energy security. The Issue will indeed echo some of the energy security topics or subjects discussed at both global (like energy questions discussed at COP 26 in Glasgow in November 2021) and local levels as well as will try to connect them with the realities of everyday of energy poor.
Far from being a simple collection of energy problems faced by energy poor, the Issue will provide the basis for discussion and practice in ways of dealing with energy security by CENFACS‘ ASOs. In this respect, the Issue will be a learning, development and opportunity to work together with ASOs so that they can find the means and tools they need in order to support their locals to come out of energy poverty.
Furthermore, the Issue will reveal that distant energy weaponizing events (like the Russia-Ukraine conflict) can have far-reaching consequences for the energy poor living in other parts of the world (here Africa) as they can detrimentally affect their energy security; let alone other aspects of lives and likelihoods linked to the energy crisis.
To read more about this new Issue, please keep checking on CENFACS incoming posts this Spring 2022. To reserve a paper copy of this 75th Issue of FACS, please contact CENFACS with your mailing details.
• ReLive Issue No. 14: Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus (SPBFBC)
The 14th Issue of ReLive, CENFACS’ Spring campaign for resource development, is the next step after the Spring Project of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus (SPBBBC) we set up last Spring.
SPBBBC went beyond the life-saving and coping strategies (relating to anti-COVID-19 measures such as self-isolation, confinement, human barriers, social distancing, etc.) to build back better from the life-threatening and destroying impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. It was still within the process of Saving, Rebuilding and Sustaining Lives of the victims from the Coronavirus shock, disaster and destruction.
As to SPBFBC, it takes stock of the Spring Project of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus (SPBBBC) and is the next step since the coronavirus pandemic is still there despite the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in some places.
SPBFBC, which is in fact a fundraising appeal, is about adding value to other similar works and efforts which have been already undertaken so that the poorest people can start or continue the process of building forward and reclaiming their lives while the world is still embattled by the coronavirus pandemic and its variants.
In the context of SPBFBC, the process of building forward will include the following: restoration, recovery forward, transformation and green alignment.
You can find more details about the Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus under the page support causes at http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/
To support and get further information about this project, just contact CENFACS.
Extra Messages
• ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource, Holiday with Relief – In Focus for Spring 2022 Issue: Energy and Food during Holiday
The next Issue of our ICDP Resource entitled as ‘Holiday with Relief’ will focus on energy and food we need during our holiday.
Indeed, energy (e.g. electricity, gas and water) is getting expensive, just as food is becoming dearer. Whether one passes their holiday at home or away from their home, they need adequate, secure, affordable and safe energy. They also require healthy food and drink.
This year, ‘Holiday with Relief’ will provide wealthy advice, tips and hints linked to energy and food during holiday. Through this wealth of information, we will try to tackle energy poverty and food poverty that those of our users who struggle to make ends meet may experience during their holiday (that is Easter holiday, work or school holiday and long Summer holiday).
This resource will be packed with Spring-relieving ideas about how to reduce both energy and food poverty while being on holiday. Although the contents of this year’s Holiday with Relief will be for holiday, they can be used at any other time of the year.
To enquire about the 2022 Issue of Holiday with Relief, please contact CENFACS.
• Return of In-person Walk to the Needs
Last week, we informed you that we are gradually and prudently returning CENFACS‘ projects and programmes to their full capacity during the phase of living with COVID-19 in England.
This week, we are adding to this return our Walk to the Needs, our outreach service.
• • What is Walk to the Needs?
It is a CENFACS‘ outreach service which enables us to bring CENFACS as closest as we can to the community. Through this service, we try to move towards those needing support. Generally these walks are conducted in Summer. Last Summer, we were able to conduct some Virtual or In-person TRIPS to Hybrid Running Projects and Covid-19 hit locals despite the Changing Climate and Enduring Covid-19 during Summer 2021.
• • How do we walk to the needs or reach out to those needing help?
This move is generally in-person. It could also be mental, virtual and online when physically we cannot do it like during the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
Walk-to-the-Needs can also be undertaken by our supporters or volunteers who may visit our projects and organisations we work with in Africa. These Trips to the Needs and project include some of the experiences undertaken by CENFACS All-in-Development Volunteers through field work involvements and project visits, to reach out to unreached, underserved and unserved people and communities, particularly those living in remote areas of Africa. It is the kind of experiences that we recommend to future invertebrate and vertebrate volunteers to have and report back.
• • Walking to the Needs during the Phase of Living with COVID-19
We will be walking to the needs while keeping in mind that the battle against the coronavirus, its variants and sub-variants has not yet won. During our outreach work, we shall maintain a healthy relationship between hands (e.g. washing our hands with sanitisers), faces (e.g. wearing face coverings if required), body (e.g. get vaccinated) and space (e.g. keeping indoor spaces ventilated). It is better not to give up the basic healthcare principles and any life-saving advice until the coronavirus threat disappears.
We shall come back on Walk to the Needs during the Summertime. In meantime, for any queries or enquiries about Walk to the Needs and the gradual return of services and activities, please contact CENFACS.
• Be.Africa Forum’s e-Discussion on the Impact of Fracture of Interstate Economic Relations on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development in Africa
Our e-discussion about the Impact of Russia-Ukraine Conflict on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development in Africa continues this week as we are trying to look at how the economic rivalries between geopolitical powers (like Russia, European Union and United States of America) can impact efforts made or to be undertaken to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in Africa.
For example, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to the fracture of economic relationships between Russia and the rest of the world (mainly the European Union and United States of America). As a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, there has been a number of economic decisions taken against the Russian economy.
A coalition of Western nations announced a number of economic sanctions which include: Russia has been denied the most-favoured-nation status relating to key products by the G7 (Group of Seven made of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United Sates); the United States of America, Canada and European allies removed key Russian banks from the interbank messaging system SWIFT, etc.
Distant economic decisions like the above that could mark the fracture of interstate economic relations can have some implications for people whose lives directly depend on these interstate economic relations. They can as well bear far reaching indirect consequences in other places (like in Africa) where efforts to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development are linked to the state of these nation interrelations. In the era of globalisation, one cannot imagine how decisions taken far away can impact the lives of others (especially the poorest ones) in other parts of the world (like in Africa).
CENFACS’ Be.Africa Forum would like to hear from you about how the Fracture of these Interstate Economic Relations is impacting or will impact the realisation of poverty reduction goals or efforts to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in Africa; how the poorest in Africa are bearing the brunt of this possible/probable fracture.
You can tell the forum what you think about the far-reaching repercussions of this potential fracture can have on the realisation of poverty reduction goals and sustainable development goals in Africa.
To tell what you think or know, please contact CENFACS on this site. Thank you!
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Main Development
• Climate Action 4 from 23 to 29/03/2022: Back Clean Energy
To help back clean energy, we have prepared the following notes:
What is the meaning of backing clean energy?, the problem identified in backing clean energy, divesting from fossil fuels versus investing in sustainable energy, how CENFACS can act with the community and Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) on backing clean energy, and the relationship between backing clean energy and poverty reduction.
• • Key Notes on Climate Action 4
• • • What is the meaning of backing clean energy?
To understand backing clean energy, let us first define clean energy. To do that we have selected the definition given by Nicole Jawerth (4) and published on the International Atomic Energy Agency website. On this site, clean energy is defined as
“Energy that releases little to no greenhouse gas. Nuclear power, hydro, wind and solar re some of these clean sources”.
Backing clean energy is about supporting the energy that releases little to no greenhouse gas. Clean energy can be funded via loans, bonds, leasing arrangements and other finding options.
• • • The problem identified in backing clean energy
The International Energy Agency (5) quoted Fatih Birol, who argued that
“Emerging and developing economies currently account for two-thirds of the world’s population, but only one-fifth of global investment in clean energy”.
If emerging and developing economies (including those of Africa) account only one-fifth of global investment in clean energy, then there is a problem when poor people making these economies are being asked to move towards clean energy. This is because it is not enough to tell people to transition towards clean energy if they cannot afford it. They need to be backed in order to take the clean energy drive.
For example, an energy poor household using charcoal for cooking and heating will need financial help in order to switch to clean energy.
• • • Divesting from fossil fuels versus investing in sustainable energy
Backing clean energy is sometimes expressed in terms of the opposition between divestment from fossil fuels and investment in sustainable energy. In this expression, less is occasionally said about energy poor people. It will be good to first put people, particularly energy poor, at the centre of the process of divestment and investment relating to energy.
In other words, before one can start divesting from fossil fuels they need to check if investment in sustainable energy is going towards energy poor. Doing these checks and balances between the minus (divesting from fossil fuels) and plus (investing in sustainable energy) in terms energy funding will help to know that energy poor, who usually use fossil fuels (i.e. coal, gas and oil), are not left behind on the road of fossil-free and sustainable finance.
These checks and balances are important despite the fact that moving towards clean energy predominantly is about meeting the net zero greenhouse gas emissions goal. This goal is also meaningful when the needs of those who bear the brunt (like the energy poor) are considered.
• • • How CENFACS can act with the community and ASOs on backing clean energy
There are two ways in which CENFACS can help back clean energy, which are:
a) working with the community to get the backing of their clean energy
b) supporting ASOs working with their beneficiaries on the issue of backing clean energy.
a) Working with the community
Those members of our community who have problems of getting the backing of their clean energy needs and would like to work with us on this matter; we can assess their needs, discuss with them their household energy source and budget, inform, guide and signpost them to services that could address their needs of support towards clean energy.
Consequently, CENFACS can act with its members on the following:
√ Advocacy to reduce financial barriers to participation to clean energy transition
√ Improvement in access to financing for energy-efficiency and fossil fuel-free upgrades
√ Campaign to reduce energy poverty as a share of income spent on energy bills
√ Advocacy to alleviate energy burden
√ Help in the improvement of housing conditions
√ Help poor to be qualified for home improvements for energy saving and efficiency
√ Support them in their attempt to access cost-effective energy upgrades
√ Find options that do not require debt to access clean energy
√ Raise awareness to them about energy efficiency measures
√ Help them reduce energy bills via clean energy sources
√ Search with them inclusive energy financing schemes that fit their needs
Etc.
b) Supporting ASOs working with their beneficiaries on the issue of backing clean energy
CENFACS can support those ASOs working with their beneficiaries on the issue of backing clean energy as follows:
√ Build resilient finance to support energy transition
√ Identify appropriate instruments to finance energy projects
√ Access technical grants linked to energy (e.g. African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa) to improve energy efficiency with locals
√ Develop a not-for-profit model that attract funding or backing for clean energy
Etc.
The above points highlight a number of ways we can use to work with the community and ASOs. For those members of our community who are interested in getting the backing to clean energy and or who would like to take climate action with us, they are welcome to contact CENFACS. This welcoming message equally applies to ASOs.
In working together with the community and ASOs on backing clean energy, CENFACS will strive for progress in poverty reduction and sustainable development. In other words, we shall explore ways of backing clean energy while addressing the issue of poverty linked with the backing of clean energy.
• • • The relationship between backing clean energy and poverty reduction
Backing clean energy is about supporting energy that does not pollute or pollute very little. Energy poverty reduction is about reducing the sensitivity of the energy share to household income.
If the backing of clean energy contributes to the reduction of sensitivity of the energy share to household income, then one can argue that there could be a positive correlation between the two variables (clean energy and poverty reduction).
In the contrary, if the backing of clean energy does not contribute to the reduction of sensitivity of the energy share to household income, then one can contend that there could be a negative or zero correlation between the two variables (clean energy and poverty reduction).
To end these notes on Climate Action 4, let us remind our audiences and readers that it is in the interest of our global commons to support the central goal of Paris Climate Treaty (which is to limit the global average temperature to 1.5°C) via the backing of clean energy. It equally makes sense that the needs of the poor in terms of clean energy are not forgotten. An inclusive financial action that considers both the needs of the global commons and poor’s necessities has much chance to succeed than actions that solely focus on climate goals without or with little consideration to poverty and energy poor people.
For any other queries and enquiries about CENFACS‘ Climate Action Month, the theme of ‘Smooth the Way to Energy Transition’ and the sub-theme of Back Clean Energy; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
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• References
(1) The Paris Agreement at https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/ (accessed in March 2022)
(2) https://www.iea.org/topics/energy-security (accessed in March 2022)
(3) Berrada, A., …Mrabet, R. E, (2021), in Hybrid Energy System Models at https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/energy-security/(accessed in March 2022)
(4) Jawerth, N., at https://www.iaea.org/bulletin/what-is-the-clean-energy-transition-and-how-does-nuclear-power-fit-in/ (accessed in March 2022)
(5) Birol, F., at https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/01/global-clean-energy-economy-how-to-finance/(accessed in March 2022)
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Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.
Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.
We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2022 and beyond.
With many thanks.
