Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
25 May 2022
Post No. 249
The Week’s Contents
• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Green and Climate Alignment in the Post-coronavirus Era (From Wednesday 25/05/2022)
• Stories of Those at Risk of Being Left Behind Build Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants
• Stories of Coping with the Cost-of-living Crisis
… And much more!
Key Messages
• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Green and Climate Alignment in the Post-coronavirus Era (From Wednesday 25/05/2022)
The last episode of our series of AiDS (All in Development Stories) Telling and Sharing Programme is on Stories of Green and Climate Alignment. The latter are the serialised experiences or anecdotes of actions that do not cause harm to the environment and help continuity over the long term period without adverse effects.
The stories to be told, shared and learnt will be of rebuilding forward better while making sure that your process of rebuilding lines up with the greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets in the interest of the commons. These serialised stories are part of the process of building forward better greener, cleaner and safer.
To join and / or steward the programme by telling and sharing your story, please contact CENFACS.
Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find notes highlighting this Serial 4.
• Stories of Those at Risk of or Being Left Behind Build Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants
The process of building forward better may not do justice to everybody for various reasons which are sometimes difficult to identify. There are people and / or members of our community who have been accidentally left behind in the process of building forward better from the coronavirus disaster and its variants.
The notion of being left behind applies to individuals and households in our community. This notion also refers to those of them living in “left behind neighbourhoods” as defined by the Local Trust (1).
We would like to hear the narratives of these people and community members who are feeling or being left behind so that advocacy can be activated and stepped up to do something about their situation.
Like the stories of those living in left behind neighbourhoods as described by the Local Trust (op. cit.), the stories in which are interested will be those of…
√ Not having a place or space to meet, to connect and to actively engage with the community
√ Having poor socio-economic outcomes in the process of building forward better
√ Falling behind the realisation of key metrics (such as in health, education, skills, income, etc.) of poverty reduction and sustainable development
√ Isolation and loneliness
√ Lack of connectivity to key services, facilities and digital infrastructure
√ Not receiving a fair share of the amount of support needed to move forward
Etc.
We are as well taking the stories of those at risk of being left behind in the process of building forward better; left behind because of their age, gender, ethnicity, race, and migration and disability status.
Anyone who has these kinds of stories of the left-behinds, they can join in and steward the AiDS programme by telling and sharing them with us.
• Stories of Coping with the Cost-of-living Crisis
The prices of energy, food and fuel have dramatically gone up. The hikes in energy, food and fuel prices have led to inflation in many parts of the world including the UK. They have also made the cost of living dearer to such an extent that they have led to a crisis. In those circumstances, there could be stories to tell on how people, and in particular those making our community, are navigating their way to make ends meet.
Amongst these stories, they are those of…
√ Being identified as individuals or households in need of financial help
√ Having helpful and supportive communications with food and energy providers or charitable organisations to help you successfully manage the cost-of-living crisis
√ Benefiting from loyalty programmes or plans that are helping you to cope with the cost-of-living crisis while building forward better
√ Getting support (from friends, families and organisations) to handle the cost-of-living crisis
√ Being well informed about the causes of the cost-of-living crisis and what to do cope with it
Etc.
Anyone who has these kinds of stories of coping with the cost-of-living crisis, they can join in and steward the AiDS programme by telling and sharing them with us.
Extra Messages
• Stories of Volunteers’ Action across All Fronts of Build Forward Better (i.e. Restoration, Recovery, Transformation and Alignment)
These stories could be related to actions generally taken in volunteering capacity to help people and communities in need to restore, recover, transform and green align in the post-pandemic era. They could also be actions in which a volunteer got specifically involved and at the fronts of restoration, recovery, transformation and alignment processes.
To tell, share and provide opportunity for learning development through your story of volunteers’ actions across all the fronts of restoration, recovery, transformation and alignment; please contact CENFACS.
• Stories of Building Forward Better from Natural Disasters (like the Volcanic Eruption of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo)
Last year, we recorded Reconstruction Stories from Internally Displaced People and Returnees in Africa, particularly from drawn-out conflicts and violence (in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, etc.) and natural disasters (like intense cyclones, torrential rains and floods).
This year, we would like to hear similar stories, particularly of those who have returned to the vicinity of the natural disaster area to build forward life. They are returning because of various reasons. Among these stories, there are those of the victims of the Nyiragongo disaster where there were almost 32 tragedies.
The stories in which we are interested are those of…
√ Displaced persons living in host families and temporary camps
√ Lack of choice rather than to return to the disaster area to live and build forward
√ Respect for any prohibitions to return to a disaster area because it is still dangerous
√ Potential volcanic threats from the eruption of carbon dioxide in the volcanic area or nearby
√ Local support in terms of resettlement, rehousing and build forward livelihoods
Etc.
We are asking our Africa-based Sister Organisations working with the locals of Nyiragongo to provide factual stories. They can share with us any of the above mentioned types of stories.
To share your story of working with the peoples of Nyiragongo to build forward their life, please contact CENFACS.
• Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus (SPBFBC)
You can help…
1) Rebuild resilient critical infrastructures, facilities and livelihoods required for the functioning of COVID-19 stricken people and communities in Africa
2) Restore basic life-sustaining health, economic and environmental assets, systems and activities of COVID-19 affected people and communities as well as align them to greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.
You can DONATE, PLEDGE AND MAKE A GIFT AID DECLARATION for any amount as a way of supporting the SPBFBC.
To donate, gift aid and or support differently, please contact CENFACS.
For further information about project aim, objectives, beneficiaries and outcomes; please go to: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/
Message in French (Message en français)
Projet de sécurité énergétique (PSE)
Dans le cadre de PSE, nous travaillons sur les activités suivantes liées à ce projet :
√ Évaluation des besoins des utilisateurs de ce projet en matière de sécurité énergétique
√ Identification des options sur le plan de sécurité énergétique
√ Développement d’un filet de sécurité et d’une protection énergétiques
√ Examen du budget énergétique des ménages
√ Stratégie visant à accroître la résilience aux chocs et aux crises énergétiques
√ Gérance et conseils pour accéder à des services énergétiques de qualité, abordables, fiables et sûrs.
Pour les membres de notre communauté qui souhaitent participer à ces activités ou qui souhaitent discuter avec nous de l’une des activités mentionnées ci-dessus, ils sont invités à contacter le CENFACS.
Main Development
• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Green and Climate Alignment in the Post-coronavirus Era (From Wednesday 25/05/2022)
To develop the notes relating to this Serial 4, we have assembled the following pieces:
∝ What is a Story of Green and Climate Alignment?
∝ Types of Stories of Green and Climate Alignment
∝ Role or Character in Role-playing Story of Building Forward Better
∝ Social Media as Story Tracking Tools
∝ Ways of Supporting All in Development Stories Telling Programme
• • What is a Story of Green and Climate Alignment?
To define a story of green and/or climate alignment, one needs to understand green and or climate alignment.
• • • Definition of green and climate alignment
Within the literature about alignment, we have selected two definitions.
The first definition of alignment is given by Xiaoyun et al. (2) when discussing global green taxonomy development, alignment and implementation. For Xiaoyun et al., green alignment is
“Any effort made by national and international organisations to align various taxonomies to reduce market fragmentation and facilitate the cross-border flow of green capital” (p.3)
These authors pursue by arguing that
“Alignment can help to address information asymmetry at project and entity levels and can encourage clear disclosure and communications” (p. 9).
In the context of our stories of green alignment to tell and share, we are not going to speak about classifying anything to reduce market fragmentation and facilitate the cross-border flow of green capital. We are instead interested in the stories of any classified assets that could enable the flow of green capital to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.
The second definition of alignment is provided by Shravan Bhat & Lee Ann Barnett (3) who argue that
“Climate alignment is the process of bringing the global economy’s greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature targets”
This second definition falls within the scope of our stories of green and climate alignment to build forward better.
• • Types of Stories of Green and Climate Alignment
From the argument of Shravan et al. (op. cit.), the stories of green and climate alignment that we are expecting will be those of…
√ Using low-carbon solutions to build forward better
√ Transitioning high-carbon assets to low-carbon ones
√ Replacing carbon-intensive assets with net-zero alternatives
√ Substituting high-emitting activities to net-zero emissions ones
√ Grabbing climate-aligned investment opportunities
√ Using innovative alignment-linked products and services
√ Addressing emissions from the production and purchase of goods and services
√ Engaging real economy to decarbonise
√ Dealing with carbon-intensive way of living and working
√ Mapping your journey to green and climate alignment
√ Accountability to, transparency and aligning with market-driven forces that are low-emitting in greenhouse gases
√ Taking a science-based transformation pathway to reach net-zero emissions
√ Using metrics to measure your progress towards net-zero emissions goals and targets
Etc.
They are indeed the stories of…
√ Helping the real economy moves toward net-zero emissions
√ Supporting progress toward global climate goals in the real economy
√ Addressing barriers to green and climate alignment
√ Achieving net-zero emissions in the real economy
√ Building forward better that saves, preserves and conserves natural and non-renewable resources without depleting them.
• • Role or Character in Role-playing Story of Building Forward Better
In every role or character in role-playing story of building forward better, one needs to consider or have the net-zero emission thinking of alignment. So, this thinking will be like a reminder for us and will help to make our experience or story is like the one that saves, preserves and conserves natural and non-renewable resources without depleting them. It is finally about making story capable of continued life over the long term without adverse effects.
Those who may be interested in role-playing in the context of Stories of Green and Climate alignment, they can contact CENFACS for further discussion on the matter.
• • Social Media Platforms as Story Tracking Tools
To track the stories you are or will be telling and sharing with us, we have developed a certain number of tracking tools for monitoring and evaluation purposes. One of these tools is our AiDST (All in Development Stories Telling) terms and conditions which we highlighted at the beginning of this programme. We strongly recommend to those who would like to submit their stories to consider this tracking tool.
It is increasingly fashionable for people to tell and share their stories via social media platforms (e.g. twitter, Tik Tok, etc.). If you are going to use these platforms, please let us know so that we can follow and track your story.
• • Ways of Supporting All in Development Stories Telling Programme
For any programme to continue, it needs support. This need of support also applies to CENFACS’ All in Development Stories Telling Programme. For us to continue this programme, we need your support.
The first life line of support for this programme is stories. Without stories, there will not be a story programme. The programme also requires human resources (e.g. volunteers).
Besides the above non-monetary support, the programme needs income-related help in order to store and share stories as well as to preserve the legacies of stories donated.
People and organisations willing to support this programme can do it at any time. For those wondering if there is any specific fundraising event relating to the programme in this month, we would like to inform them that we are holding two days (on 30 and 31 May 2022) event for them to give a story and/or to donate money or even gift the programme.
To donate, tell and share your storying gift of recovery, please contact CENFACS.
If you have a story of green and climate alignment in the process of building forward better, please do not hesitate to tell it to CENFACS.
We look forward to your story of green and climate alignment in the context of building forward better greener, cleaner and cleaner.
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• References
(1) https://localtrust.org.uk/policy/left-behind-neighbourhoods (accessed in May 2022)
(2) Xiaoyun, Xie, W., Deng, M., (2022), Global green taxonomy development, alignment and implementaion at https://www.climatebonds.net/files/reports/cbi_taxonomy_ukpact_2022_eng.pdf (accessed in May 2022)
(3) Bhat, S. & Barnett, L., A., (2021), Climate-Aligned Finance 101: What Is It, and Why Should You Care? at https://rmi.org/climate-aligned-finance-101-what-is-it-and-why-should-you-care/ (accessed in May 2022)
_________
• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year
We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis. Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service.
One could also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.
Donate to support CENFACS!
FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.
JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)
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.
