Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
08 June 2022
Post No. 251
The Week’s Contents
• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus from Wednesday 08/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Deal with Rising Energy Prices
• World Anti-poverty System: Could Energy Crisis be a Ground to Create an International System for Poverty Reduction?
• Post-pandemic Rebuilding Activities
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus from Wednesday 08/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Deal with Rising Energy Prices
Rising energy prices require responses. One of the responses is to create and innovate in order to counter rising energy prices. Creations and innovations to counter rising energy prices could be of many kinds and from various initiators (like the Government, energy regulator, energy service providers, financial institutions, energy community organisations, etc.). Most of these creations and innovations would be needful for energy consumers, including our own beneficiaries who are energy consumers.
However, to stick to the terms of our mission and vision, we are mostly interested in the types of creations and innovations (to counter rising energy prices) that help poor people (and amongst them the majority of our users) to come out of poverty induced by rising energy prices or simply not to get into further energy poverty. Our interest will be met by working together with the members of the CENFACS Community who are struggling to pay their energy bills because of rising energy prices; working with them to reduce energy poverty.
• • What our work with them will be about
Our work with the community is to develop creative and innovative initiatives to not only manage rising energy prices, but also to avoid that rising energy prices lead to long term or permanent or even intergenerational poverty.
Our creative and innovative work does not replace the support that our members are currently receiving or the work of other players (like the Government with its energy help to households, energy suppliers, banks, insurers, energy hubs and communities, etc.). Instead, our work recognizes their work and adds value to the community’s efforts to reduce energy poverty.
Our creative and innovative work will be customised to beneficiaries’ needs (as it will emerge from energy needs assessment with them) so that they can have control over their energy and avoid failing into energy poverty trap.
For those wo would like to deep into this second note of our Creative Economic Development Month, please be advised that there is more information about it under the Main Development section of this post.
• World Anti-poverty System: Could Food Crisis be a Ground to Create an International System for Poverty Reduction?
Every time there is a global crisis, it is also a reminder of the best possible global mechanism of dealing with the crisis. The coronavirus pandemic crisis was an opportunity to ask ourselves about the best system or set-up to deal with the crisis of magnitude of COVID-19. The current food crisis is yet a further occasion to raise the question of an international or global system to deal with energy crisis, food crisis, cost-of-living crisis, livelihood crisis, etc.
Energy and food crises could be a ground to create an International System for Poverty Reduction or to innovate the world’s institutions, if they exist, dealing with global poverty. Indeed, developing countries of Africa, Asia, Middle-East and Latin America are trapped by the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Particularly, if one considers the current food crisis in Africa, it is possible to argue that rising food prices are partly caused by the supply problem that Africa has with its imports of cereals and fertilizers from Ukraine ports in the Black seas. It is partly caused by what is happening in the Black seas.
The war in Ukraine does not explain the all story of Africa’s food crisis. The latter is also the consequence of poor weather, bad harvests, armed conflicts, and human insecurity in some parts of Africa (like in the western part of Africa).
However, if we had an International System for Poverty Reduction (that is a World Anti-poverty System comparable to the institutions of Bretton Woods System), would this system makes the world a better place for the poor?
Every time, there is a global crisis, this question comes back, time and time again. In particular, one could raise and answer the following questions:
If we had an International System for Poverty Reduction, could the invasion of Ukraine have been avoided?
Would the sanctions taken against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine be different?
Would food supplies to the poor be preserved from this invasion?
Would the current energy and food crises be minor?
If you think that an International System for Poverty Reduction could have protected the world’s poorest from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, please let us know your arguments. If you do not think so, still let us know what you think.
An International System for Poverty Reduction is a missing piece in the world’s institutional system. This is CENFACS‘ campaign point, which is the creation of an International System for Poverty Reduction.
You can support the campaign or movement for a World Anti-poverty System or International System for Poverty Reduction with your VOICE, by E-SIGNING petition, E-MOBILISING your energy, BRANDING EVENT, etc.
You can join CENFACS’ Campaign for an International System for Poverty Reduction. To join, please contact CENFACS.
• Post-pandemic Rebuilding Activities
Since the restrictions against the coronavirus have been lifted in many places, there are people who are able to cope with the new normal; that is living with the coronavirus in all aspects of life. On the contrary, there are others who are still struggling to get on with their life as its was before the coronavirus stroke out.
To work with those who are struggling to manage the post-pandemic era, we are organising three types of activities. These activities continue our Season of Rebuilding/Renewal. Let us highlight them, the circumstances under which users can access them and the invitation to participate.
• • Types of Rebuilding Activities
The three activities include the following:
a) Activities to manage transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)
b) Activities to manage new beginnings
c) Activities to manage plan for the future.
These activities are part of our campaign of Rebuilding and Renewing Lives, in particular Rebuilding Africa during Spring Relief season.
• • Accessing Rebuilding Activities
Depending on people’s circumstances of life (whether they are looking forward to managing transition or embarking on new beginnings or building the future), they will be supported accordingly in these activities.
For example, if the post-pandemic needs assessment indicates that a user needs transition management, then they will take part in activities to manage their transition from the remnants of the coronavirus crisis.
• • Need to Participate in Post-pandemic Rebuilding Activities?
To take part in the Post-pandemic Rebuilding Activities, please contact CENFACS.
Extra Messages
• Goal for the Month: Create and Innovate to Reduce Poverty
Since we are in the month of Creative Economic Development, our goal for this month is to Create and Innovate to Reduce Poverty. It is the month to create and innovate in order to support those who are struggling to pay their energy bills, who are in vulnerable circumstances or in energy debt, low income households making our community, and those who bear the brunt of the energy price spike within our community. It is indeed the month to address energy poverty through creations and innovations.
In practical terms, it means that one can undertake any of the following initiatives:
√ Create opportunities for people to reduce or end the cost of living crisis
√ Create equality to reduce poverty
√ Create community activities to change people’s lives
Etc.
Equally, people can innovate to reduce poverty. In practical sense, it could mean doing the following:
√ Innovate smarter technologies to reduce poverty
√ Innovate way of working together with the community to reduce poverty
√ Innovate metrics/tools to measure progress about poverty reduction
Etc.
There are many ways in which one can create and innovate to reduce poverty. So, this month we are going to spend our time with the community by working together to create and innovate to reduce poverty.
The above is our poverty reduction goal for this month, which we are asking to our audiences and supporters to help or promote.
• Arts and Design Project and e-Workshop:
Making and Sending a p-Card or e-Card Expressing ‘Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature’ or ‘Rising up from Drought Together’
Participants to the e-workshop can Make and Send a p-Card or e-Card Expressing ‘Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature’ or ‘Rising up from Drought Together’.
For those who are trying to design and send this type of paper card (p-card) or an electronic card (e-card) as a way of participating in the Creative Economic Development month, please make sure that the poverty relief message you are conveying is without confusion. You can follow the criteria below.
• • Criteria for a good card design
When designing a card, it is better that your art or design work
√ contributes to inclusive and sustainable development goals
√ is a driver and enabler of sustainable development processes
√ is data or evidence-based as an expression of realities
√ is aligned with greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets
√ is capable of leading to new pathways for the creative economy
√ reflects on creative economic development
√ connects with the different sectors of the creative economy
√ adds value to nature-based solutions to design problems
√ is conducive to new opportunities for sustainable development
√ is supportive of learning and innovation for poverty relief and sustainable development
√ opens up a possibility of a model of working together
√ touches climate change issues (such as plastic pollution)
√ deals with sustainability issues (like conservation of the nature)
√ develops culture of poverty relief and sustainable development.
Although these criteria seem to be quite a lot, it would be enough to meet as many as one can in the design of their p-card or e-card.
To create and send your card or support CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development month, please contact CENFACS.
• Dematerialisation Awareness Raising: Promoting and spreading the news about dematerialisation within the community
This week, CENFACS will continue the work on dematerialisation where we left it. Dematerialisation is part of CENFACS‘ Poverty-Environment Programme.
• • What is dematerialisation?
According to the World Bank (1), dematerialisation refers to
“An absolute or relative reduction in the quantity of materials required to serve economic functions in society”
This definition will be used to work together with the community and explore non-conflicting ways of activating the process of dematerialisation in the economic functions of their households.
• • Raising awareness with the community about Dematerialisation
With reference to the above definition, CENFACS shall work with its community to help explore way of reducing the quantity of resources or materials from the ecosystem in order to meet their basic life-sustaining economic needs. This will be an opportunity to promote and spread the news about dematerialisation in the way the community produces, consumes and distributes products and services.
The work on dematerialisation is CENFACS’ way of supporting the ecosystem restoration.
Those who may be interested in raising awareness about dematerialisation, they can contact CENFACS.
Message in French (Message en français)
Projet Arts et Dessin
Atelier électronique sur la création et l’envoi d’une carte papier ou une carte électronique exprimant les thèmes suivants: « Vivre durablement en harmonie avec la nature » ou « Sortir ensemble de la sécheresse »
Pour ceux/celles qui essaient de concevoir et d’envoyer une carte papier (carte p) ou une carte électronique (carte é) comme moyen de participer au Mois du développement économique créatif, veuillez vous assurer que le message de lutte contre la pauvreté que vous transmettez est sans confusion. Vous pouvez suivre les critères ci-dessous.
Critères pour une bonne conception de carte
Lors de la conception d’une carte, il est préférable que votre travail d’art ou de dessin…
√ contribue à des objectifs de développement inclusif et durable
√ soit un moteur et un facilitateur des processus de développement durable
√ soit fondé sur des données ou des preuves probantes en tant qu’expression de réalités
√ soit aligné sur les objectifs et les cibles en matière de réduction d’émissions de gaz à effet de serre
√ soit capable de conduire à de nouvelles voies pour l’économie créative
√ réfléchit sur le développement économique créatif
√ se connecte avec les différents secteurs de l’économie créative
√ ajoute de la valeur aux solutions basées sur la nature aux problèmes de conception
√ soit propice à de nouvelles opportunités de développement durable
√ soutient l’apprentissage et l’innovation pour la lutte contre la pauvreté et l’amélioration du développement durable
√ ouvre la possibilité d’un modèle de collaboration
√ touche aux questions liées au changement climatique (telles que la pollution plastique)
√ traite des questions de durabilité (comme la conservation de la nature)
√ développe une culture de lutte contre la pauvreté et de développement durable.
Bien que ces critères semblent être assez nombreux, il suffirait d’en répondre au plus grand nombre possible dans la conception de votre carte papier ou électronique pour arriver au but.
Pour créer et envoyer votre carte ou soutenir le Mois du développement économique créatif du CENFACS, veuillez communiquer avec le CENFACS.
Main Development
• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus from Wednesday 08/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Deal with Rising Energy Prices
To explain Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Deal with Rising Energy Prices, we have composed notes which are regrouped under the following headings:
What is the energy price cap?
How rising energy prices affect CENFACS Community members
Post-pandemic creations and innovations to counter rising energy prices
How CENFACS can create and innovate with the community to deal with rising energy prices
Let us look at one by one these items.
• • What is the energy price cap?
To define energy price cap, we are referring to its definition found on the website ‘simplyswitch,com’ (2), which states that
“The energy price cap [which was instituted by an act of the UK Parliament – the Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Act -] is a legally enforced upper ceiling on the amount energy suppliers can charge customers on standard variable and default energy tariffs”.
The price cap is updated twice a year.
From its publication dated 03 February 2022, Ofgem (3) stated the following:
“The energy price cap will increase from 1 April for approximately 22 million customers. Those on default tariffs paying by direct debit will see an increase of £693 from £1,277 to £1,971 per year (difference due to rounding). Prepayment customers will see an increase of £708 from £1,309 to £2,017”.
Jonathan Brearley (4), the chief of UK energy regulator Ofgem, said the price could rise from £1,971 to £2,800 in the autumn.
Understanding the energy price cap helps to have an idea about rising energy prices and how these rising prices could affect energy customers, including our community members.
• • How rising energy prices affect CENFACS Community members
Rising energy prices and higher energy bills can contribute to rising living costs (such as housing, food, transport costs, etc.), like it is at the moment. This is because rising energy prices and bills could have domino effect which can lead to the cutting back on the use of fuel like gas and electricity, spending less on non-essential items, using savings (for those who have them) to meet rising living costs, spending more on utility bills, etc.
For those on the lowest income like many of CENFACS Community members, rising energy prices could disproportionally affect them. Because of these ripple effects, creations and innovations are needed to counter rising energy prices.
• • Post-pandemic creations and innovations to counter rising energy prices
Creations and innovations are possibly the best answer to rising energy prices. Let us basically define these post-pandemic creations and innovations as well as exemplify them.
a) Post-pandemic creations
Post-pandemic creations are the makings, inventions and productions following the period after the coronavirus period; creations that help to counter rising energy prices.
Examples of such creations abound and could include:
√ Setting up a new energy activity to support energy poor to invest in greener future,
√ Creatively helping our users to make energy transition
√ Supporting them to access energy-efficient household items
√ Working with them to integrate renewables into their household energy system
Etc.
b) Post-pandemic innovations
Post-pandemic innovations are the changes, alterations and reforms introduced after the coronavirus period of disaster; innovations that assist in countering rising energy prices.
Examples of these types of innovations are made up of the following:
√ Replacing fossil gas to renewable gas (i.e. biomethane e-fuels or renewable hydrogen)
√ Saving on gas and electricity
√ Leaning toward hydropower, solar and wind energies
Etc.
As we argued in the previous post, the creations and innovations in which we are interested in the context of CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month would be those that help our members to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.
• • How CENFACS can create and innovate together with the community to deal with rising energy prices
CENFACS does not provide lump-sum payments to deal with rising energy prices. CENFACS does not have the power to cut bills or to provide financial support towards energy bills. CENFACS can however create and innovate together with the community to deal with rising energy prices.
CENFACS can support the community on various creative and innovative grounds such as:
√ Support users to reclaim their energy consumer and protection rights
√ Help switch to energy-saving habits or measures at home
√ Explore ways of negotiating energy debt servicing to affordable plan
√ Provide one-to-one advice on energy relief needs and matters
√ Help understand what organisations are advising (e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau, Ombudsman services, Ofgem and others)
√ Find social safety nets for energy poor and most vulnerable
√ Help people understand energy literature (e.g. energy debt guide provided by Ofgem) and energy literacy statistics
√ Raise awareness of measures to lower energy use and carbon emissions at home
√ Help people and families in their alignment drive to green, clean and safe energy
√ Assist in reading energy comparison providers’ resources on energy prices, metrics and statistics
√ Provide information about energy support measures (e.g. energy grants, bills support, home insulation or retrofit, etc.)
√ Find nature-based solutions to energy poverty and problems
√ Signpost users to energy community services and hubs
√ Help people and families address energy poverty and precariousness
Etc.
From the above mentioned energy support services, we can help create and innovate as well as reduce pressure on energy budgets, in particular by advising how to reduce energy expenses while increasing incomes for energy and other household needs.
All these ways of working with the community will help to create and innovate to counter soaring prices of energy. The more informed they are, the more likely they will find and practise the tools, tips and hints they need in order to overcome energy poverty and hardships.
It is all about working with them to improve the way in which they manage their income and life spent on energy in order to overcome future upheavals of the energy markets, which have recently been impregnated with stories of rising prices, costs and bills.
The above notes deal with Rising Energy Prices. For any further details about Creative Economic Development Month and Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Deal with Rising Energy Prices, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
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• References
(1) https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/dematerialisation-degrowth-and-climate-change-agenda (accessed in June 2022)
(2) www.simplyswitch,com/energy/guides/energy-price-cap (Accessed in June 2022)
(3) https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/price-cap-increase-ps693-april (Accessed in June 2022)
(4) Brearly, J., “The price cap is expected to rise from £1,971 to £2,800 in the autumn”, Select Committees, 24 May 2022, UK Parliament, London
_________
• 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.
