Discussion Room 3: Enabling SDGs through inclusive, just energy transitions!

Thanks, Claude for your comment. I am particularly interested to hear more about the Rwandan government shift from charcoal to renewable energy, how did it manage to do that? Was there a change in policies i.e ban on charcoal use within the city or an incentive to encourage the adoption of renewable energy?

Also, concerning question 4, the challenges are indeed similar. Would you like to share what challenges Rwanda regarding SDG7?

Thank you, Pratham for those remarks. I believe this is in response to question 3 but it also touches on question 1 (Please do correct me if I am wrong)

Your comment has given suggestions for how SDG7 can be achieved more effectively, I am keen to probe further and hear your thoughts on how this achievement of Energy can be just and inclusive

Thank you so much. I believe for inclusivity, our main aim should be with partnering as many international Youth organisations which are working with grassroot level organisations. Hence, we shall have an equitable and larger outreach with the help of grassroot level organisations and required resources from various International organisations.

Great views Pratham! You do bring an important angle of the bottom-up approach to the conversation with sort of the web of the grassroots organisations especially those that are youth-led.

And finally, I cannot leave this chat today without asking: What are some of the SDGs that you feel should be are directly linking to the acceleration of the just and inclusive transition?

To be honest, I feel that the SDGs are asserted in such a manner that whenever the question of acceleration or implementation arises, scope always lies in the nature of implementation techniques. SDGs always carry the potential of being inclusive to everyone. It is just that the ones who are concerned and working towards achieving these goals currently, need to increase their outreach at individual level. The more we would be able to include people at individual levels, the more people could be included which applies to any SDG. That is perhaps the mightiest advantage of SDGs that each adn everyone has something to contribute in the journey of achieving SDGs

Hi Muhammad, nice to connect with you. I'm Tove from Sweden, currently working for UNDP in South Africa. I really agree with you in that all SDGs are connected and that we need to look at them holistically. I also really like the connection you make between SDG 7 and 11, and the importance of addressing the huge energy usage and resources consumption that is related to the built environment. What do you think is required from a policy point of view to incentivise more energy-efficient and green buildings? For example in your country, Pakistan but also at the global level? Also, how can governments encourage and empower individuals, families and communities to behave in a more energy and resource-efficient manner - connecting to SDG 12? And what role could young people have in this?

Tove Nordberg from african proverb some one shared in our conversation below if we want to go far we will go together. Change in individual sector will bring change but it will be less as compared to when we work collectively. Government should now implement green buildings code to every building type. In our area we told already to peshawar development authority to include green building bylaws as well in construction bylaws. That codes will be followed by every commercial and residential building in peshawar. The policy that was implemented in French parliament that to utilize rooftops for solar panles or rooftop gardens in 2025 is lovely policy. When everyone implement it every building will produce energy for themselves. So on police perspective it is more important to implement green building code and energy conservation strategies in both commercial and residential building. In peshawar i am happy that majority now installing solar panles on roof top but still many miss.

Thank you Tariq for bring this point, how do you think sustainable energy is able to help us in achieving sustainability for cities and communities? 

Thank you Tariq, your contribution is extremely useful for the discussion as you brought in the new perspective as an expert in architecture. As I assumed, you have touched the question 1 and 3 by pointing out the linkage between energy consumption and the urban/community planning process. 

It would be great if you could share with us more on the following points:

• How can city/community design can support achieving SDG 7 by ensuring clean and affordable energy access to everyone?
• From your expertise, is there any framework/indicator to measure/track the linkage between SDG7 and SDG11?
• Have you experienced any challenges integrating/implementing SDG7 related objectives into your work with SDG11?

Again, thank you very much, and look forward to listening for more of your fruitful inputs!

Anh Tuan city & community design with people & energy in mind will play a key role in achieving sdg7. A group of houses which are completely on neat and clean energy will have a major impact. 

Net metering is a tool which we can measure how much energy a community is producing. This is a kind of motivation as well. More the implementation of energy conservation building energy codes will make us able to monitor and measure the change.

We are facing a lot problems when ever we design a building in our community people are reluctant in using thermal mass materials or cavity walls or roof insulation because it is costly at first , people cannot imagine the benifit they give to a customer. Government if make model houses or even community spaces like mosque, public spaces are made a model then people will realize.

Welcome Basit Uzair!

It is great to have your inputs on question 4. 

Your thoughts also make me reflect on the context of Vietnam as we are battling between lifting the livelihood of people and develop sustainably. For the past decades, we have been relying on fossil fuel and hydropower to provide energy for different aspects of a nation. However, the government has started the plan for renewable energy shift, but it takes time, technology-heavy, and very costly.

From your comment, I can see the linkages between SDG7 and SDG9 (Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG16 (Peace and Justice), they depend on each other. (Question 1)

How about questions 2, how can we measure the linkages between those SDGs, how can we see the impacts of achieving one to another?

Anh Tuan 

Thank you for your comment!

I would say, we live in the Organic World, where each and everything depends on each others, so Energy can play a pivotal role in poverty reduction, increasing life expectancy through better hospitalization, and good health. Can boost Education facilities etc etc. But it all depends on proper utilization of the resources.

Let me share with you an example from my Area, I live in a highly backward area within Pakistan. Which is  a rich area by Fossil fuels and occupied by Oil and Gas Companies, but still you will not find any hospital, education center, or any other basic facilities including drinking water.

And on other side, we have a neighbor district which is Also rich in Oil and Gas. But the situation is different there for locals as they have been provided all kinds of facilities including University, hospital etc,.

Like us, they have also no other way  for living except doing a Job.

But through provision of developmental projects, they have become highly qualified in Education, with Good Health, as they are also provided clean water, better transport system etc etc. Which results in better standard of life for them.

Energy through Oil and Gas Companies, have developed that area in all aspects of life including Heath, Education, Poverty reduced by providing jobs opportunities, now parents can send their children to other cities for higher education as they can afford their expenses now.

Infact, Oil and Gas (proper utilization on Energy) has been a game changer for that Area.

So, what I am trying to say is,  if Oil and Gas in terms of Energy is utilized in a better way, it could be a game changer for any area and for the rest of the world.

If the same developmental projects were brought into my area, I believe I would not be in another city right now and would be getting my education from my home Area.

Thank you!.

Basit Uzair  , this is indeed a very valid point, my friend!

It is obvious that energy usage brings opportunities and helps people to have a better quality of life (infrastructure, jobs, incomes...) and we can use them as measurement.

Also, I understand that you are taking oil and gas as an example for energy, but we all know that energy in general and fossil energy in particular always comes with a cost (environment, health, and social disparity...and many more). Could you help to elaborate more on the downside them:

- How can we measure both the positive and negative impact of energy on other aspects of development (frameworks, indicators)?

- When we have to make the decision to invest in a kind of "energy", what sorts of information that we need to take into consideration?

Cheers!

Basit Uzair 

In addition, as we're talking about SDG7 - Affordable and Clean Energy. I am curious to know more of your insight on measuring the impacts of the SDG7 progress to other SDGs? (supposedly by transitioning to more sustainable types/methods of using energy)

Hi Pratham,

I totally agree with you on this, there is no single solution for this complex issue. We need both bottom-up and top-down approaches to tackle the problem comprehensively. At the same time, I believe that we also need to understand the barriers that are setting us back from this universal goal. It would be great if you could share more from your experience/context about some challenges that you face in achieving SDG7 (question 4).

Thank you very much and look forward to your contribution.

As far as I observed, in India, we are in a transitioning phase of equipping clean energy from non-renewable source of energy. In this phase, the barriers that I have observed are lack fo awareness, especially in rural areas which causes reluctance in changing the source. Costs could also play a vital role in determining the transitioning. Then perhaps capitalist approach of profit making also hinders the transitioning phase. I believe largely, people have fixated upon the usage of Non-renewable source of energy simply because for of its usage for long years. Mental barriers are something to work upon which is present in authorities as well. Government is taking some vital steps in achieving renewable source of energy goals which is laudable. However, as you mentioned, this complex problem requires a participation from each and everyone.

Pratham Maheshwari, Xin cảm ơn - many thanks in my mother tongue for your active participation. 

You have shown us a very clear example of the challenges of both bottom-up (individual level) and top-down (policymaking and implementation) approaches. Please feel free to drop any further comment on the challenges in achieving SDG7.

My advance apology for further taking advantage of you ?, but I really hope you can give us some ideas on question 2:  

• What could be the potential indicators that we should look for when measuring the linkage between SDG7 and other goals?

Ex: As I imagine we could take an example of SDG7 and SGD8 like this:

• Average hourly earnings for employees in the renewable energy industry.
• Frequency rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries created by energy-related activities.  

❤️ ? ?

Anh Tuan No issues and thank you. Not delving into specific indicators as such, but I believe that we could certainly identify a positive relationship in the process of achievement of SDG 7 and other SDGs. If there is a progress in achievement of SDG 7 then there would be a progress in the achievement of other SDGs as well. Perhaps, this could be the most apparant significant indicator. Direct or indirect relations could be interpreted. For instance:- 

SDG 1- (direct) poverty will be reduced as clean energy would be available at affordable prices and hence less economic burden
SDG 2- (indirect) if poverty is reduced, then hunger crisis can also be addressed efficiently
SDG 3- (direct) clean energy would result in better health being as pollution of air would reduce
SDG 4- (indirect) if poverty would be reduced, then quality education can be achieved
SDG 5- (direct) access to clean energy at affordability will open opportunities for usage for all the genders, leading to gender equality
SDG 6- (direct) clean energy could be used for purifying water and maintaining sanitation through technology
SDG 8- (direct) production of clean energy at affordable rates could provide employment opportunities and due to its affordability, industries could work more efficiently by diverting costs in their operations
SDG 9- (direct) in the pursuit of clean energy, innovation and novel infrastructure would be needed
SDG 10- (direct) affordability and accessibility would reduce energy inequalities
SDG 11- (direct) renewable sources of energy would lead to more overall sustainability as energy is needed, directly or indirectly, for any sustainability
SDG 12- (direct) since clean energy would be affordable and accessible, production and consumption would also be in its accordance
SDG 13- (direct) clean energy would unequivocally address the issue of climate change
SDG 14- (indirect) clean energy would result in less exploitation of seawater as adversities caused due to non-renewable sources of energy would decline
SDG 15- (indirect) clean energy would result in less exploitation of wildlife as adversities caused due to non-renewable sources of energy would decline
SDG 16- (direct) due to renewable, accessible and affordable nature of clean energy, less conflicts would arise leading to maintenance of peace
SDG 17- (direct) Achievement of SDG 7 or any SDG requires a resilient alliance at higher as well as grassroot level and thus promoting partnerships

Pratham Maheshwari  Excelente analisis,  los 17 SDGs tienen que estar interconectados, a corto plazo a mediano plazo y a largo plazo, ahi vamos a determinar logramos un 100% en un impacto positivo, a veces por inercia podemos tener un impacto negativo, y ahi la comunicacion , la creatividad la creatividad , empatia , liderazgo piensamiento critico, etc. ahi entra los dos pilares que es 4.7 y el 16.17 para tener una buena base, ante cualquier contigencia (COVID19) 

Alfonso Navarro Carvallo  thank you. The interconnected framework of all the SDGs should be resilient  enough to face any type of impediment without hampering the process of achieving SDGs.

Basit Uzair and Benjamin Basmaci 

I think your idea to connect directly online is brilliant. However, we also encourage discussion on SparkBlue at this moment as we all want to engage young people from different timezones, languages, and backgrounds. 

Let's spread the word to your friends and networks, and we can definitely gather more ideas and participation for an online video meeting (or any other kinds of real-time interaction) asap after this consultation

This also reminds me of an inspiring African proverb

Anh Tuan 

Ok That's nice. 

Actually I wanted to connect everyone for future conversation. Because After April, I am not sure that we will get in touch here. Thank you

Basit Uzair I believe that we will have future opportunities to engage. Maybe, we can start by brainstorming some potential topics in this TWG3 (and others) that we want to further explore/discuss. Any idea? 

Hello Musa, thank you so much for your input. As someone who is also interested in humanitarian energy, I believe the issues that you have raised regarding the cost needed for deployment and adaptation of renewable energy technologies are valid. In your comment, you have mentioned mainly wind and solar energy but I was wondering as the energy challenge in settlement areas heavily focuses on cooking, what about the utilization of bioenergy and biofuels? Ethanol has been an option in different refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. Or the use of biomass briquettes, which is something that is being done in different camps such as Dollo Ado by Women and Youth Pastoralist initiatives. So I was wondering what the experience is like in Nigeria in that aspect or if you do consider these solutions feasible?

Hello Judy and welcome to this consultation! :) Would you like to share why are you interested in this Discussion Room and maybe what are you initial thoughts on the consultation questions?

Hello IYUMAME ALVAN NWUCHE.

Thank you for your participation in the discussion. 
 

You have mentioned the linkages between SDG7 and SDG8, with the absence of energy there will be no chance for development and growth. Energy also plays a critical role in ensuring the achievement of SDG3, especially in the time of a global health crisis with the COVID-19, and it severely affecting those most disadvantaged groups.

I would like to ask you to further elaborate your points with the following questions:

1. Can you explain a little bit more on the connection between SDG7 and those SDGs (and others if any) in your context, it would be great if you can also provide some examples? 
 

2. If relevant, Could you explain a little bit further on how renewable energy transition can be Just & Inclusive in your community/country/region to ensure that people have access To the healthcare and other services that entitled to them by rights.

Thank you and look forward to hear from you