Equity in Clean Energy

Welcome to the discussion room on the Clean Energy Equity Index (CEEI)!

As experts and practitioners in the field, your insights are invaluable in shaping the CEEI to better serve our shared objectives of sustainable energy and equitable development.

We invite you to share your perspectives, expertise, and practical recommendations on how the CEEI can be optimized to support your work and benefit communities worldwide. This discussion is important for fine-tuning the tool to effectively support energy transition efforts comprehensively. 

Your moderators for this week are Dajna Sorensen, Fungai Matura, and myself. We look forward to your contributions!

Thank you Maria for your introduction and a pleasure to meet my fellow moderators!

Colleagues, my name is Dajna Sorensen and I am one of the moderators for the ongoing discussion on leveraging the CEEI to achieve our sustainable energy goals. As we have now launched the consultation, it is time to get the conversation rolling.

A Quick Refresher on what we are tackling:

• How we are addressing equity within our energy transition efforts.
• Insights on using and adapting the CEEI in our diverse contexts.
• Ideas for customizing the CEEI tool to better support our work.

We would love to hear from you:

• Your Initial Thoughts: What are your first impressions of how the CEEI tool can support our goals?
• Challenges & Solutions: Have you faced challenges related to equity in energy transition? How do you think the CEEI could help address these?
• Customization Ideas: Any thoughts on tailoring the CEEI for different regional or local contexts?

Feel free to share your insights, questions, or any relevant experiences. This is a collaborative space to explore innovative solutions and learn from each other’s expertise.

Looking forward to a vibrant and insightful discussion.

Thanks Dajna Sorensen. Natasha and Snehal talked about equitable transition during their talk during the webinar. Would Vera Hakim and Manantsoa Andriatahina add more? 

الأولية : ما هي انطباعاتك الأولى عن كيفية دعم أداة CEEI لأهدافنا؟

التحديات والحلول : هل واجهت تحديات تتعلق بالمساواة في تحول الطاقة؟ كيف تعتقد أن CEEI يمكن أن يساعد في معالجة هذه المشكلات؟

أفكار التخصيص : هل هناك أي أفكار حول تصميم CEEI لسياقات إقليمية أو محلية مختلفة؟

لا تتردد في مشاركة أفكارك أو أسئلتك أو أي تجار

عرض المسودّات

انطباعاتي الأولى حول أداة CEEI

أعتقد أن أداة CEEI لديها القدرة على دعم أهدافنا بشكل كبير.

مميزات الأداة:

شاملة: توفر معلومات واسعة النطاق حول تحول الطاقة، بما في ذلك البيانات والتحليلات وأدوات النمذجة.

قابلة للتخصيص: يمكن تكييفها لتناسب احتياجات السياقات الإقليمية والمحلية المختلفة.

سهلة الاستخدام: واجهة سهلة الاستخدام تجعلها في متناول جميع مستويات المستخدمين.

كيف يمكن أن تدعم أداة CEEI أهدافنا:

تحديد الفرص: تساعدنا على تحديد فرص تحول الطاقة في منطقتنا.

تقييم الخيارات: تقييم جدوى خيارات تحول الطاقة المختلفة.

تصميم برامج فعالة: تصميم برامج تحول الطاقة الفعالة وتنفيذها.

مراقبة التقدم: مراقبة تقدم تحول الطاقة وتحليل البيانات.

التحديات والحلول المتعلقة بالمساواة في تحول الطاقة

التحديات:

عدم المساواة في الوصول: لا يحصل جميع الناس على نفس الفرص للمشاركة في تحول الطاقة.

عدم المساواة في المنافع: لا يستفيد جميع الناس من فوائد تحول الطاقة بشكل متساوٍ.

عدم المساواة في التأثيرات: يمكن أن يكون لتحول الطاقة تأثيرات سلبية غير متناسبة على بعض المجتمعات.

كيف يمكن أن تساعد CEEI في معالجة هذه المشكلات:

تحديد المجتمعات الأكثر ضعفاً: تحديد المجتمعات الأكثر ضعفاً التي من المرجح أن تتأثر سلباً بتحول الطاقة.

تصميم برامج مستهدفة: تصميم برامج تحول الطاقة المستهدفة لمعالجة احتياجات المجتمعات المختلفة.

مراقبة التأثيرات الاجتماعية: مراقبة التأثيرات الاجتماعية لتحول الطاقة وضمان الإنصاف.

أفكار التخصيص

اللغة: ترجمة الأداة إلى لغات مختلفة لجعلها في متناول جمهور أوسع.

المحتوى: إضافة محتوى محدد لسياقات إقليمية أو محلية مختلفة.

الأدوات: تطوير أدوات جديدة تلبي احتياجات محددة.

أفكار وملاحظات إضافية

المشاركة: من المهم إشراك جميع أصحاب المصلحة في عملية تصميم وتنفيذ CEEI.

البيانات: يجب أن تعتمد CEEI على بيانات دقيقة ومحدثة.

التدريب: يجب توفير التدريب للمستخدمين على كيفية استخدام CEEI بشكل فعال.

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to our discussion on the Clean Energy Equity Index (CEEI) tool. Together, we'll explore its significance in advancing equitable energy transitions. Throughout this week, let's reflect on how we're addressing inequities within our energy transition goals and the data sources we rely on for equitable integration.

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be moderating this discussion week alongside  Stefano Pistolese  (Sustainable Energy Hub) and Victor Apollo (Kenya Country Office). Your insights on effectively utilizing the CEEI tool and tailoring it to our unique contexts are invaluable. Let's collaborate on enhancing its support for our collective objectives.

Looking forward to engaging conversations and fruitful exchanges.

Best regards,

Maria

Hello Dear colleagues, I am Serges-Roberteau TCHOFFO, the Head of Experimentation at the UNDP Cameroon Accelerator Lab (the R&D unit of the Country Office). 

I think, the concept of the Clean Energy Equity Index (CEEI) is interesting and can help to accelerate the achievement of SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.  In my opinion, it could provide countries with indicators that will allow them to measure their progress and identify potential gaps that need to be filled in this sector.    

As for my contribution to the discussion, I'm going to focus on question 4 on "What recommendations do you have for tailoring the CEEI tool to better suit the energy transition goals in your portfolio/ country context? " I would say that it would be interesting to expand the range of renewable energy sources, taking into account by the index by considering solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, biomass energy, tidal energy, etc., These parameters mentioned above can also be spatialized. In this way, I think that the index will consider the different multidimensional aspects of equity in the context of energy transition, to be more robust and reliable for countries. 

لكي تصبح تكنولوجيا الطاقة المتجددة منفعة عامة عالمية - أي متاحة للجميع، وليس للأثرياء فقط - سيكون من الضروري إزالة العقبات التي تحول دون تقاسم المعارف ونقل التكنولوجيا، بما في ذلك قيود الملكية الفكرية.

Hi All. My name is Stephen Gitonga, Regional Energy Specialist at the RBAS Regional Hub, in Amman Jordan. It's nice to see the discussions and great ideas and comments from colleagues about the concept of the Clean Energy Equity Index (CEEI) and how it can help to accelerate the achievement of SDG 7. One way obviously is to use it for making effective decisions. For that to happen especially on the sides of the policy makers, capacities are needed, both at infrastructure (including software's) structure level and human resource level. This could be bundled with the use of digital technologies, including AI for effective management and forecasting. It will be interesting to here colleageus expereinces in this regards.

Hi colleagues, Greetings from Madagascar. I'm Evrard Karol Ekouedjen , Renewable energy specialist with UNDP Madagascar. Geospatial innovation & data can be used for Madagascar Energy Access Mapping.  Map areas/regions lacking access to reliable and sustainable energy sources. This helps to prioritize severe energy poor regions for UNDP Madagascar sustainable energy projects development and implementation. This tool enable to identify suitable energy divide bridging strategies : geospatial data are used to identify suitable type of infrastructure, locations for energy infrastructure like power plants, transmission lines, and distribution networks. It makes it possible to map Renewable Energy Resources in Regions such as solar, wind, and hydro potential. This data helps in identifying areas with high renewable energy potential, facilitating the development of sustainable energy projects. Then, risk assessment : Geospatial analysis can assess Madagascar regions vulnerability to natural disasters (cyclones, drought, floods) and climate change impacts, helping in designing resilient energy systems. All these enable efficient, sustainable and resilient energy access planning as well as community tailored approache. However data availability and accuracy as well as qualified human resources are important to have an excellent decision making and SDG 7 planning tool.  

Thank you evrard.karol.ekouedj. great points. How will you describe current renewable energy access in Madagascar? especially in terms of equity in access. Is renewable energy use predominantly urban or how is it currently distributed? Madagascar, while the access to electricity is low relative to the rest of Africa, has a very high Renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption) compared to other countries in Africa. Additional insights in some of this will be great.

Greetings colleagues from Malawi, my name is Mathangeni Ngwira working as an Energy Analyst with the Malawi CO.

So, for this discussion I will mainly tackle questions 1 & 2. When it comes to addressing inequity in the energy transition goals and ambitions, as a section in UNDP, the energy initiatives are ranging from enhancing energy policy regulatory framework to ensuring that to access to clean and renewable energy is readily available and affordable especially to communities that are far away from the main grid and not yet connected to the grid. Plans are to maintain collaborative/supportive efforts with various players in the energy sector (both public and private) whether through strengthening their respective institutional capacities or sharing lessons and experiences to build on and improve the existing and ongoing energy interventions and initiatives. As a portfolio, we aim to continue supporting the development of renewable energy mini grids in rural areas through viable business models so that we’re able to provide electrical power to those in need but also ensuring that it is making business sense for the operators.

On question number 2,  currently we are working with two active projects, Access to Clean and Renewable Energy (ACRE) and Africa Mini grids Program (AMP), these are the two main interventions that are being used to incorporate equity in energy transition goals in our work as UNDP. As a nation we use the National Energy Policy (NEP) which stipulates the nation’s energy ambitions goals, and it is through the mentioned projects that UNDP Malawi tries to contribute to the goals of the NEP by aligning projects’ objectives to those of the policy.

Thanks Mpumi Ngwenya  for your insights on the FEA tool. I believe that the CEEI discussion would also benefit from your take especially with your reference of the socioeconomic indicators. 

Dear colleagues,

Together with Bernardin Uzayisaba and  Zachary Lerman  we will be moderating this week’s discussion on leveraging the CEEI to achieve our sustainable energy goals. This discussion is important for fine-tuning the tool to effectively support energy transition efforts comprehensively. 

Personally I’m particularly keen to hear how you are addressing inequity in the energy transition (question 1) –is this by identifying how best to reach different social groups, such as women or youth? Or are you looking into inequity more in terms of socioeconomic groups or geographical distribution?

So please, share with us how the CEEI tool can be used to address the inequities you’re addressing in your day-to-day work. And to use the questions below for sharing your thoughts during this weeks conversation.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

1. How are you thinking of and addressing inequity in the energy transition goals and ambitions in your portfolio/country setting? 
2. Which information/ data are you currently using to incorporate equity in energy transition goals and ambitions in your portfolio/ country setting? 
3. How can the CEEI tool be effectively utilized to support the energy transition goals and ambitions in your portfolio/ country setting? 
4. What recommendations do you have for tailoring the CEEI tool to better suit the energy transition goals in your portfolio/ country context? 
5. How can the CEEI tool be enhanced to provide improved support for your work? 

Thank you very much Ana and colleagues. It is a great pleasure to exchange knowledge on the Clean Energy Equity Index. Everyone's experience will help us to achieve the UNDP moonshot " provide 500 million households with access to clean and affordable energy sources. 

How does the current framework of the CEEI tool incorporate accessibility features to ensure that persons with disabilities can equally benefit from energy transition initiatives?
What additional features could be implemented to enhance accessibility?

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to our discussion on the Clean Energy Equity Index (CEEI) tool. Together with Rob D'Arienzo and Jordan Parker, we are happy to moderate this week’s discussion.

This week is the last week we will discuss how we can address inequities in energy transition, what information or data should be considered, and how the CEEI tool can be effectively utilized to promote energy transition. 

To point our discussion in the right direction, I'd like to repeat our colleague Dajna's posting above. 

A Quick Refresher on what we are tackling:

• How we are addressing equity within our energy transition efforts.
• Insights on using and adapting the CEEI in our diverse contexts.
• Ideas for customizing the CEEI tool to better support our work.

We would love to hear from you:

• Your Initial Thoughts: What are your first impressions of how the CEEI tool can support our goals?
• Challenges & Solutions: Have you faced challenges related to equity in energy transition? How do you think the CEEI tool could help address these?
• Customization Ideas: Any thoughts on tailoring the CEEI tool for different regional or local contexts?

Looking forward to engaging and insightful conversations.

Thank you, Sung-Gheel (Gil) Jang, for your prompt and thoughtful response to my question.
Your clarification on the current indicators is greatly appreciated.

Hello Hudoykul Hafizov thank you for your contribution! Your point regarding people with disabilities is very important. As Sung-Gheel (Gil) Jang mentioned, we currently do not have any indicators related to that. However, if data exist for a particular area/country, users will be able to incorporate them and recalculate the CEEI accordingly. The drawback is that the new index will no longer be directly comparable to the original one. Nonetheless, users will be able to derive new insights based on the incorporated data.

Thank you, Maria, for recognizing the importance of accessibility in the CEEI tool. It's encouraging to know there's potential to integrate specific accessibility data, even if it affects comparability.
I look forward to exploring ways to standardize these variables to enhance inclusivity in our initiatives.

Hello dear Maria and thank you for coming up with such an important topic which is more than ever relevant to our context as we are crossing a very particular period of our history as a nation. I mean the current political crisis in Haiti complicates furthermore the already difficult access to energy as a whole. With this in mind, I can say that on average, 80 percent of electricity is produced from imported fossil fuels. The underutilized opportunities for small hydropower, smart grid, and biomass systems make Haiti an interesting renewable energy prospect. Much of the population relies on biomass such as charcoal and wood fuel as their main source of energy.

However, access to clean energy in Haiti is a crucial issue with significant implications for the country's development and environmental sustainability. Haiti faces numerous challenges in this regard, including limited infrastructure, financial constraints...

Improving clean energy access in Haiti would not only mitigate the environmental impact of traditional energy sources but also enhance energy security, promote economic growth, and improve public health. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power hold great potential for providing sustainable and reliable energy solutions in Haiti. But the cost of such energy is high, and therefore, may not be affordable to many Haitians.

However, addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach that involves investment in renewable energy infrastructure, policy reforms to support clean energy development, capacity building, and public awareness campaigns. International cooperation and assistance can also play a vital role in supporting Haiti's transition to clean energy.

Overall, prioritizing clean energy access in Haiti is essential for achieving long-term sustainable development, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and building resilience against climate change impacts.

thank you, dear Antoine Pierre, for your valuable contribution. You've mentioned several challenges regarding expanding access to electricity in Haiti, including affordability, limited infrastructure, and public investments in renewable energy sources, as well as the need for a proper regulatory environment to boost them. We've incorporated several of these aspects into the CEEI tool. I'd be keen to listen to you and your colleagues at the CO on how the CEEI could be utilized to support Haiti's energy access and transition goals.

Dear colleagues Seif Emad Serges-Roberteau TCHOFFO Stephen Gitonga evrard.karol.ekouedj Mathangeni Ngwira Hudoykul Hafizov Antoine Pierre: thank you for your invaluable contributions during our consultation. Your dedication and expertise were instrumental. I look forward to our continued collaboration as we conclude this phase.

I'd also like to express my gratitude to our moderators who have provided incredible support to this consultation.