10:30
A zero sum game
The first topic being covered today concerns universal access to energy, and how to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions (the term “net zero” means that, whilst greenhouse gas emissions are not eliminated, they are offset by the amount of emissions that are removed from the atmosphere
In its latest update on progress towards SDG7, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), an independent, UN-backed body which is the lead organizer of the event, notes that gains in energy access throughout Africa are being reversed, and predicted that, at the current rate, some 660 million people will still be without electricity by 2030.
A UN report on this subject, produced for this event, makes several recommendations on how to reach these goals, including new financing for clean cooking tools, and policies to bring about sustainable energy for all, centred around the real needs of people.
Energy patriots
The Indonesian government is putting some of these ideas into practice, and has begun bringing clean electricity to rural communities, thanks to a project backed by the UN. The programme involves the installation of off-grid solar- power plants, which will provide electricity for around 20,000 people in remote villages.
It’s being overseen by a group of Indonesians dubbed “energy patriots”, who have been tasked with boosting the use of clean energy resources, with the goal of improving access to healthcare, education, and economic development in rural villages.
Although the project is only meeting a fraction of Indonesia’s total unmet needs, with millions still to be reached, the programme serves as a blueprint for rural development that goes beyond basic socio-economic support. Find out more here.
