The
International Network
for Sustainable Energy
Updated:
December 2008
An EU initiative started in 2002 on energy for development, mainly
targeting Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific. Its main achievement
is the ACP-EU Energy Facility to
co-finance projects that deliver energy services to the poor. The
first round of projects with EU support totaling 198 mill. Euro are
being implemented. See www.euei.org
| Index of this Page: |
| • Background and History. Read |
| • How the Initiative is Organised. Read |
• Activities of the Initiative. Read |
Background and History
In
order to respond to unmet needs for energy services, the European Union
developed the Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable
Development, was launched at the WSSD in 2002. It demonstrates the
commitment of the EU Member States and European Commission (EC) to support
improved
access to sustainable energy services in developing countries.
The EU Energy Initiative focuses on achieving poverty eradication and
sustainable development by improving access to adequate sustainable energy
services in rural, peri-urban and urban areas. It will work with a menu
of technical and institutional options, including:
-Rural electrification
-Enhanced
energy efficiency (including cleaner, more efficient fossil fuel technologies
and more efficient use of traditional biomass)
-Decentralised energy systems
-Increased use of renewable energy (such as hydropower, biomass, solar
energy, wind power, tidal, wave, or geothermal energy)
-Institutional capacity building and restructuring policy, planning
and transfer of knowledge and skills.
How
the Initiative is Organised
It
works through a demand-led approach that involves both government-to-government
liaison and local participation.
The government-to-government liaison is based around dialogue, formalization
of responsibilities and action from national governments.
Local participation will be encouraged from end-users, communities,
businesses and other stakeholders in both the planning and implementation
stages.
The EU is taking the Initiative forward through open dialogue with
partner governments at country level.
This will set the framework for EU development assistance for the coming years. How energy will be integrated into these revisions is crucial. Will energy be given higher priority? Even more important: will the energy priorities be effective in helping to reduce poverty? National discussions will be crucial for these decisions, and NGO inputs can make the difference.
Activities of the Initiative
The biggest achievement of the initiative has been the
launch of the ACP Energy Facility (read
INFORSE-Europe article about ACP-EU Energy
Inititiative)
The initiative is working with developing countries to highlight the role of energy within their development strategies, such as National Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, and other development strategy documents.
The initiative has organised a series of conferences in African capitals on energy and sustainable development.
The initiative has organised an EUEI Partnership and Dialogue Facility, funded by a special part of the ACP Energy Facility, see here
EC and EU Member State co-operation agencies contribute financing, following the procedures and priorities established with respect to development strategies. In addition, the Initiative strives to attract a major contribution from private sources.
Read also the EUEI website: www.euei.org