Deploying the synergies between energy access and sustainable development

This online seminar is co-organized by WISIONS and will be hosted by the Wuppertal Institute as part of the series The Forces of Transformation on October 6th, 10:00 – 11:30 am CET. It will focus on conceptual advances and evidence from empirical research about how energy access interventions can effectively spark sustainable development of the involved communities.

Securing universal access to clean and reliable energy is a critical milestone for both: realizing the just and green transformations of our energy systems and achieving the other sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted through the Agenda 2030.

By 2020 730 Million people still lived without access to electricity and almost a third of the world population relied on inefficient and unhealthy fuels and technologies for cooking their daily meals. Overcoming these energy inequalities and marginalization is one of the core tasks for the realization of just energy transitions. Moreover, energy marginalization not only implies living conditions out of the reach of energy infrastructures. Very often it is also linked to poor access to other basic services, such as health, education, water, sanitation, transport and communication networks. And energy is often key for securing the provision of such services. Indeed energy is inextricably linked to virtually all other sustainable development goals (SDGs).

In the last decade, important advances have been achieved in attending the energy needs of marginalized population. However, the current pace of change is insufficient for reaching universal access to electricity, clean fuels, and technologies for cooking by 2030, as set under the SDG7. Moreover, the dynamics in other SDGs is similarly worrying. Therefore, more than ever before it is important to understand and effectively deploy the synergies between energy access and other sustainable development dimensions. In principle, energy can (em)power practically any component of the livelihoods of people. However, achieving real and long-lasting impacts remains a crucial challenge.

Speakers:

Dr. Long Seng To, Joint Director of the Centre for Sustainable Transitions: Energy, Environment and Resilience (STEER) at Loughborough University

Dr. Julia C. Terrapon-Pfaff, Co-Head Research Unit International Energy Transitions at the Wuppertal Institut for climate, environment and energy; Deputy Project Coordinator WISIONS of sustainability

Dr. Willington Ortiz, Researcher Wuppertal Institute for Climate Environment and Energy; Project Coordinator WISIONS of Sustainability