Energy, Equity and Development: overcoming challenges across the Commonwealth

Energy, Equity and Development: overcoming challenges across the Commonwealth

Government officials from African Commonwealth nations and Scotland, senior representatives of international energy companies active in sub-Saharan Africa, academic experts, and development partners will meet tomorrow in Glasgow to exchange ideas on achieving equal access to energy for all communities.

The conference on Tuesday July 22 at Barony Hall, Glasgow is being is being jointly organised by the University of Aberdeen Centre for Sustainable International Development and the African Forum Scotland, a Glasgow-based social enterprise which works to recognise excellence for Africans living and working in Scotland.

The event is timed to coincide with the Glasgow 14 Commonwealth Games, and the European launch of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative. The opening address will be given by Ms Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, and the key note address will be made by Dr Kandeh Yumkella, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Chief Executive for SE4All  who is travelling from Vienna to brief delegates prior to the formal European launch.

External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Scotland has a strong track record of supporting communities in Malawi to access sustainable energy and our efforts are making a real difference to people’s lives. We are committed to building on this work through our contribution to the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative, for example by seconding an energy policy expert to the Government of Malawi from the end of this year.

“As the eyes of the world look to Scotland for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Energy Equity Conference will be a chance for us to demonstrate why Scotland is a world leader in renewable energy and climate change policy and a good global citizen, committed to playing our part to tackle poverty and inequality.”  

Dr Kandeh Yumkella said: "We have dedicated the first two years of the decade to highlight the importance of energy for women, children, health and economic empowerment. The world must come together to end energy poverty and prevent the dangerous effects of climate change.”

The University of Aberdeen’s involvement is led by its Centre for Sustainable International Development.  The Centre’s Director, Dr Hilary Homans, explains the purpose of the event: “This is a wonderful opportunity to share experiences from Commonwealth countries about access to energy, especially amongst rural populations, women and children and socially excluded groups.  We look forward to discussing energy equity, the successes achieved, any challenges faced, how best to overcome them and the role of universities.”

Seven African countries will be represented at Ministerial level, along with representatives from High Commissions and other senior level delegates. From the University sector, delegates will include representatives from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, Mount Kenya University, the University of Namibia and the University of the Free State in the Republic of South Africa.

Ian Williamson, Vice-President Contracts and Commercial, for the Aberdeen-based global energy firm Senergy Lloyds Register will speak about ethical energy and the contribution his company is making.

He said: “For success in achieving ethical energy we need government, academia and industry to work together. Industry brings to the table investment, knowledge and technology. The missing gap with industry is capacity building and knowledge exchange which academia can provide.”

Delegates will share and discuss lessons learned from case studies from the African countries participating, and also hear about Energy inequity in Scotland from David Sigsworth, Chair of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and from Rosemary Lindsay Deputy Director of the Scottish Govern International Development Team about the work that they are doing to increase energy access in Malawi.

Further information about SE4ALL can be obtained from www.se4all.org and there is a dedicated Twitter stream #EnergyEquityDevelopment2014

Search News

Browse by Month

2024

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2024
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2024
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2024
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2024
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2024
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2024
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2024
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2024

2023

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2023
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2023
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2023
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2023
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2023
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2023

2020

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2020
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2020
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2020
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2019

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2019
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2019
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2019
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2019
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2019
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2019
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2019
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2019
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2019

2018

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2018
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2018
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2018
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2017

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2017
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2017
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2017
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2017
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2017
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2017
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2017
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2017

2016

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2016
  10. Oct
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2016
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2016

2014

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2014
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2014
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2014
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

2013

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2013
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2013
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2013
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2013
  5. May
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2013
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2013
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2013
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2013
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2013
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2013
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2013

2012

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2012
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2012
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2012
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2012
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2012
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2012
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2012
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2012
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2012
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2012
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2012

2011

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2011
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2011
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2011
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2011
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2011
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2011
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2011