Sustainable Energy for All

Globally, there is a new effort to seriously address universal energy access, improve energy efficiency and increase the share of renewable energy. Many organisations and companies are participating. In Europe, the European Commission recently began a couple of important long-term projects in Africa under the SE4ALL banner. Krysta Villeda has written an excellent blog for … Continue reading Sustainable Energy for All →

We need to live within our biosphere’s thresholds

Andrew Simms of the New Economics Foundation wrote in the Observer about society’s need to live within our means in a material sense. As he argues, limits govern everything, even though the way we behave gives no indication we have learned that lesson. Simms argues that our economies – and this is a lesson that … Continue reading We need to live within our biosphere’s thresholds →

Views on sustainability

The environmentalist Tony Juniper writes an excellent article in the Guardian hoping sustainability will be firmly on the political agenda in 2014 but fearing the philosophy of growth at any cost will continue. The growth versus environment narrative needs to change in 2014 The last year was not a landmark one for progress on … Continue reading Views on sustainability →

Power of the people

Sarah Shemkus reviews an interesting three-day conference in the Guardian that was held in the US recently. The conference was on Crowds and Climate. Harnessing the crowd to promote sustainable innovation MIT's crowds and climate conference discussed the crowd's power to champion sustainability – but is the market ready? Hundreds of academics, activists, scientists, municipal … Continue reading Power of the people →

US changes stance on funding coal-fired power plants

The World Bank has often been criticised for funding large-scale energy projects – from large hydropower dams to coal-fired power plants – that can have serious environmental consequences and certainly not in the realm of sustainable energy. Michael Shear writes in the New York Times that its largest funder, the US, has now taken a … Continue reading US changes stance on funding coal-fired power plants →

UN Secretary-General launches SE4ALL energy efficiency hub

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) opened a new global centre for Energy Efficiency as part of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. The Energy Efficiency Hub (EE Hub), in Copenhagen, Denmark, will seek to help “drastically increase” energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment. … Continue reading UN Secretary-General launches SE4ALL energy efficiency hub →

New reports to watch out for

There is some valuable reading in store for you as you explore various aspects of sustainable energy. • Why energy efficiency needs to have priority as part of the Energiewende E3G, based in the UK, has come out with an important briefing paper on the energy transition (Energiewende) in Germany. E3G analysis shows that regardless … Continue reading New reports to watch out for →

New books you need to read

There are two excellent new books that have come across the EiD desk this week. These are authored or co-authored by friends of EiD and should definitely be of interest for those involved in various aspects of sustainable energy Energy Efficiency: The Definitive Guide to the Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Source of Energy by Steven Fawkes … Continue reading New books you need to read →

Business and sustainable development

With the next eceee industrial summer study less than a year away, analysing how business considers the various aspects of sustainability is very important. John Drummond, chairman of sustainable behaviour change at Corporate Culture, wrote recently in the Guardian about a new survey that shows that the majority of businesses are taking behaviour change seriously … Continue reading Business and sustainable development →

Bringing electricity to the developing world

Tina Rosenberg, former Pulitzer Prize winner, recently provided this opinion piece in the New York Times. As we are seeking solutions to increase access to modern energy services to meet the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Energy for All, Ms. Rosenberg’s article provides important evidence that many of our modern devices that … Continue reading Bringing electricity to the developing world →