Global Energy Conversations with the Economist

December 21, 2011

The expansion of global markets over the past 200 years has brought enormous benefits to millions if not billions of consumers across the world, whilst unchecked business growth has contributed to new global challenges.  As a result going forward responsible market based solutions are the key to successful global development. Within this context inclusive business development should address how to bring the nearly one and half billion people in the world without access to energy further into global markets.

The Global Energy Conversation brought together experts from around the globe to explore some of these issues and how they map across the energy sector. I was delighted to be selected as one of the Economist’s 20 energy experts and glad to be able to bring a unique perspective to the discussion regarding access to energy for some of  the world’s poorest consumers.

Energy is critical for most basic activities of daily life as well as for income generation, the stimulation of trade and business and enterprise development.  Clean energy further enhances consumers’ lives by improving their health and promoting greater access to educational opportunities.

Renewable World is an international NGO supported by the global Renewable Energy industry which works to develop the provision of affordable clean energy services for extremely poor consumers in the developing world. We support local partners to establish renewable energy services in remote, off-grid settings with populations who presently cannot afford or are not serviced by private energy providers. The organization provides upfront capital investment, technical skills, business model analysis and institutional support to seek to kick start small- scale financially sustainable energy services and thus stimulate market activity in areas populated by poor consumers.

We partner with companies and leaders from across the Renewable Energy industry to bring further innovation in our work and help develop greater understanding of how the industry can continue to contribute to addressing the critical issue of increasing access to energy for the poorest of the poor.

As discussed during the Energy Conversation only this type of market based solutions, with appropriate support and incentives, will bring long term sustainable impact and solutions to the daily issues of the poorest consumers on the planet.

If you are interested in finding out how you can support Renewable World to make access to energy a reality for the world’s poorest people, then please contact me: 01273 234 801.