Establish and grow an innovative community of the humanitarian energy landscape
At this event, our audience was given a divers programme with a panel discussion and thematic roundtable sessions focused on the exchange of knowledge and experiences regarding the global humanitarian energy challenges.
Opening keynote
Mr. Brian Motherway of the International Energy Agency gave an outstanding introduction in which he explained the current and future landscape of the sector. As Head of the Energy Efficiency Division and co-ordinator of the the Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions he comes across the different aspects of clean energy for all.
Accelerator Programme Findings
Without sight on any additional funding or investors 14 humanitarian organisations started an accelerator journey last year. Powered by open innovation principles and methods they focused on their challenges and local options to empower the humanitarian energy transition.
After the launch in September 2020, DCHI have set-up a platform for exchange of expert information, best practices and challenges. The Access to Modern Energy Accelerator Programme (AME) participants, all humanitarian organisations, have explored models of partnerships based on innovation principles. RVO and DCHI helped them to focus on finding partners specialised in alternative resources, resource sharing and energy storage. This way the participants were able to define ways to increase energy efficiency and efficient allocation of resources.
Panel discussion
At the summit an expert panel debated their dreams and barriers in tackling these challenges.
“It’s about the movement – the recoginition of the necessity to address the energy topic in all humanitarian aid and development projects and programmes.”
“We should make access to clean energy a mandatory part of any project to consider the impact and stimulate to look for cleaner solutions. We need to make it a common practice just as costs of a project would be.”
Rewatch the paneldiscussion here
- Suying Lai, Manager SAFE Goal Unit, Oxfam Novib
- Reintje van Haeringen, Director, CARE Nederland
- Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, Senior Adviser Private Sector Partnerships, UNHCR
- Carmen Hagenaars, Deputy Director Inclusive Green Growth, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Marcel Raats, Teammanager for global Public Goods: Energy and Climate Change, RVO
- Thomas Fohgrub, Team Leader for Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings, Global Plan of Action
Roundtable Sessions
The AME programme enables humanitarian organisations to be the catalysts that tackle energy challenges, whilst opening themselves up to receiving the knowledge and business insights from energy experts and private-sector partnerships. Ultimately, the projects will provide tested and proven insight for humanitarian partnerships to enable cost efficiency and improve the quality of humanitarian work. To discuss their next steps in the humanitarian energy transition the Access to Modern Energy Accelerator Programme participants hosted a round table session in two rounds.
Humanitarian Accelerator Results and Next Steps
The Energy and Innovation Summit was hosted by RVO (The Netherlands Enterprise Agency) and DCHI (Dutch Coalition for Humanitarian Innovation).
About the Access To Modern Energy Accelerator Programme
Access to Modern Energy is increasingly recognized as an area of humanitarian concern. If communities affected by crises go without proper access to energy, it becomes impossible for them to meet the basic needs of life. The programme enables humanitarian organisations to be the catalysts for tackling specific energy challenges, whilst opening themselves up to receiving the knowledge and business insights from energy experts and private-sector partnerships. Ultimately, the projects will provide local insights for humanitarian partnerships to enable cost efficiency and improve quality of humanitarian work.
