October 14, 2021

Huawei’s Ryan Ding: Green 5G Networks for a Low-Carbon Future

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — At the 2021 Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF), Ryan Ding, Huawei’s Executive Director and President of the Carrier Business Group, gave a keynote speech entitled “Green 5G Networks for a Low-Carbon Future”. In his speech, Ding said that 5G has become a new engine for the growth of the mobile industry, and that to adapt to the rapid growth of data traffic, the whole industry will need to keep pursuing innovations in power supply, distribution, use, and management, and build greener 5G networks with higher performance and lower energy consumption.

According to Ding, in countries where 5G is developing faster, operators who have invested heavily in 5G have seen remarkable returns, but he stressed that operators will realize business value only when the 5G user penetration rate is high enough. When the 5G user penetration rate reaches a threshold of 20%, Ding said, rapid development of 5G will follow. In countries such as China, South Korea, and Kuwait, operators were quick to provide continuous nationwide coverage, giving users a consistent experience. They also offer flexible service packages, which delivers a win-win result for both users and themselves. In addition, these operators are providing a gigabit experience—a tangible improvement over 4G—to accelerate user migration and network evolution. In these countries, the 5G user penetration rate has exceeded the 20% threshold, triggering a positive cycle of user growth, business returns, and network construction.

High-quality 5G networks will drive the rapid growth of mobile data traffic. It is estimated that the average data traffic per user per month will reach 600 GB by 2030. If the energy efficiency of existing networks remains unchanged, the energy consumption of wireless networks will increase by more than tenfold. Ding said that to cut the ICT industry’s greenhouse gas emissions by 45%, operators will need to pursue ongoing innovations in power supply, distribution, use, and management to build greener 5G networks with higher performance and lower energy consumption.

Huawei itself offers a comprehensive range of products and solutions that address power consumption issues of wireless networks. The company has developed the iSolar power supply solution that covers all scenarios, including poles, cabinets, sites, and equipment rooms. This solution can reduce the use of electricity from grids and fossil fuels by diesel generators and improve the energy mix that powers base stations. On the power distribution front, Huawei provides an industry-leading high-density power solution. For each site, just one cabinet—or even just one blade—is needed, which supports the long-term evolution of mobile networks. To use power more efficiently, Huawei has redesigned site form factors and now offers highly integrated simplified site solutions for use in all scenarios. These solutions maximize the share of energy used by communications equipment and ensure electricity is fully used. Wireless networks need to work in synergy with power supply, distribution, and use. This means operators need to use information flows to manage energy flows, in order to maximize energy use and save energy at the network level.

Toward the end of his speech, Ding said Huawei has already deployed low-carbon site solutions in more than 100 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Greece, Pakistan, and Switzerland, helping operators reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 million tons. As a player in the communications industry, Huawei will continue to put green development at the center of everything it does and develop innovative solutions to build greener 5G networks with operators worldwide.

The Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2021 is hosted by Huawei, together with its industry partners GSMA and the SAMENA Telecommunications Council. The forum gathers mobile network operators, vertical industry leaders, and ecosystem partners from around the world to discuss how to maximize the potential of 5G and push the mobile industry forward. For more information, please visit: https://www.huawei.com/en/events/mbbf2021

About Huawei

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 197,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they’re at home, in the office, or on the go. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei
http://www.twitter.com/Huawei
http://www.facebook.com/Huawei
http://www.youtube.com/Huawei

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1660336/Ryan_Ding_speaks_2021_MBBF.jpg

October 14, 2021

Lack of investment in clean energy compromising fight against climate change and poverty

New research highlights a chronic lack of finance that will leave billions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia without electricity or clean cooking by 2030
Urgent action to accelerate investment in clean energy for developing countries is needed from global leaders assembling at COP26 to ensure a just energy transition

VIENNA, Austria, Oct. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — This year’s Energizing Finance research series – developed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) in partnership with Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and Dalberg Advisors – shows the world is falling perilously short of the investment required to achieve energy access for all by 2030 for the seventh consecutive year.

In fact, tracked finance for electricity in the 20 countries that make up 80 percent of the world’s population without electricity – the high-impact countries – declined by 27 percent in 2019, the year before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The economic strain caused by Covid-19 is expected to have caused even further reductions in energy access investment in 2020 and 2021.

Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2021, one of two reports released under the series, finds committed finance for residential electricity access fell to USD 12.9 billion in 2019 (from USD 16.1 billion in 2018) in the 20 countries. This is less than one-third of the USD 41 billion estimated annual investment needed globally to attain universal electricity access from 2019 to 2030.

Meanwhile, there is an abysmal amount of finance for clean cooking. Despite polluting cooking fuels causing millions of premature deaths each year and being the second largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, only USD 133.5 million in finance for clean cooking solutions was tracked in 2019. This is nowhere near the estimated USD 4.5 billion in annual investment required to achieve universal access to clean cooking (accounting only for clean cookstove costs).

These findings have been released just ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, where global leaders will focus on how to spark meaningful progress on fighting climate change. As part of this, they will need to consider how to reduce global emissions from the energy sector while also increasing energy access in developing countries to support their economic development.

“We are at a critical moment in the energy-climate conversation,” said Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. “What is clear is that the path to net zero can only happen with a just and equitable energy transition that provides access to clean and affordable energy to the 759 million people who have no electricity access and 2.6 billion people who lack access to clean cooking solutions. This requires resources to mitigate climate change and create new opportunities to drive economic development and enable people everywhere to thrive. Energizing Finance provides an evidence base of current energy finance commitments and the finance countries require to meet SDG7 energy targets.”

In 2018, 50 percent of total electricity finance flowed to grid-connected fossil fuels in the high-impact countries compared to 25 percent in 2019. While this is a positive trend for the climate, tracked investment in off-grid and mini-grid technology also declined and represented only 0.9 percent of finance tracked to electricity.

Dr. Barbara Buchner, Global Managing Director at CPI, who partnered with SEforALL on Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2021, said: “Achieving both the Paris Agreement and universal energy access requires far greater investment in grid-connected renewables and off-grid and mini-grid solutions than what has been tracked in Energizing Finance. These solutions are essential to helping high-impact countries develop their economies without a reliance on fossil fuels.”

To better illuminate the challenges high-impact countries face, the second publication in the series, Energizing Finance: Taking the Pulse 2021, offers a detailed look at the estimated volume and type of finance needed by enterprises and customers to achieve universal energy access for both electricity and clean cooking by 2030 in Mozambique, Ghana and Vietnam. Importantly, it illustrates the energy affordability challenges people face in these countries and the need for financial support for consumers, such as subsidies.

The report finds that providing access to clean fuels and technologies, i.e. modern energy cooking solutions, in Ghana, Mozambique and Vietnam will cost a total of USD 37-48 billion by 2030; 70 percent of which will be for fuels (e.g., LPG, ethanol and electricity). A more achievable scenario would be for all three countries to deliver universal access to improved cookstoves at a total cost of USD 1.05 billion by 2030.

“Ghana, Mozambique and Vietnam each have unique challenges to achieving universal access to electricity and clean cooking,” said Aly-Khan Jamal, Partner at Dalberg Advisors, who partnered with SEforALL on Energizing Finance: Taking the Pulse 2021. “This research digs deep into these national contexts to identify solutions that can make Sustainable Development Goal 7 a reality.”

Providing results-based financing for energy project developers and exploring policies that facilitate demand-side subsidy support and reduce taxes on solar home systems are among several policy recommendations presented for Ghana, Mozambique and Vietnam.

Energizing Finance also advocates for increased innovation in financial instruments to reach the scale of finance needed for universal clean cooking access; for integration of electricity access, cooking access and climate change strategies; and for national governments, bilateral donors, philanthropies, and DFIs to all increase their efforts to mobilize commercial capital to Sub-Saharan African countries.

More of the reports’ key findings and recommendations are available here.

Notes to editors

Contact
For further details on the reports or any interview requests, please contact: Sherry Kennedy, Sustainable Energy for All: Sherry.Kennedy@SEforALL.org / media@seforall.org or +43 676 846 727 237

About Sustainable Energy for All

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization that works in partnership with the United Nations and leaders in government, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and philanthropies to drive faster action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 – in line with the Paris Agreement on climate. SEforALL works to ensure a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind and brings new opportunities for everyone to fulfill their potential.

SEforALL is led by Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. Follow her on Twitter @DamilolaSDG7. For more information, follow @SEforALLorg.

October 14, 2021

Le manque d’investissements en faveur des énergies propres met à mal la lutte contre le changement climatique et la pauvreté

De nouvelles recherches montrent que d’ici à 2030, le manque chronique de financements dont pâtissent l’Afrique subsaharienne et l’Asie empêchera plusieurs milliards de personnes d’accéder à l’électricité et à des moyens de cuisson non polluants.
Les grands dirigeants mondiaux qui se réuniront dans le cadre de la COP26 pour assurer une transition énergétique juste doivent prendre des mesures immédiates pour accélérer les investissements en faveur des énergies propres dans les pays en développement.

VIENNE, Autriche, 14 oct. 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — La dernière série de rapports Energizing Finance – élaborée par Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) en partenariat avec la Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) et le cabinet Dalberg Advisors – révèle que pour la septième année consécutive, les investissements mondiaux sont sérieusement inférieurs aux niveaux requis pour garantir à tous l’accès à l’énergie d’ici à 2030.

Le suivi des financements alloués à l’électricité a même permis de montrer qu’en 2019, avant l’irruption de la pandémie de COVID-19, les 20 pays comptant 80 % de la population mondiale privée d’électricité – autrement dit, les pays à fort impact – avaient subi une baisse d’investissements de l’ordre de 27 %. On anticipe déjà une baisse supplémentaire des investissements en faveur de l’accès à l’énergie pour 2020 et 2021, en raison des difficultés économiques liées à la COVID-19.

Le rapport Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2021, publié dans le cadre de la série susmentionnée, montre que le financement en faveur de l’accès à l’électricité domestique au sein de ces 20 pays est passé de 16,1 milliards de dollars US en 2018 à 12,9 milliards de dollars US en 2019 : un montant plus de trois fois inférieur aux 41 milliards de dollars US annuels dont on estime avoir besoin, à l’échelle mondiale, pour garantir un accès universel à l’électricité d’ici à 2030.

Dans le même temps, le niveau de financement pour les moyens de cuisson non polluants reste désespérément bas. Les combustibles de cuisson polluants sont à l’origine de plusieurs millions de décès prématurés chaque année et représentent le deuxième facteur de dérèglement climatique, derrière le dioxyde de carbone. Pourtant, sur la base des investissements enregistrés en 2019, seuls 133,5 millions de dollars US ont été consacrés au développement de moyens de cuisson non polluants cette année-là. Un montant très en deçà des 4,5 milliards de dollars US annuels dont on estime avoir besoin pour garantir un accès universel aux moyens de cuisson non polluants (et qui ne couvrent que l’achat de foyers de cuisson non polluants).

Ces résultats ont été publiés peu de temps avant la COP26 qui se tiendra à Glasgow et au cours de laquelle les grands dirigeants mondiaux devront trouver le moyen d’amorcer des progrès significatifs en matière de lutte contre le changement climatique. Dans cette perspective, les participants seront amenés à réfléchir aux différentes pistes permettant de réduire les émissions mondiales du secteur de l’énergie, tout en renforçant la croissance des pays en développement et en favorisant leur accès énergétique.

« Nous nous trouvons à une étape cruciale du débat sur l’énergie et le climat », explique Damilola Ogunbiyi, PDG et représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies pour l’énergie durable pour tous et coprésidente d’ONU-Énergie. « Il semble désormais établi que l’objectif “zéro émission nette” ne sera atteint qu’au moyen d’une transition énergétique juste et équitable, donnant accès à une énergie propre à un coût abordable aux 759 millions de personnes privées d’électricité et aux 2,6 milliards de personnes dépourvues de moyens de cuisson non polluants. Cela passe par le déploiement de ressources pour lutter contre le changement climatique, créer de nouvelles opportunités de développement économique et permettre aux populations du monde entier de vivre dans la prospérité. Energizing Finance offre une base de données probantes qui permet de déterminer les investissements actuellement consacrés à l’énergie ainsi que les financements dont les pays ont besoin pour atteindre les cibles fixées par l’ODD 7 relatif à l’énergie. »

En 2018, 50 % de l’ensemble des financements consacrés à l’électricité ont été investis dans les combustibles fossiles raccordés au réseau au sein des pays à fort impact, contre 25 % en 2019. Il s’agit d’une évolution positive pour le climat, mais dans le même temps, l’étude révèle une baisse des investissements alloués aux technologies hors réseau et aux mini-réseaux, qui ne représentaient plus que 0,9 % des sommes consacrées à l’électricité.

Dr. Barbara Buchner, Directrice générale mondiale de la Climate Policy Initiative, qui s’est associée à SEforALL pour élaborer le rapport Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2021, a déclaré : « Pour respecter l’Accord de Paris et faire de l’accès universel à l’énergie une réalité, il faut que les énergies renouvelables raccordées au réseau et les solutions de mini-réseaux/hors réseau puissent s’appuyer sur un niveau d’investissement largement supérieur à ce qui a été observé dans le cadre du rapport Energizing Finance. Ces solutions sont indispensables pour soutenir le développement économique des pays à fort impact, en évitant toute dépendance aux combustibles fossiles. »

Afin de mieux mettre en lumière les défis que doivent relever les pays à fort impact, la deuxième publication de la série, Energizing Finance: Taking the Pulse 2021, étudie de façon détaillée les volumes et les catégories de financement estimés nécessaires pour que les entreprises et les consommateurs obtiennent, d’ici à 2030, l’accès universel à l’électricité et aux moyens de cuisson non polluants au Mozambique, au Ghana et au Vietnam. Le rapport se concentre en particulier sur les difficultés que rencontrent les populations de ces pays pour accéder à l’énergie à un coût abordable et sur le soutien financier dont les consommateurs ont besoin, notamment à travers des subventions.

Le rapport conclut que d’ici à 2030, le coût total, pour les trois pays, d’un accès à des technologies et à des combustibles propres, c’est-à-dire à des moyens de cuisson modernes, serait compris entre 37 et 48 milliards de dollars US ; 70 % de cette somme serait consacrée aux combustibles (par exemple, le GPL, l’éthanol et l’électricité). Une autre solution, plus facile à mettre en place, consisterait à y instaurer un accès universel à des foyers de cuisson améliorés, pour un coût total de 1,05 milliard de dollars US d’ici à 2030.

« Le Ghana, le Mozambique et le Vietnam font face à des difficultés bien distinctes dans leurs efforts respectifs pour obtenir l’accès universel à l’électricité et à des moyens de cuisson non polluants », explique Aly-Khan Jamal, associé au sein du cabinet Dalberg Advisors, qui a contribué aux côtés de SEforALL à la rédaction du rapport Energizing Finance: Taking the Pulse 2021. « Ce travail de recherche étudie en profondeur ces différents contextes nationaux afin d’identifier des solutions permettant de réaliser l’objectif de développement durable 7. »

Parmi les recommandations adressées au Ghana, au Mozambique et au Vietnam en matière de politiques publiques, on peut notamment citer la mise en place d’un financement basé sur résultats pour l’accès à l’énergie (FBR) à destination des promoteurs de projets de développement énergétique, ainsi que des mesures d’aide à la consommation et de réduction des taxes sur les installations solaires domestiques.

Energizing Finance plaide également en faveur d’instruments financiers plus innovants pour contribuer au déploiement à grande échelle des financements nécessaires à l’accès universel aux moyens de cuisson non polluants. L’étude défend aussi la mise en place de stratégies intégrées de lutte contre le changement climatique et d’accès à l’électricité et à des moyens de cuisson non polluants. Enfin, elle encourage les gouvernements nationaux, les donateurs bilatéraux, les fondations philanthropiques et les institutions de financement du développement à accentuer leurs efforts pour mobiliser des capitaux commerciaux en faveur des pays d’Afrique subsaharienne.

D’autres résultats clés et recommandations issus des rapports sont disponibles ici.

NOTES AUX ÉDITEURS

Contact

Pour plus de détails sur les rapports ou toute demande d’entretien, veuillez contacter : Sherry Kennedy, Sustainable Energy for All : Sherry.Kennedy@SEforALL.org / Media@SEforALL.org | +43 676 846 727 237

À propos de Sustainable Energy for All

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) est une organisation internationale qui travaille en partenariat avec les Nations Unies et des dirigeants de gouvernements, du secteur privé, d’institutions financières, de la société civile et d’organismes philanthropes afin d’accélérer l’action en vue de la réalisation de l’Objectif de développement durable 7 (ODD 7) – garantir l’accès de tous à des services énergétiques fiables, durables et modernes à un coût abordable d’ici 2030 – conformément à l’Accord de Paris sur le climat. SEforALL œuvre pour assurer une transition énergétique propre qui ne laisse personne de côté et offre à chacun de nouvelles opportunités de réaliser son potentiel. SEforALL est dirigée par Damilola Ogunbiyi, PDG et représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies pour l’énergie durable pour tous et coprésidente d’ONU-Énergie. Suivez-la sur Twitter @DamilolaSDG7. Pour plus d’informations, suivez @SEforALLorg.

October 14, 2021

Falta de investimento em energia limpa compromete luta contra as alterações climáticas e a pobreza

Novos estudos colocam em evidência uma falta de financiamento crónica que irá deixar milhares de milhões de pessoas na África Subsariana e na Ásia sem eletricidade ou cozinha limpa até 2030
São necessárias medidas urgentes para acelerar o investimento na energia limpa nos países em desenvolvimento por parte dos líderes globais que irão estar reunidos na COP26 a fim de garantir uma transição energética justa

VIENA, Áustria, Oct. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A série de investigação da Energizing Finance deste ano, desenvolvida pela Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) em parceria com a Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) e a Dalberg Advisors, demonstra que o mundo está a ficar perigosamente aquém do previsto no que se refere ao investimento necessário para alcançar o acesso à energia para todos até 2030 pelo sétimo ano consecutivo.

De facto, o financiamento para a eletricidade registado nos 20 países que acolhem 80% da população mundial sem eletricidade – os países de alto impacto – diminuiu 27% em 2019, o ano anterior ao aparecimento da pandemia de COVID-19. Prevê-se que as pressões económicas causadas pela COVID-19 tenham resultado em reduções ainda mais acentuadas no investimento no acesso à energia em 2020 e 2021.

Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2021, um dos dois relatórios publicados nesta série, revela que o financiamento concedido para o acesso a eletricidade residencial caiu para 12,9 mil milhões de dólares em 2019 (face a 16,1 mil milhões de dólares em 2018) nos 20 países. Este valor representa menos de um terço do investimento anual estimado de 41 mil milhões de dólares necessário a nível global para alcançar o acesso universal à eletricidade até 2030.

Entretanto, verifica-se uma enorme lacuna de financiamento para a cozinha limpa. Apesar de os combustíveis de cozinha poluidores causarem milhões de mortes prematuras todos os anos e constituírem o segundo fator que mais contribui para as alterações climáticas depois do dióxido de carbono, somente 133,5 milhões de dólares em financiamento para soluções de cozinha limpa foram registados em 2019. Este valor está francamente longe da estimativa de 4,5 mil milhões de dólares de investimento anual necessário para alcançar o acesso universal à cozinha limpa (considerando apenas os custos de fogões limpos).

Estas conclusões foram reveladas a escassas semanas da realização da COP26 em Glasgow, onde os líderes globais irão debater formas de alcançar progressos significativos na luta contra as alterações climáticas. No âmbito destes esforços, terão de encontrar formas de reduzir as emissões globais do setor energético, aumentando em simultâneo o acesso à energia nos países em desenvolvimento a fim de promover o seu desenvolvimento económico.

“Encontramo-nos num momento crítico dos debates sobre as alterações climáticas. O que está claro é que o caminho para o zero líquido só pode concretizar-se com uma transição energética justa e equitativa que ofereça acesso a energia limpa e economicamente acessível aos 759 milhões de pessoas que não têm acesso a eletricidade e aos 2,6 mil milhões de pessoas que não têm acesso a soluções de cozinha limpa”, declarou Damilola Ogunbiyi, Diretora Executiva e Representante Especial do Secretário-Geral da ONU para a Energia Sustentável para Todos e Copresidente da ONU-Energia. “Isto exige recursos que mitiguem as alterações climáticas e criem novas oportunidades para impulsionar o crescimento económico e permitir que as pessoas de qualquer ponto do mundo alcancem o seu pleno desenvolvimento. A Energizing Finance apresenta dados concretos sobre os atuais compromissos de financiamento da energia e o financiamento de que os países necessitam para alcançar as metas de energia do ODS7.”

Em 2018, metade do financiamento total da eletricidade foi canalizada para combustíveis fósseis ligados à rede nos países de alto impacto, em comparação com 25% em 2019. Apesar de esta ser uma tendência positiva para o clima, o investimento registado em tecnologias não ligadas à rede e minirredes também caiu e representava apenas 0,9% do financiamento registado em eletricidade.

A Dra. Barbara Buchner, Diretora-Geral Global da CPI, que estabeleceu uma parceria com a SEforALL para o relatório Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2021, declarou: “Alcançar tanto o Acordo de Paris como o acesso universal à energia exige um investimento muito maior em energias renováveis ligadas à rede e soluções não ligadas à rede e minirredes do que tem sido registado pela Energizing Finance. Estas soluções são essenciais para ajudar os países de alto impacto a desenvolverem as suas economias sem terem de depender dos combustíveis fósseis.”

Para dar a conhecer melhor os desafios que os países de alto impacto enfrentam, a segunda publicação da série, Energizing Finance: Taking the Pulse 2021, oferece uma visão pormenorizada do volume estimado e do tipo de financiamento de que as empresas e os clientes necessitam para alcançar o acesso universal à energia tanto para a eletricidade como para a cozinha limpa até 2030 em Moçambique, no Gana e no Vietname. É também de destacar o facto de ilustrar os desafios ligados à acessibilidade económica à energia que as pessoas enfrentam nestes países e a necessidade de apoio financeiro para os consumidores, sob a forma de subsídios, por exemplo.

O relatório conclui que a disponibilização de acesso a combustíveis e tecnologias limpos, ou seja, soluções modernas de energia para cozinhar, no Gana, Moçambique e no Vietname irá custar um total de 37 a 48 mil milhões de dólares até 2030, 70% dos quais serão canalizados para os combustíveis (por exemplo, GPL, etanol e eletricidade). Um cenário mais fácil de alcançar seria um em que os três países garantissem o acesso universal a fogões melhorados por um custo total de 1,05 mil milhões de dólares até 2030.

“O Gana, Moçambique e o Vietname enfrentam desafios diferentes no que se refere a alcançar o acesso universal à eletricidade e à cozinha limpa”, afirmou Aly-Khan Jamal, Sócio da Dalberg Advisors, que estabeleceu uma parceria com a SEforALL para o relatório Energizing Finance: Taking the Pulse 2021. “Este estudo analisa em profundidade estes contextos nacionais a fim de identificar soluções que possam tornar o Objetivo de Desenvolvimento Sustentável 7 uma realidade.”

Oferecer um financiamento baseado nos resultados aos responsáveis de projetos de energia e explorar políticas que facilitem o apoio aos subsídios do lado da procura e reduzam os impostos sobre os sistemas solares residenciais são algumas das várias recomendações políticas apresentadas para o Gana, Moçambique e o Vietname.

A Energizing Finance defende também uma maior inovação nos instrumentos financeiros para alcançar a escala de financiamento necessária para o acesso universal à cozinha limpa; a integração do acesso à eletricidade, o acesso à cozinha e estratégias de luta contra as alterações climáticas; e que os governos nacionais, os doadores bilaterais, as organizações filantrópicas e as instituições de financiamento do desenvolvimento aumentem os seus esforços para mobilizar capital comercial para os países da África Subsariana.

Mais conclusões-chave e recomendações dos relatórios são disponibilizadas aqui.

Notas para a imprensa

Contactos

Para mais informações sobre os relatórios ou pedidos de entrevista, queira contactar: Sherry Kennedy, Sustainable Energy for All: Sherry.Kennedy@SEforALL.org / media@seforall.org ou +43 676 846 727 237

Acerca da Sustainable Energy for All

A Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) é uma organização internacional que trabalha em parceria com as Nações Unidas e os dirigentes governamentais, o setor privado, as instituições financeiras, a sociedade civil e as organizações filantrópicas para apelar a uma implementação mais rápida de medidas que visam alcançar o Objetivo de Desenvolvimento Sustentável 7 (ODS7) – acesso a energia economicamente acessível, fiável, sustentável e moderna para todos até 2030 –, em linha com o Acordo de Paris sobre as alterações climáticas. A SEforALL desenvolve esforços para garantir uma transição energética limpa que não deixe ninguém para trás e ofereça novas oportunidades para que todos possam concretizar o seu potencial.

A SEforALL é liderada por Damilola Ogunbiyi, Diretora Executiva e Representante Especial do Secretário-Geral da ONU para a Energia Sustentável para Todos e Copresidente da ONU-Energia. Pode segui-la no Twitter @DamilolaSDG7. Para mais informações, siga @SEforALLorg.

October 14, 2021

Globeleq acquiert une centrale solaire Égyptienne

LONDRES et LE CAIRE , 14 octobre 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Globeleq, le principal producteur indépendant d’électricité en Afrique, a finalisé l’acquisition de la centrale solaire photovoltaïque de 66 MWc d’ARC for Renewable Energy S.A.E (ARC) située dans le parc solaire de Benban près d’Assouan, en Égypte.

La centrale ARC a été développée par le consortium SECI Energia, Enerray et Desert Technologies dans le cadre du deuxième round du programme de tarifs de rachat du gouvernement égyptien. La centrale a été mise en service le 4 novembre 2019 et fournit de l’électricité propre à l’Egyptian Electricity and Transmission Company (EETC) dans le cadre d’un contrat d’achat d’électricité de 25 ans. Le projet a été financé par la Société Financière Internationale (SFI), l’actionnaire de Globeleq, CDC Group (CDC), la Banque Asiatique d’Investissement pour les Infrastructures (BAII), Europe Arab Bank et Finance in Motion.

En tant que seul propriétaire d’ARC, Globeleq se chargera également de la gestion de l’actif et supervisera l’entreprise chargée de l’exploitation et de la maintenance, GILA Al Tawakol. Au cours du processus d’acquisition, Globeleq a aidé les développeurs d’origine et les prêteurs à obtenir le certificat final de prise en charge (« Take-Over Certificate ») dans le cadre des contrats EPC et à s’assurer que le projet fonctionne de manière optimale. ARC sera connecté au centre de conduite des énergies renouvelables de Globeleq au Cap en Afrique du Sud et bénéficiera de la vaste expérience de son équipe d’exploitation basée en Afrique, complétée par une équipe basée au Caire et à Assouan. L’équipe locale sera dirigée par Ghada Darwish en tant que responsable Égypte à Globeleq.

L’Égypte est l’un des plus grands marchés pour les projets d’énergie renouvelable en Afrique et vise à achever 42% de production d’électricité à partir de sources renouvelables d’ici 2035. Le pays est un marché cible clé pour Globeleq et cette acquisition fournit une plateforme pour soutenir d’autres investissements dans le pays, notamment dans le photovoltaïque, l’éolien, le stockage d’énergie par batterie et, à plus long terme, le dessalement d’eau de mer et l’hydrogène vert.

Mike Scholey, PDG de Globeleq, a indiqué : « Cette transaction est une excellente opportunité d’acquérir un actif opérationnel avec une équipe établie. Le gouvernement égyptien a fixé des objectifs ambitieux en matière d’énergies renouvelables et, en tant que l’un des plus grands investisseurs dans ce domaine en Afrique, nous sommes heureux d’aider l’Égypte à déployer davantage de projets d’énergies renouvelables ».

L’ambassadeur britannique en Égypte, Gareth Bayley OBE, a déclaré : « Je suis heureux de constater l’engagement de Globeleq sur le marché égyptien des énergies renouvelables. Alors que le Royaume-Uni s’apprête à accueillir, dans deux semaines à peine, la COP26, une conférence historique sur le changement climatique, des investissements comme celui-ci mettent en lumière la croissance verte, au cœur du programme commercial du Royaume-Uni. Nous continuerons à soutenir l’ambitieuse stratégie énergétique durable de l’Égypte. Félicitations à Globeleq pour cette étape importante, et je me réjouis de voir beaucoup d’autres investissements britanniques de grande valeur et de haut niveau dans le secteur égyptien des énergies renouvelables à l’avenir ».

Bertrand de La Borde, responsable mondial de l’énergie et des mines à la SFI, a commenté l’événement : « En tant qu’investisseur stratégique à long terme ayant d’excellentes performances opérationnelles dans le domaine des énergies renouvelables, nous soutenons pleinement l’acquisition menée par Globeleq. L’entreprise continue de créer des entreprises d’énergie durables, qui soutiennent les objectifs de développement durable des Nations Unies en investissant dans une production renouvelable et compétitive ».

Holger Rothenbusch, directeur général et responsable des infrastructures et du climat de CDC Group, a déclaré : « L’engagement de Globeleq à augmenter l’offre d’énergie renouvelable à travers l’Afrique est vital et nous sommes fiers d’emprunter cette voie ensemble. L’acquisition d’ARC a permis d’achever la construction de l’usine, d’obtenir des performances optimales et de bénéficier de la présence d’un investisseur stratégique à long terme ayant fait ses preuves en Afrique.

Globeleq joue un rôle clé dans le déblocage de l’énorme potentiel renouvelable de l’Afrique. L’entreprise investit dans le secteur depuis 2002 et, depuis 2014, exploite certaines des toutes premières centrales solaires et éoliennes à grande échelle en Afrique du Sud. Globeleq poursuit son expansion et possède et exploite actuellement neuf projets solaires photovoltaïques et éoliens sur le continent. L’entreprise est sur le point de mettre en service sa centrale solaire de 52 MWc à Malindi, au Kenya, et a récemment donné le coup d’envoi d’un projet de solaire photovoltaïque avec stockage d’énergie par batterie de 19 MWc et 2 MW /7 MWh au Mozambique, où elle s’est également préqualifiée pour un appel d’offres solaire et développe deux nouveaux projets éoliens.

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October 14, 2021

Globeleq Acquires Egyptian Solar Plant

LONDON and CAIRO, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Globeleq, the leading independent power company in Africa, has completed the acquisition of the ARC for Renewable Energy S.A.E (ARC) 66 MWp solar PV plant located at the Benban Solar Park near Aswan, Egypt.

The ARC plant was developed by the SECI Energia, Enerray and Desert Technologies consortium as part of the second round of the Egyptian government’s feed-in-tariff program. It achieved commercial operation on 4 November 2019 and provides clean electricity to the Egyptian Electricity and Transmission Company (EETC) under a 25-year power purchase agreement. The project was financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Globeleq’s shareholder, CDC Group (CDC), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Europe Arab Bank and Finance in Motion.

Globeleq will also provide ARC with asset management services and oversee the operation and maintenance contractor, GILA Al Tawakol. During the acquisition process, Globeleq supported the original developers and lenders to achieve the final take over certificate under the EPC contracts and ensure the project performs optimally. ARC will be connected to Globeleq’s remote monitoring centre in Cape Town, South Africa, and will benefit from the extensive experience of its African based operations team and complemented by a talented team based in Cairo and Aswan. The local team will be led by Ghada Darwish as Country Manager.

Egypt is one of the largest markets for renewable energy projects in Africa and aims to have 42% of renewable generation by 2035. The country is as a key target market for Globeleq and this acquisition provides a platform to support further investments in the country, including in solar PV, wind, battery energy storage and, in the longer-term, water desalination and green hydrogen projects.

Mike Scholey, CEO of Globeleq indicated: “This transaction is an excellent opportunity to acquire an operational asset with an established team. The Egyptian government has set ambitious renewable energy targets and, as one of the largest investors in renewable power in Africa, we are pleased to support Egypt to deploy more renewable energy projects.”

The British Ambassador to Egypt, Gareth Bayley OBE, said: “I am pleased to see Globeleq’s commitment to the Egyptian renewable energy market. As the UK prepares to host, in just two weeks, the landmark COP26 Climate Change Conference, investments like this shine a light on clean growth, at the heart of the UK’s trade agenda. We will continue our support for Egypt’s ambitious sustainable energy strategy. Congratulations to Globeleq on this important milestone, and I look forward to seeing many more high-value and high-profile UK investments in Egypt’s renewable energy sector in future.”

Bertrand de La Borde, Global Head Energy & Mining at IFC commented: “As a long-term strategic investor with excellent operational performance in renewable energy, we are fully supportive of Globeleq’s acquisition. The company continues to create sustainable energy businesses, which support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, through investment in affordable, renewable generation.”

Holger Rothenbusch, Managing Director and Head Infrastructure and Climate, CDC Group said: “Globeleq’s commitment to increasing the supply of renewable energy across Africa is vital and we are proud to be on this journey together. The acquisition of ARC ensured the plant reached completion, achieved optimal performance and benefits from the presence of a long-term strategic investor with extensive track record in Africa.

Globeleq is playing a key role in unlocking Africa’s huge renewable potential. The company has invested in the sector since 2002, and since 2014, has operated some of the very first large-scale solar and wind plants in South Africa. Globeleq continues to expand and currently majority owns and operates nine solar PV and wind projects across the continent. It is nearing completion of its 52MWp Malindi solar plant in Kenya and recently broke ground on a 19MWp solar plus 2MW (7MWh) battery energy storage project in Mozambique, where it also prequalified for a solar tender and is developing two new wind projects.

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October 14, 2021

Facebook Objects to Releasing Private Posts About Myanmar’s Rohingya Campaign

Facebook was used to spread disinformation about the Rohingya, the Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar, and in 2018 the company began to delete posts, accounts and other content it determined were part of a campaign to incite violence.

That deleted but stored data is at issue in a case in the United States over whether Facebook should release the information as part of a claim in international court.

Facebook this week objected to part of a U.S. magistrate judge’s order that could have an impact on how much data internet companies must turn over to investigators examining the role social media played in a variety of international incidents, from the 2017 Rohingya genocide in Myanmar to the 2021 Capitol riot in Washington.

The judge ruled last month that Facebook had to give information about these deleted accounts to Gambia, the West African nation, which is pursuing a case in the International Court of Justice against Myanmar, seeking to hold the Asian nation responsible for the crime of genocide against the Rohingya.

But in its filing Wednesday, Facebook said the judge’s order “creates grave human rights concerns of its own, leaving internet users’ private content unprotected and thereby susceptible to disclosure — at a provider’s whim — to private litigants, foreign governments, law enforcement, or anyone else.”

The company said it was not challenging the order when it comes to public information from the accounts, groups and pages it has preserved. It objects to providing “non-public information.” If the order is allowed to stand, it would “impair critical privacy and freedom of expression rights for internet users — not just Facebook users — worldwide, including Americans,” the company said.

Facebook has argued that providing the deleted posts is in violation of U.S. privacy, citing the Stored Communications Act, the 35-year-old law that established privacy protections in electronic communication.

Deleted content protected?

In his September decision, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui said that once content is deleted from an online service, it is no longer protected.

Paul Reichler, a lawyer for Gambia, told VOA that Facebook’s concern about privacy is misplaced.

“Would Hitler have privacy rights that should be protected?” Reichler said in an interview with VOA. “The generals in Myanmar ordered the destruction of a race of people. Should Facebook’s business interests in holding itself out as protecting the privacy rights of these Hitlers prevail over the pursuit of justice?”

But Orin Kerr, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley, said on Twitter that the judge’s ruling erred and that the implication of the ruling is that “if a provider moderates contents, all private messages and emails deleted can be freely disclosed and are no longer private.”

The 2017 military crackdown on the Rohingya resulted in more than 700,000 people fleeing their homes to escape mass killings and rapes, a crisis that the United States has called “ethnic cleansing.”

‘Coordinated inauthentic behavior’

Human rights advocates say Facebook had been used for years by Myanmar officials to set the stage for the crimes against the Rohingya.

Frances Haugen, the former Facebook employee who testified about the company in Congress last week, said Facebook’s focus on keeping users engaged on its site contributed to “literally fanning ethnic violence” in countries.

In 2018, Facebook deleted and banned accounts of key individuals, including the commander in chief of Myanmar’s armed forces and the military’s television network, as well as 438 pages, 17 groups and 160 Facebook and Instagram accounts — what the company called “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” The company estimated 12 million people in Myanmar, a nation of 54 million, followed these accounts.

Facebook commissioned an independent human rights study of its role that concluded that prior to 2018, it indeed failed to prevent its service “from being used to foment division and incite offline violence.”

Facebook kept the data on what it deleted for its own forensic analysis, the company told the court.

The case comes at a time when law enforcement and governments worldwide increasingly seek information from technology companies about the vast amount of data they collect on users.

Companies have long cited privacy concerns to protect themselves, said Ari Waldman, a professor of law and computer science at Northeastern University. What’s new is the vast quantity of data that companies now collect, a treasure trove for investigators, law enforcement and government.

“Private companies have untold amounts of data based on the commodification of what we do,” Waldman said.

Privacy rights should always be balanced with other laws and concerns, such as the pursuit of justice, he added.

Facebook working with the IIMM

In August 2020, Facebook confirmed that it was working with the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), a United Nations-backed group that is investigating Myanmar. The U.N. Human Rights Council established the IIMM, or “Myanmar Mechanism,” in September 2018 to collect evidence of the country’s most serious international crimes.

Recently, IIMM told VOA it has been meeting regularly with Facebook employees to gain access to information on the social media network related to its ongoing investigations in the country.

A spokesperson for IIMM told VOA’s Burmese Service that Facebook “has agreed to voluntarily provide some, but not all, of the material the Mechanism has requested.”

IIMM head Nicholas Koumjian wrote to VOA that the group is seeking material from Facebook “that we believe is relevant to proving criminal responsibility for serious international crimes committed in Myanmar that fall within our mandate.”

Facebook told VOA in an email it is cooperating with the U.N. Myanmar investigators.

“We’ve committed to disclose relevant information to authorities, and over the past year we’ve made voluntary, lawful disclosures to the IIMM and will continue to do so as the case against Myanmar proceeds,” the spokesperson wrote. The company has made what it calls “12 lawful data disclosures” to the IIMM but didn’t provide details.

Human rights activists are frustrated that Facebook is not doing more to crack down on bad actors who are spreading hate and disinformation on the site.

“Look, I think there are many people at Facebook who want to do the right thing here, and they are working pretty hard,” said Phil Robertson, who covers Asia for Human Rights Watch. “But the reality is, they still need to escalate their efforts. I think that Facebook is more aware of the problems, but it’s also in part because so many people are telling them that they need to do better.”

Matthew Smith of the human rights organization Fortify Rights, which closely tracked the ethnic cleansing campaign in Myanmar, said the company’s business success indicates it could do a better job of identifying harmful content.

“Given the company’s own business model of having this massive capacity to deal with massive amounts of data in a coherent and productive way, it stands to reason that the company would absolutely be able to understand and sift through the data points that could be actionable,” Smith said.

Gambia has until later this month to respond to Facebook’s objections.

Source: Voice of America