Energy Bulletin - SIXTH MEETING OF THE GLOBAL FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE ENERGY: “AFRICA IS ENERGIZING ITSELF.”

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SIXTH MEETING OF THE GLOBAL FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE ENERGY: “AFRICA IS ENERGIZING ITSELF.”

The Sixth Meeting of the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE-6) was held from 29 November - 1 December 2006 at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Austria. The meeting convened under the theme “Africa is energizing itself” and focused on sustainable energy in the African continent, with particular attention to sub-regional issues, biofuels, hydropower, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and financing. GFSE-6 was organized by the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy in collaboration with the Austrian Development Cooperation at the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Austrian Energy Agency and the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. The meeting brought together 181 representatives from African and European governments, agencies, UN bodies and international organizations, academia, business and industry, civil society and financing institutions to identify ways and means of supporting African aspirations at the 15th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-15) to be held in New York in May 2007, and to exchange views on key topics in this area.

Philippe Benoit, World Bank, stressed three underlying themes for increasing energy access in sub-Saharan Africa: country-led efforts, regional projects and strengthened partnerships. He emphasized that the overarching goals of projects should be electricity growth, powering the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and meeting basic needs. In order to achieve these goals, he said there should be higher levels of commitment from donors and improved institutional performance within the region. He stated that although challenges still remain, the attention being paid to energy in Africa highlights its importance, and the positive steps being taken show the willingness of the community to solve these problems.

Ray Holland, EU Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility, underscored the importance of regional organizations for increasing access within Africa by developing regional markets, mobilizing funding and synchronizing policies and strategies. He explained that increased dialogue between organizations would enable others to learn from previous experiences, and noted that support and capacity building within these organizations was important for this to be successful. He also highlighted the significance of community participation within projects undertaken by organizations.