Transcript Main event title

Low Carbon Energy for Development: Past Experiences and Future Challenges
Holywell Park, Loughborough University, 4th and 5th April 2012
Image courtesy of Practical Action
Programme Description and Context Setting
Ed Brown, LCEDN National Co-Coordinator
Associate Director, Sustainability Research
School, Loughborough University
Conference Organizers:

Midlands Energy Consortium

Durham Energy Institute

Other members of the LCEDN management committee.

Colleagues at Loughborough University

(Enterprize Office, E-Learning Team)
Financial Support:

DECC

EPSRC

Midlands Energy Consortium

Durham Energy Institute
Up until a few years ago:

UK energy scientists generally not much interested in
energy issues outside the UK

UK ‘international development’ experts not much
interested in energy.

Energy also not necessarily a major theme within the UK
international aid programme and UK government foreign
policy pronouncements.
Recent spark in interest:

Climate change negotiations

Price of oil/questions of energy security

Key work of organizations like Practical Action in putting
energy access issues back on the international stage.
 Over the past year, the UK Research Councils (RCUK), the
UK Department for International Development (DFiD) and
the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change
(DECC) have identified low carbon transitions and
international development as a critical area for developing
UK research capacity. This is a result of 2 main drivers.
 First, the rapidly increasing volumes of finance which the
UK government (+ the rest of the international
community) are making available for the low carbon
transition and enhancing energy access in developing
countries.
 How to ensure that this money is spent effectively and
achieves the intentions of the funders?
 Second, acknowledgement that there is significant UK
academic expertise in energy research but this has yet
to engage substantially with questions of development.
 The recent review of the RCUK Energy Programme
highlighted this as a significant weakness of UK research
- that ‘energy technologies and development’ was an
area of weak performance and high interest.
 Looking to generate interest in these issues from UK
academics, increase the number and quality of research
proposals etc.
 In May 2011, DECC and the Energy Futures Lab at Imperial
co-convened a meeting to bring together the various UK
academic and policy communities working in this field.
 DEI hosted a 2nd meeting in July 2011 which was attended
by a broader range of academic colleagues as well as
representatives from RCUK, DECC and DFiD.
 Good level of discussion in both the workshops
 Gave rise to the idea of the formation of a National UK
Network to
 support the expanded UK government interest in this area
 bring together the UK ‘energy’ and ‘development’ academic
communities and
 strengthen the relationship between UK academia and the
international research community working on these issues
(particularly in the Global South)
 First steps: £20,000 funding from Durham Energy Institute
and £10,000 from Midlands Energy Consortium to kickstart the process.
 Bid formulated to DECC – approved in late 2011
The LCEDN is managed by the Midlands Energy Consortium (Loughborough,
Birmingham and Nottingham Universities) and Durham Energy Institute in
partnership with the Energy Futures Lab of Imperial College, the Science and
Technology Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex and the UK
Energy Research Centre.
Funded by DECC, It brings together researchers, policy makers and practitioners
from across the world to:
 Better understand the complex and dynamic energy needs of the communities of
the Global South
 Highlight research areas in need of development
 Identify where UK expertise is best deployed
 Promote international research collaborations
 Provision of a detailed searchable directory of UK research expertise in





low carbon energy and development for the policy-making and
practitioner communities as well as potential academic collaboration.
Development of the LCEDN website as an interactive virtual space for
discussion, debate, networking and the development of collaborative
interdisciplinary projects.
Regular news updates summarising the latest network activities, available
research funding and UK/international collaboration opportunities.
Running of workshops, conferences and seminar series exploring low
carbon, ‘climate resilient’ growth in the global South – this is the first of
three planned for this year.
‘State of the field’ reviews of the existing evidence base and current
energy/development research in the UK including suggestions of
strengths, weaknesses and gaps.
‘Rapid evidence reviews’ of specific technologies, particular regions or
emerging themes where there is a current policy and research need.
CONFERENCE
Low Carbon Energy for Development: Past Experiences and Future Challenges
April 4th - 5th, 2012 Holywell Park Conference Centre, Loughborough
Hosted by Lougborough University on behalf of the Midlands Energy Consortium.
For further details please see: www.lcedn.com
Funded by DECC and the EPSRC
Image courtesy of Practical Action
1. To revitalize the discussion of low carbon energy issues within international
development debates through re-visiting past projects and initiatives to
understand what works and what doesn’t;
2. To enhance North-South understanding within and between the UK energy
policy, energy technology and development communities;
3. To introduce the DECC-funded Low Carbon Energy for Development Network
as an innovative conduit and meeting place serving different energy interest
groups and disciplinary approaches working towards human development
goals;
4. To strengthen inter-disciplinary collaboration amongst academic participants
and their collaboration with government, international institutions, NGOs and
the private sector
5. To enrich UK and international policy-making regarding energy and
development
10.00: Programme Description and Context Setting
10.15: Speaker Session One: The Wider Policy Context:
Energy Access, the MDGs and the Low Carbon Agenda
11.15: Refreshments
11.35: Discussion Session One: Key Conference Themes
and Discussion Points
12.20: Discussion Session Report back
12.45: Lunch
13.45: Speaker Session Two: Historical Experiences of Solar
Energy Projects in the Global South
15.15: Refreshments
15.45: Speaker Session Three: Historical Experiences of BioEnergy Projects in the Global South
17.00: Short Break
17.10: Invited Keynote Speaker via Video-Link: Masami
Kojima (Lead Energy Specialist World Bank)
17.45: Exhibition/Poster Presentations
20.00: Conference Dinner at the Link Hotel
9.15: Welcome
9.20: Speaker Session Four: Looking Forward by Looking
Back: Setting Future Priorities from Past Experiences
11.05: Refreshments
11.20: Discussion Session Two: Meeting the UN 2030
Targets.
12.15: Speaker Session Five: The Role of New Technologies
13.15: Lunch (inc LCEDN MC Meeting)
14.15: Speaker Session Six: Demand Management, Energy
Efficiency and the Low Carbon Transition
15.30: Refreshments
15.45: Discussion Session Three: World Cafe.
17.00: Feedback from the World Café
17.30: Next Steps and Closing Remarks
17.35: Drinks Reception for those staying
18.30: Buffet



You are not just here to listen (or just to talk!)!
This event has been purposely structured to provide as
much interaction, conversation and dialogue as possible
in two days. The knowledge, insight, wisdom gathered in
this room is substantial and our aim is to have you
exploring ideas, interests and collaborations as we go
forward.
Three formal participation/discussion sessions
i. Key Conference Themes,
ii. The UN 2030 Targets
iii. World Cafe



This evening’s Poster Presentations session
The Ideas Wall
Electronic Participation