GIZ and partners hosted a conference titled “Energy for Displaced People: A Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Situations of Development”.
Participants developed recommendations for a global plan of action on energy access in refugee situations.
The UNEP-DTU Partnership outlined its support to such a global plan by providing research-based advisory services to UNHCR and their humanitarian partners.
25 January 2018: Participants at a conference on the theme, “Energy for Displaced People: A Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Situations of Development,” hosted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and partners, developed recommendations for a global plan of action to ensure that refugee populations will have access to reliable, affordable, sustainable and modern energy resources by 2030.
Energy is a crisis issue in refugee camps across the world. In many developing countries, the use of wood fuel is a source of conflict between growing refugee populations and local communities, and it acts as a driver of deforestation. Women, who walk up to 20 km to search for wood, can become targets of hostility and violence provoked by this tension. Women and children are also disproportionately exposed to the indoor air pollution caused by the use of wood fuel as a source of energy.
Held from 15-16 January 2018 in Berlin, Germany, the conference aimed to develop a global plan of action to ensure energy access for displaced people in support of SDG 7 (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all). 120 participants from governments, the UN system, and the private, humanitarian and financial sectors developed recommendations in five strategic areas: planning and coordination; policy; innovative finance; capacity building; and monitoring.
At the occasion of the conference, the partnership between UN Environment Programme and the Technical University of Denmark, (UNEP-DTU) issued a press release describing its activities to support the global plan of action. The partnership provides the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its humanitarian partners with research-based advisory services aiming to enhance understanding of policy, technology and investment options for transitioning to more sustainable energy resources in and around refugee settlements.
Hosted by GIZ, the conference was jointly organized by UNITAR, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).[UNITAR Press Release] [UNEP DTU Partnership Press Release]