18 May 2015: The Alliance of CSOs for Clean Energy Access (ACCESS) hosted a workshop, titled ‘Voices from the Field,’ with the participation of almost 50 organizations working to bring safe, reliable and affordable energy to those who lack it. Participants included civil society groups, commercial and social enterprises, and community-based organizations who are working directly with households, entrepreneurs and communities.

As a follow-up to this event, which was held on 17 May 2015 in New York, US, key messages and recommendations were presented to the SE4ALL Forum, on such topics as: user awareness and understanding energy needs; access to finance; capacity and human resources; planning and coordination; and ensuring that civil society is able to participate effectively in national and regional decision-making processes. The discussion follows a survey conducted by several ACCESS members, where civil society respondents felt they could not meaningfully engage in the SE4ALL initiative and lacked adequate support from international agencies.

ACCESS is a coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs), which came together in 2014 in the context of the SE4ALL initiative. The coalition advocates for: access to safe, reliable and affordable energy for people living in poverty; and environmentally sustainable and efficient energy systems globally. The founding members of ACCESS, which include the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, Greenpeace, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Practical Action and WWF, believe that meaningful CSO participation in the SE4ALL initiative is critical for achieving the initiative’s targets.

The 2nd annual SE4ALL Forum took place from 18-22 May 2015 in New York, US. [IIED News Story] [SE4ALL Session Information] [IISD RS Coverage of the 2nd SE4ALL Forum]