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This year’s International Anti-Corruption Conference (7-10 November 2012) will support and connect people who want to change the rules of the game. People are devising new ways to push for greater transparency and accountability, and are standing up to ultimately achieve greater social justice. Yet corruption and impunity have an immense destabilising effect on society. Now more than ever, mutually accountable action is needed to create irreversible change, and to ensure that the power fueled by corruption harms societies no more. It is people who will create this change.
Workshop - Clean Energy Needs Clean Government: Governance Indicators for Delivering Sustainable Energy for All
November 10, 2012; 9:00-11:00am
The U.N. Sustainable Energy for All initiative aims to form a partnership that can mobilize significant amounts of public international funding in order to support projects that will increase access to energy in developing countries. In particular, this funding is intended to ensure access to clean and affordable energy for the poor.
If countries commit to bold energy targets, as expected, realizing these goals will depend on good governance at the level of national institutions. In particular, the transparent working of public funds for clean energy projects that benefit the poor will be critical. However, in many countries, governance of the energy sector, including oversight of renewable based rural electrification, is still poor. If governance is not strengthened, the effectiveness of projects and their impact will be limited and will hinder the achievement of poverty alleviation targets.
The panel will present lessons learned from renewable energy projects in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Kyrgyz Republic. For Indonesia, Fabby Tumiwa will discuss corruption issues regarding the Solar Home System project in Indonesia 2006-2009, and challenges of renewable energy projects under the PNPM Program (National Program if Community Empowerment). For the Philippines, Alan Cajes will examine the Renewable Energy Policy Framework (REPF), with special emphasis on environmental and social impacts of select renewable energy projects. And for Kyrgyzstan, Darika Sulaimanova will examine how the Fuel and Energy Security Transparency Initiative (FESTI) is helping to address governance challenges and community needs.
Each of the presenters is a partner of the Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI), an initiative launched in 2002 by the World Resources Institute and Prayas Energy Group. EGI is a unique network of civil society organizations that facilitates the collaboration of civil society, policymakers, regulators and other electricity sector actors using a common framework define “good governance”.
In this session, the presenters will contribute to the efforts of EGI to refine the indicators of good governance for the renewable energy projects.
Illustrative questions for discussion could include:
The objectives are:
to make progress on developing shared and accepted criteria for good governance of clean energy projects; and
to develop a model for public oversight for adherence to these criteria.
These criteria can be developed into criteria that could used by civil society and other actors to monitor projects on the country level and to stand up to corruption. Ultimately, a good governance framework will empower intended beneficiaries to participate in ensuring that the objectives of Sustainable Energy for All are met.