A report titled ‘Poor People’s Energy Outlook (PPEO) 2018’ prepared by Practical Action with support of the UK Department for International Development was launched on November 4, 2019 in Dhaka in line with a series of global launching.
The findings of the report suggested that tackling the key aspects of inclusivity head-on is critical to truly leaving no one behind; programs must be designed with components that address the barriers to achieving SDG 7.
The report explores how to deliver energy access at scale while reaching marginalized group including women and the poorest, most remote communities. However, the report considered a selection of metrics for inclusivity and scale across six case study programs from the clean fuels and cooking, decentralized electricity and grid extension sectors.
Energy Advisor to the Prime Minister Tawfiq e Elahi Chowdhury unveiled the report while Bangladesh Country Director of Practical Action Hasin Jahan was present among others.
Member of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) Siddique Zubair said: “We should move forward with an inclusive approach to rationalize the energy access of the rich people and the poor people.”
He, however, said the government took various initiatives to achieve SDG-7. All the initiatives will be materialized inclusively incorporating with private sector, financial organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
Meanwhile, Executive Director and CEO of Infrastructure Development Company Limited Mahmood Malik said solar home system and solar mini grid already changed the socio-economic scenario in various rural and remote areas.
General Manager of Sustainable Finance Department at Bangladesh Bank Khondkar Morshed Millat expressed his hope that Bangladesh will have a green revelation in next year.
He said Bangladesh Bank is very much passionate about green financing. He, however, said: “We pay great attention if any kind of proposal comes to us regarding green financing.”
Chairman of SREDA Helal Uddin informed that the government has a target to bring 100 percent villages under electrification by 2021. “We have already detected 526 villages which are in the off grid areas.”
“We are working to bring those villages under electrification through grid connection where possible. If any village is isolated from the main land, we will provide electricity through solar energy or other renewable sources,” he said.
Apart from the lunching, the program discussed Practical Action’s way of work that envisions harnessing the potential of energy to transform people’s lives.
The Poor People’s Energy Outlook was first launched in 2010 to shine a light on energy access from the perspectives of the poor. The series challenges energy sector’s focus on energy resources, supply and large scale infrastructure projects; emphasizing instead that it is energy services which matter most to poor people, and that decentralized approaches are the best way to achieve universal energy access.
This year’s edition explored delivery at scale from a bottom-up perspective, developing metrics to assess inclusion, scale, and the context for progress. It analyses six core case studies from diverse contexts across the energy access sector, which focus on striking a balance between the race for scale and the need to reach last mile communities.