Op-ed by Eco Matser* The Sustainable Development goals on energy speak clear: universal access energy and clean cooking by 2030 (SDG7). But the current efforts are still lagging several steps behind the specific needs of the communities and are not enough to achieve energy access for all, especially clean cooking solutions. Numerous studies have […]
The response to the Covid-19 crisis must not divert the world away from reaching the climate goals, a just energy transition and an equal and inclusive society, say Eco Matser (Program Manager Climate & Energy at Hivos), Sheila Oparaocha (International Coordinator and Program Manager at ENERGIA) and Hon. Kandeh Yumkella (Ph.D., Founder & CEO of […]
Op-ed by Eco Matser The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and revealed to what extent current economic models are not sustainable. It has also shown that most countries are not equipped to cope with a health crisis. The World Food Program is warning that the lives and livelihoods of 265 million people in low […]
Opinion piece by Eco Matser For the first time, the world’s elites meeting this year at Davos have listed environmental issues as their top concerns about the next decade. The WEF’s annual Global Risks Report raises the alarm on increased extreme weather events, manmade environmental damage – including oil spills and contamination, major biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse […]
Blog post by Andrés Méndez, Hivos Latin America Voices from Latin America were heard from November 11 to 14 at the Latin American Energy Organization’s (OLADE) fourth edition of Energy Week, in Lima, Peru. Women leaders spoke about what it’s like to live without access to energy, the challenges for women in the energy sector, and […]
Opinion by Eco Matser, co-authored by Merit Hindriks Digitalization is transforming the energy sector in both developed and developing economies. Every year, new tools and processes are altering energy providers’ business models and creating completely new ones. This changes how energy providers interact with their customers and allows new players to enter the energy market. […]
Kajiado County and its efforts to bring decentralized renewable energy to its people Kajiado County is predominantly semi-arid and sits on the outskirts of Nairobi in the south of Kenya. At the moment, about 39 percent of the county has energy coverage. And this is something Dr. James Sankale (Chief Officer at the Ministry of […]
Guest blog by Ann Songole and Bob Aston The silence could have easily been mistaken for inactivity except that there was a systematic production work in progress. On this particular day, ARTI Energy, a briquette manufacturing company in Salasala in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania had hosted 12 organizations that were attending a Hivos Green and […]
Op-ed by Eco Matser Whoever still thinks climate change is purely an environmental issue, threatening only nature, needs to think again. Climate change is also essentially a human issue because of its devastating effect on human life – and rights. It exacerbates existing inequalities, undermines democracy and threatens development at large. Likewise, by far the greatest […]
Opinion by Merit Hindriks At a time when deniers of climate change call it fake news, climate activists call for more rigorous action, and high-level policymakers battle over “who pays”, it is journalists who try to make sense of it all. Their difficult mission is instrumental in our understanding of climate change and its effect […]