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26 November - 7 December, 2012 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18 /CMP 8)
HELIO hosted two side events at COP 18, one on its own in the EU Pavilion and one in cooperation with INFORSE, a HELIO network member. Both events looked at the central role of energy in adaptation activites. HELIO's panel looked that importance of good policy approaches. Examples from current efforts in Togo, Niger and Taiwan were presented. INFORSE presenters gave examples of on-the-ground projects in India and Mali and how these projects contribute to adaptation activities.
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20-21 September, 2012: Cours sur la diplomatie de l'énergie
HELIO was invited for a second year in a row to talk diplomats about the importance of energy systems and policies that are climate-proofed. Participants from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Turkey and the Ukraine discussed what tools can be used in insure that climate-proofing is successful. Click here to access a copy of the presentation. (Presentation only available in French.)
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13 -22 June, 2012: UN Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20)
HELIO, along with INFORSE (a HELIO network member) hosted a side-event at RIO+20 that looked at the role green energy can play in the green economy. Participants heard about tools that can be used to monitor progress and identify development and investment opportunities and heard about the results of good practices.
Click here to see a full listing of RIO+20 side-events.
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3-4 February, 2012: Oxford Climate Forum
The Oxford Climate Forum is the UK's highest-profile conference on climate change organised by students, bringing leading thinkers and doers under one roof to discuss the key environmental concerns facing the global community. HELIO was invited to present on how developing countries can leap-frog over OECD countries in the area of energy. For more information about the event, including speaker information, click on the Oxford logo.
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26 January, 2012: Assises Nationales de l'énergie 2012
Held in Dunkerque, France, this annual event looks at the use and application of energy in municipalities. HELIO was part of an IUCN-France organised panel that looked at renewable energy and biodiversity. Our presentation focused on the role energy governance can play in preserving biodiversity as well as assuring access to clean energy services. (Presentation available only in FR)
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28 November - 9 December, 2011: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17 /CMP 7)
HELIO International participated at the first week of COP 17 in Durban, South Africa. During this time, HELIO hosted or co-hosted several side events. The focus of these events was on climate, energy and development. For copies of the various presentations please click on the event listed below.
Nov 28 10:30 EU Pavilion, Room: Warsaw Ecodevelopment and Sustainable Energy Policies: Axel Michaelowa; Hélène Connor & Laura E. Williamson
Dec 1, 11:30, Room: Hex River Implementation of Adaptation Actions and Tools for Decision-making to Enhance Development Plans: Laura E. Williamson
Dec 2 16:45, Room: Indwe River Renewable Energy Policies for Climate Resilience, Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction: Laura E. Williamson
Please consult the UNFCCC site for other presentations given at the above Dec 1 and 2 events. (Select "COP17/CMP7" from the drop down menu and click "Refresh".)
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17-25 November, 2011: Cours sur la diplomatie de l'énergie
HELIO International delivered a course at the 2nd Course on "Energy Diplomacy" at the L’Institut Diplomatique de la Bulgarie in Sofia, Bulgaira. In this capacity building course, aimed at diplomats, Dr. Connor presented relevant information on the energy sector, sectoral policy development and the evolving role of diplomacy in the energy sector. Drawing on the experience of its TIPEE project, HELIO's talk focused on the development of energy policies that are both climate-proofed and support ecodevelopment and outlined the role diplomacy can play in making this a reality.
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24-25 October, 2011: Global Eco-Forum
Held in Barcelona, Spain the Global Eco-Forum aimed to promote dialogue, innovation and collaboration to support sustainability in the Euro-Mediterranean region. HELIO was part of a session looking at how to connect Northern and Southern European citizens. Given it's focus on energy, HELIO's presentation addressed this topic indirectly by arguing that current energy policies are not aligned with ecodevelopment principles, and therefore has local, regional and global consequences. These consequences have shaped our relationship with our neighbors. Thus if any proper dialog on energy issues is to be built between the "North and South" it has to start by questioning the different "prices" that communities ultimately pay (i.e level of corruption, diversion of capital from social services, pollution, energy dependency, geopolitical instability, climate change, etc.) for their countries and/or region's energy policies. Questions asked by audience members focused on local governance issues and particularly on the case of Desertec, a proposed concentrated solar power installation in North Africa to provide energy to southern Europe, which, despite being a renewable energy development will have to address the social or political issues that can't be properly be answered by a purely economical or technical approach. Click here for an executive report of the Global Eco-Forum meeting.
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6-12 October, 2011: Climate-proofing Energy Policies - Fine Tuning Workshop
HELIO led national TIPEE workshops were held in Togo and Cameroon. Each event brought together the TIPEE national team with other national experts from government, academia and civil society to exchange information and experiences so as to strengthen each country report. The workshops had two key objectives: 1) to “fine-tune” each report by having experts comment on the data used, the indicator calculation and the supporting analysis, and 2) to raise awareness of the TIPEE approach and illustrate how it could be used by other experts to complement their vulnerability and adaptation work. Final results from this work will be summarised in a short briefing document that will be presented and widely disseminated at COP 17 in Durban.
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14-16 June, 2011: Climate-proofing Energy Policies - Training Workshop
In cooperation with IEPF and the governments of Cameroon and Togo, HELIO hosted a training workshop on its latest tool TIPEE. TIPEE is a methodology and a series of indicators that allows decision makers to check how well national energy policies are contributing to ecodevelopment under fluctuating weather conditions. Using this tool decision-makers can make use of available information to make better energy decisions. The three-day workshop, held in Lomé, Togo, brought together energy analysts from both Cameroon and Togo. For a copy of the workshop report, email us at: helio (at) helio-international.org
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21 April, 2011: Climate Initiative, Clean Energy for All in Africa
This initiative was launched by the French and Kenyan Governments to help countries most vulnerable to climate change secure reliable, affordable and sustainable energy services. HELIO participated in the panel discussion on “Enhancing Capacity Building and Projects Management” and presented its work climate-proofing energy systems.
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29 November - 10 December 2010: UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16 /CMP 6)
HELIO attended the second week of COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico. In addition to meeting with its network members and funders, HELIO staff presented its work on climate-proofing energy systems and policies at two-side events.
HELIO staff members also visited an anticipated REDD+ project in Mexico's Great Selva Maya forest. This project allows visitors to see first hand how local communities (with the help of NGOs) are both using and preserving the forest through innovative management schemes. Research is also carried to improve understanding of this little-studied and unique ecosystem. Dozens of farmers are also involved in research projects, allowing them to add a new perspective to their traditional knowledge and extensive. For more information contact: Dawn Ward [dawnward (at) ufl.edu] (English) or Sébastien Proust [sebastienproust (at) gmail.com] (French, Spanish).
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18-19 November 2010: DG Research Seminar "New ways of doing research which address societal challenges"
This two-day meeting involved researchers and social actors from various disciplines to learn about new ways of doing research, to explore their potential contribution to addressing effectively societal challenges and to discuss how to promote promising practices for the future. As part of the exercise, all participants were asked to provide a concrete example of a new way of doing research. These examples were shared among participants with a view of collating practical features and key learning. HELIO's example can be read here. Click here for more information about the Seminar.
(The results from this seminar will inform various developments within the European Research Area and the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.)
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10-15 October 2010: Seventh African Development Forum (ADF-VII): Acting on Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa
As a member of the Coalition pour le Dialogue sur l’Afrique delegation HELIO participated in the 7th African Development Forum held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. HELIO also gave a presentation at the World Bank side event "Energy and Climate Change for Development" as part of the Forum’s session 'Ensuring Energy Security in the Face of a Changing Climate". The presentation looked at climate-proofing energy systems and outlined the need to have clean, efficient and resilient energy systems in order to have lasting and prosperous development. It also stressed that ecodevelopment concerns must be integrated into government energy planning.
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29 June - 2 July, 2010: Capacity Building Workshop - Réseau Climat & Développement (Climate & Development Network) This capacity building workshop was held in Dakar, Senegal and focused on the development of resilient and low carbon development activities. Tools and case studies were presented; the regional focus was West and francophone Africa. HELIO presented its work (in French) on energy system vulnerability and resilience. To see the participants, click on the photo
For more information about le Réseau Climat & Développement click here
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4-6 February 2010: Recontres Climat et Habitat en Méditeranée
This workshop looked at the impacts on communities in the Mediterranean area and outlined what adaptation approaches could be taken. HELIO gave a presentation that looked the need for cities and towns to adapt from an energy perspective. Click here to see a list of speakers and to obtain copies of the various presentations.
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16 December 2009: Energy Access and Poverty Alleviation (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - COP 15/CMP 5)
HELIO International, in partnership with the Global Network for Sustainable Energy and Development, hosted a side event at the UNFCCC's meeting (COP 15). Both organisations outlined their most recent work on reducing vulnerabilities to climate change. UFZ also participated.
HELIO presented the findings from its latest project: Climate-proofing Energy Systems. For more information about the side event and the VAR project, click here.
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28 April - 3 May, 3009: Participatory Energy and Foresight
The EFONET Project aims to provide relevant policy input to the review of the EU Energy Strategy, the establishment of the Strategic Technology Plan, and implementation of the Action Plan for Energy Efficiency. At the April workshop participants discussed the concept of Participatory energy foresight with the EU and how to overcome cultural and language barriers.
HELIO gave a presentation on participatory foresight and governance in the energy sector.
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16 - 17 February, 2009: NEEDS - Presentation of Findings
The European and Social Committee held a conference on the "External Costs of Energy Technologies". The partners of the 6th Framework Programme research project "NEEDS: New Energy Externality Development for Sustainability" presented findings on external costs of various technologies, with a view to helping policy makers assess the global costs of competing technologies. The EESC members and stakeholders (of which HELIO was one) highlighted persistent uncertainties as to the quantification of social and environmental costs. It was clear that social evaluation must complement economic assessment of energy technologies BEFORE decisions are made.
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4 -6 February, 2009: GRI Electric Utilities Sector Supplement (EUSS)
At this meeting, the EUSS Working Group was finalised the sector supplement. The EUSS is will now be reviewed by GRI's Technical Advisory Committee and Board of Directors. Anticipated approval is expected end of March 2009 with an April 15 launch at CERES 2009 Conference in San Francisco, USA. A European launch will be held by ENEL, May 2009 in Rome. (Update: The Supplement is now available for public use - click on the GRI logo for more information.)
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30 October - 1 November, 2008: Vulnerability - Adaptation - Energy Resilience (VAR)
HELIO energy experts met in Bamako, Mali to review and revise draft methodology and indicators to measure the vulnerability and resilience of energy systems to anticipated climate change impacts. The three-day workshop also worked on adapting the methodology to better address data constraints faced by African experts.
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6 - 10 October, 2008: NATO Advanced Research Workshop: Weather/ Climate Risk Management for the Energy Sector
HELIO presented a paper [PDF, 431 KB] that demonstrated how indicators can be used as a way of improving communication on energy systems vulnerability, resilience and adaptation to climate change. Individual articles can be accessed here. For a copy of the publication, click here.
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