Embargo: 5 am Arusha time (2 am GMT) November 12th 2010

Legislators from throughout Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific have gathered at the Arusha Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania, to discuss how they can supply electricity to their nations without harming the planet.

The international hearing, which has been convened by an international NGO called the Climate Parliament, is opening today (12th November) with a field trip to Oldonyosambu village, where the Italian Istituto Oikos has installed solar panels, biogas digesters and improved cooking stoves.

Over the weekend, the 19 legislators will share their experience on how they have promoted renewable energy in their national parliaments. In this process they will be able to call on advice from the following experts:

•    Nicholas Dunlop, Secretary-General, Climate Parliament, who will be making a presentation on how a commitment of just 1% of national budgets to support renewable energy could combat climate change and ensure access to clean energy for all.
•    Dr.Sanjay Kumar, India Director, Climate Parliament, will present from India via video link on how much 1% of government budgets could achieve.
•    Tri Mumpuni, Executive Director, People Centred Economic and Business Institute (IBEKA) in Indonesia, on combining public and private investment to: • enable small islands and remote villages to harness their natural resources and become producers of clean, renewable energy through stand-alone and mini-grid systems, and • build cross-border regional connections to enable sharing of renewable energy resources in order to ensure 100% reliable supply for all.
•    Jonathan Curren, Managing Director, Camco South Africa, on how Feed-in Tariffs, renewable energy obligations on utilities, loan guarantees and other economic incentive measures, combined with public spending, can stimulate a switch to clean energy

This is the last in a series of nine international hearings for African, Caribbean and Pacific Island legislators funded by the European Commission and the Swedish Development Agency (SIDA) on the subject of ‘Energy Access for the Poor’. Previous hearings in the series have taken place in Kenya, Ghana, Tobago, Guyana, Mozambique, Vanuatu, Cameroon and Fiji.

The legislators attending at Arusha have all taken part in one of the previous Climate Parliament hearings and will be reporting back on their experience promoting renewables in their national parliaments.

The following MPs have confirmed their attendance at Arusha:

Dora Byamukama, Member of the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA), Uganda.
Angela Njodo Ciffre MP, Zambia
Picewell Forbes MP, Bahamas
John Kigyagi MP, Uganda
David Koech MP, Kenya
Georgette Koko MP, Gabon
Bernadette Lahai MP, Sierra Leone
Jacqueline Muhongayire M EALA, Rwanda
George Nangala M EALA, Tanzania
Jackson Ngiraingas MP, Palau
Eusebe Ossagou MP, Gabon
Danielle Perrier MP, Mauritius
Genevieve Pea-Pea MP, DRC
Michael Peart MP, Jamaica
Nasrin Pillane MP, Malawi
Abdou Sane MP, Senegal
Norbert Tiendrebeogo MP, Burkina Faso
Jean-Jacques Zam MP, Cameroon

The Climate Parliament’s Chairman, Graham Watson MEP, will also attend the hearing.

While this is the last hearing in the Energy Access series, the Climate Parliament will continue working with ACP legislators, providing them with resources and reporting on their progress on the Climate Parliament website.

ARTICLE ENDS
NOTES
Members of the press are welcome to join the opening session of the hearing in the morning of Saturday November 13.
There will also be an opportunity to speak with Nicholas Dunlop, Secretary-General of the Climate Parliament, in advance of the hearing – on Friday 12th November in the morning. Please apply to Susana Guerreiro on +255 687 779768 or James Corre on +255 687 779762 for more details. (Susana and James will be arriving in Tanzania on Thursday 11th November.)
Nicholas Dunlop and Graham Watson will be available for interview. For any interviews please contact james@climateparl.net or susana@climateparl.net. (They are both in Tanzania). Out of hours please contact jasper@climateparl.net (in the UK).

 

 

   

The Climate Parliament would like to thank the European Union and the Swedish Development Agency (SIDA) for funding this project.This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union and SIDA.. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Climate Parliament and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.