Paris - 06 déc. 2011: IBM et l’organisme caritatif de développement international Practical Action annoncent la création d’Aid Energy. Cette nouvelle association caritative mondiale  a pour mission de fournir une énergie durable à tous ceux qui y ont un accès limité, voire aucun, alors qu’elle est indispensable au fonctionnement du chauffage, de l'éclairage, de la cuisine, des communications et du travail mécanique.

•    Ce projet est soutenu par le Secrétaire d'Etat au Développement International et par l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour le Développement Industriel

•    La stratégie inclut une campagne de sensibilisation mondiale, une base de connaissances libre d’accès et la création d'un fonds d'investissement

•    L’ONU évalue à 1.3 milliards le nombre de personnes qui n’ont aucun accès à l'électricité, et à 1 milliard ceux qui ont un accès limité ou peu fiable.

Energy Aid fournira dans les zones les plus pauvres du monde - l’Amérique du Sud, l'Asie du Sud et l’Afrique Sub-saharienne - l’investissement de base ainsi que différentes ressources telles que des données, de la technologie, des compétences et les résultats de différents travaux de recherche. Ceci permettra de soutenir les différentes organisations caritatives et agences qui travaillent dans ces régions sur des projets énergétiques afin d’aider les autochtones à trouver une solution à leur pauvreté énergétique. Actuellement, plus de 80% de ces projets dédiés à l’énergie n’atteignent pas leurs objectifs et l'investissement caritatif est dès lors sous pression. Cette situation met en évidence le besoin d'une association qui s’engage auprès des organisations et des associations locales, et qui encourage la collaboration entre les secteurs public, privé et associatif susceptibles d’attirer l'investissement privé.

Energy Aid fournira une assistance via trois stratégies clefs:

1 - Campagne mondiale : une campagne de sensibilisation lancée en 2012 mettra en exergue les problèmes d’accès à l’énergie. Cela permettra de récolter des fonds qui seront réinjectés dans les divers projets sélectionnés.

2 - Base de connaissances libre d’accès : accès libre à des données, des ressources, des technologies et des travaux de recherche  qui pourront inclure des informations issues de projets réussis, et une base de données sur des personnes et des lieux ayant besoin d’être aidés. Le tout sera mis à la disposition des ONG et des associations afin de leur fournir une aide en termes de planification et d’exécution de projets.

3 - Fonds : le fonds d'Energy Aid va mobiliser et investir de l'argent pour des projets méritants, durables et susceptibles de changer la donne actuelle. Agissant en investisseur prudent évoluant dans un environnement à haut-risques, le fonds identifiera les opportunités de créer des marchés économiquement viables et durables, qui attireront à leur tour l'investissement privé. 

IBM et Practical Action

En tant que partenaire fondateur, IBM a fourni dès la phase de développement initiale sa force de travail pour donner vie à l’association caritative. L’entreprise a également  mis ses connaissances technologiques au service de l’infrastructure IT afin de mettre en œuvre la base de connaissances ouverte.

L'énergie durable devient une source de préoccupation majeure : 2012 a été annoncée comme "L’Année de l’énergie durable pour tous" par l’ONU. Le Secrétaire général Ban Ki-moon s’implique personnellement et le Sommet “planète Terre” à Rio le 20 juin 2012 visera à faciliter l’accès à l’énergie. 

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Energy Aid Founded by IBM and Practical Action Launches to Provide Universal Energy Access 

 

New charity dedicated to the global eradication of energy poverty

• Supported by Secretary of State for International Development and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation

 
• Strategy includes a global awareness campaign, an Open Knowledge Base and the creation of an investment fund

 
• UN estimates that 1.3 billion people have no access to electricity and a further 1 billion have limited or unreliable access

 
LONDON, UK, December 5, 2011: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and international development charity Practical Action today announce the launch of Energy Aid, a new global charity with a mission to provide sustainable energy for those who have limited or no access for heating, lighting, cooking, communications and mechanical work.

 
Energy Aid recognises that improved access to energy can be a route out of poverty for the 1.3 billion people globally who have no access to electricity. As a result, the charity will identify and address issues preventing large portions of the population from using electricity safely such as helping the 2.7 billion people a year who cook with biomass, wood, dung, coal and other solid fuels to avoid indoor smoke from cooking stoves[1]. Surpassing the death toll caused by Malaria, indoor smoke kills 1.4 million people each year, most of which are women and children. 

Energy Aid will provide investment and resources including data, technology, skills and research across the world’s poorest areas including South America, South Asia and sub Saharan Africa. This will support charities and agencies running or planning energy projects in these regions, helping people to find their own way out of energy poverty. Currently more than 80 percent [2] of these energy projects are not achieving their goals and charitable investment is under pressure. This situation highlights the need for a charity that will support local organisations and charities and encourage collaboration between the private, public and charity sectors which can attract private investment.

 
"Energy Aid is an excellent initiative and I support their call to business leaders to help address such an important issue” said Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, Secretary of State for International Development. "Sustainable, reliable energy supplies are vital if businesses in the poorest countries are to grow and develop, while new technology and better use of renewables can bring low carbon energy to many more people. With better access to sustainable energy the poorest will be better placed to lift themselves out of poverty."

 
The London School of Economics sent researchers to projects in India and Peru to assess how Energy Aid could make a difference. The research discovered many projects would welcome support from a body such as Energy Aid not only with knowledge sharing and awareness programmes, but also in terms of guidance on funding access and visibility for projects. The promotion of charities like Energy Aid can place selected energy projects on a recognised international platform along with other successful ones.

 
"Energy powers human progress, from job generation and economic competitiveness, from strengthening security to empowering women. This is a matter of equity, first and foremost, but it is also an issue of urgent practical importance” said Kandeh Yumkella, Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.

Energy Aid will provide support through three key strategies:

1)Global campaign: An awareness campaign will launch in 2012 dedicated to raising the issue of energy access in the public conscience. The increased awareness will support fund-raising which will be made available for qualifying member projects.

 
2)Open Knowledge Base: An open source of data, resources, technologies and research potentially including information on existing project success stories and databases of people and places in need which will be accessible to NGOs, charities and other bodies to support and provide input to planning and project execution. It is dedicated to reducing the incidence of failure for energy access projects around the world, through support for collaboration between practitioners and the distribution of best practices, insights and experience.

 
3)Fund: The Energy Aid fund will raise and invest money into deserving long-term game-changing projects. Operating as a patient investor in high-risk environments, the fund will identify opportunities to create economically viable and sustainable markets, which in turn will attract private investment to achieve extensive scalability.

Founding Partners – IBM and Practical Action

The concept behind Energy Aid emerged from the HRH Prince of Wales’ ‘Start’ sustainability summit organised and run by IBM last year. As a founding partner IBM has provided early development support from its workforce to help bring the charity to life, and technology input to the IT and data infrastructure to support the Open Knowledge Base. IBM will continue to develop Open Knowledge Base projects utilising its analytical and technical capabilities alongside its Smarter Energy expertise. IBM will also give Energy Aid a leading role in its consumer behaviour change initiatives while using its extensive network of people and resources to support the awareness campaign.

 
"Just over a year ago at the IBM Sustainability Summit at Start held in London, one particular idea emerged that has since caught many people’s imagination - the idea of Energy Aid. Providing universal energy access is one of the most important challenges of our time but no one organisation can do this alone and collaborative approaches are now needed” said Stephen Leonard, Chief Executive, IBM UK and Ireland, Chair of the Trustees, Energy Aid. "Through the creation of Energy Aid these challenges will now be addressed through collaboration across Government, NGO and commercial organisations. IBM is proud to have been part of the creation and the development of Energy Aid and we remain committed to supporting its emergence as a charity of global importance."

 
“The creation of Energy Aid was inspired by the work of Practical Action. We have been working for over 40 years with communities providing them with the tools and opportunity they need to lift themselves out of poverty. Practical Action is an expert in energy solutions for the developing world and we are proud to be involved in this exciting initiative” said Simon Trace, CEO Practical Action and Founding Trustee, Energy Aid.

 
“Achieving universal energy access is a vital step in reducing extreme poverty, but current efforts to address the issue are too fragmented and are not changing the outlook quickly enough,” said Jonathan Steel, CEO of Energy Aid. "Our research shows that only a fifth [2] of projects in this space achieve their goals, and there is a lack of long-term planning and investment. We aim to address these shortfalls, combining commercial rigour, corporate expertise and finance with best-of-class NGO experience to create a charity for the 21st century that can work with existing actors to achieve the change we need. IBM and Practical Action are already on board, and we’re in discussion with many potential partners in the UK and around the world to support us in this mission.”

Sustainable energy is an increasingly prominent global concern; 2012 was announced as the "UN Year of Sustainable Energy for All,” with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon giving a personal commitment towards the cause, and the UN Earth Summit Rio 20 in June 2012 will focus on alleviating energy access.