The True Costs of Inaction
The WIREC (Washington International Renewable Energy Conference) wrap-up Report highlighted GVEP International's paper underlining the true costs of inaction on climate change and poverty reduction. Sarah Adams, CEO of GVEP International, was invited to participate and speak at the Washington International Energy Conference (WIREC) held in Washington, D.C., March 4-6, 2008 in the Ministerial Level Concurrent Session: Rural and Economic Development.
This session was one of four included in the Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Focal Theme.
The objective of the Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Focal Theme was to assess the role that agriculture and forestry could play in scaling up renewable energy and promoting rural development. These sectors play a pivotal role in improving the environment, rural economies through jobs and wealth creation, and rural empowerment with additional educational, health, and other public services.
The Panel included James R. Kunder, Deputy Administrator, United States Agency for International Development (Moderator), Eng. Albert Mutare, Minister of State for Energy, Rwanda; Jamal Saghir, Director for Energy, Transport, and Water, World Bank; Sarah Adams, CEO, GVEP International (Global Village Energy Partnership); Doug Faulkner, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture; Yasuo Watanabe, Deputy Director General, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan.
“We are reminded once again that this… is not just about energy, important though that is. This is ultimately about people …about peoples’ challenges, opportunities, and lives as participants in the global economy.Many of our discussants raised this human perspective, but perhaps noneso eloquently as Sarah Adams, who is CEO of the Global Village Energy Partnership International.” Thomas Dorr, Under Secretary of State for Rural Development
See here for the wrap-up report to the conference given by Thomas Dorr, Under Secretary of State for Rural Development and here for the full GVEP International conference paper.