Access to Energy Needs More Coordination Among Key Stakeholders
New Delhi, 19.09.2008 - World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Delegates from business, government, non-governmental organizations and financial institutions yesterday discussed ways to provide sustainable, affordable and reliable energy services for currently underserved populations in India. The one-day stakeholder dialogue on access to energy in India was co-organized by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Energy and Resources Institute Business Council for Sustainable Development (TERI-BCSD India).
The discussion focused on understanding India's current and future energy needs and the Government of India's on-going efforts to reach remote rural areas, on exploring viable business models for sustainable energy services at the local level and identifying the enabling factors and incentives to scale up the successful models. In this regard, panelists stressed the importance of creating strong entrepreneurial franchise models for the delivery of energy products and services and to facilitate their access to the right financing mechanisms.
Dialogue participants agreed that it is important to connect the various actors from business, NGOs, financing institutions, and government agencies more closely to enhance the sharing of experience and to work together on solutions. WBCSD and TERI BCSD India will build on the outcomes of this dialogue to help promote coordination and cooperation between the key stakeholders to develop sustainable business models for access to energy in India and beyond.
The key speakers at the dialogue included representatives from WBCSD members ABB, AES, BP, Ecosecurities, GE, and Philips. Also present were delegates from the Ministry of Power, Government of India, the Chattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), TERI, the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Asian Development Bank, private sector representatives from some of the leading energy and financial services companies in India, as well as representatives from non-governmental organizations including GVEP International, the READ Foundation, REEEP and SNV Netherlands Development Organization.
This stakeholder dialogue was part of the WBCSD’s "Energy for Development" work stream, which aims to explore sustainable and replicable business models to expand access to energy services in developing countries including the deployment of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures. The WBCSD provides a safe convening platform for dialogues involving diverse stakeholders, it documents and shares companies’ experiences providing affordable and sustainable energy services; and it helps to identify and promote ways to increase (international) financial flows for sustainable energy provision.