30 November 2021
11:30–13:00

Beirut time

Forum

Renewable energy, development and gender in rural areas: Lebanon

Group photo at Chaqdouf, Akkar Lebanon
Location
  • Akkar Al Atika, Lebanon
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Picture from the event

Picture from the event

Renewable Energy Applications in Rural Areas

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Under the “Regional Initiative for Promoting Small-Scale Renewable Energy Applications in rural areas of the Arab region" (REGEND), and within the framework of the Eleventh International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development, ESCWA is organizing a multi-stakeholder forum on the use of small-scale renewable energy technology in entrepreneurial development and gender mainstreaming in productive sectors within rural areas in Lebanon.

The objectives of the forum are to:

  • Present and reflect on REGEND’s best practices, success stories, and lessons learned and discuss effective and sustainable partnerships for future coordination and collaboration after the initiative's completion;
  • Bring together a diverse range of national stakeholders and assist them to design and implement, in a participatory manner, solutions to the issues and opportunities identified by REGEND;
  • Function as a platform for information exchange and dialogue and stimulate the institutionalization of rural entrepreneurial activities;
  • Assist in the establishment of an active network of practitioners within the productive sectors of rural areas and thus strengthen local capacities to increase the uptake of small-scale renewable energy and attract investment;
  • Develop a strategic agenda on renewable energy and rural development, devising practical projects to spread awareness on renewable energy technologies and their application in integrated sustainable development models for empowering rural women and youth.

Outcome document

Recommendations for the development of a strategic agenda on renewable energy and rural development and the establishment of the network of rural practitioners

  • Maintain and increase the coordination among local stakeholders to share experiences, grow businesses, and ensure maximizing the benefit out of the installed small scale renewable energy systems.
  • Continue to provide integrated programs for capacity building, and designing new programs to keep pace with any developments, to ensure the sustainability of REGEND.
  • Expand to attract more relevant stakeholders locally.
  • Follow innovative marketing and financial management practices to ensure the sustainability of the productive activities.
  • The beneficiaries to use the benefits of REGEND and building on its business model in order to self-develop themselves and their communities including using the revenues generated from the project to expand and diversify their income generating activities.

The presentation covered REGEND’s highlights where the project was selected in 2021 as an SDG Good Practice as well as being featured in the United Nations High Level Dialogue on Energy 2021 Theme Report on Enabling SDGs Through Inclusive, Just Energy Transitions. Moreover, it detailed REGEND’s field projects, capacity building activities, and productive equipment implemented and procured in Lebanon along with their concrete impact on the lives and activities of the beneficiaries.

The session delved into the various achieved benefits resulting from REGEND’s integrated business model where the heads of the cooperatives gave their testimony about how the project was able to empower the organizations’ growth, provide free electricity in current situation in Lebanon when no electricity is available, reduce production costs and increase productivity and income, and enhance the living standards of the community. The beneficiaries talked in detail about the solar systems, capacity building workshops, and the productive equipment.

The session shed the light on the possible practices for rural women to follow to have access for financing and increase their income. Management methods such as marketing, financial management are of great importance to ensure the sustainability of the productive activities.

Initiatives: REGEND, Arab Centre for Climate Change Policies

Event details

Presentations

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