As we enter a new year, with more exciting developments on the horizon, we want to take a moment to share some reflections on 2023.
The past year has tested our hopes for a more peaceful future. EPP’s work sits at the intersection of conflict and climate change, at a time when both are on the rise. Today’s newsletter is headlined by the war in Israel-Palestine and possible regional escalation. The war in Ukraine continues, as does the civil war and collapse of Sudan, and resurgent violence in Ethiopia. At the same time, the evidence of climate change is all around us, highlighted by the recent announcement of 2023 as the hottest year on record. Populism is on the rise, and multilateralism and democracy are under threat. The fallout from these crises have further stretched an already overwhelmed and underfunded humanitarian system, and severely challenged the international peacemaking architecture.
Despite these negative trends we remain optimistic about the future, convinced that our efforts to link climate solutions with fragile settings are gaining traction. We remain committed to the potential of renewable energy as a tool for peace and development for communities in fragile states, and we see signs - such as the first-ever emphasis on both peace and fragility at COP28 in Dubai - that more people see the need for hybrid solutions to ever more complex problems. Our work has benefitted from strong partnerships with a growing set of local partners and renewable energy project developers - like Nuru in the DRC, IOM in South Sudan, ZIZ Energie in Chad, Prado Power and Havenhill in Nigeria, and DEPCO in Somalia, to name a few. It can be a challenge to reconcile the positive impact of our work at the community level with increased instability at the national, regional, and global level. We take inspiration from the growing number of local companies and entrepreneurs working in challenging settings to increase renewable energy access in their local communities. Global instability appears set to continue into 2024, and as we head into the new year it is imperative that we continue to invest in innovative solutions that offer new climate-friendly ways to support peace.