Energy Peace Partners and the Stimson Center’s Powering Peace Initiative, in collaboration with the Permanent Missions to the UN of Norway and the United Arab Emirates, are pleased to invite you to register for “Renewable Energy and the United Nations: A Green Spark for Peace in South Sudan,” a virtual event to be held on Tuesday 11 April from 11:00am to 12:15 pm ET (18:00 to 19:15 CET). The event is part of the series on evaluating energy options in peacekeeping as the UN aims to shift 80% of its energy supply to renewables by 2030.
UNMISS, the UN Mission in South-Sudan, is the single largest consumer of electricity in the country and as such a transition to renewable energy use in the Mission has the potential to contribute to green electrification of the country more broadly. The event will see the launch of a new report of the Powering Peace initiative (a partnership between Energy Peace Partners and the Stimson Center) entitled “Renewable Energy and the United Nations: a Green Spark for Peace in South-Sudan”. It will also examine the link between South Sudan’s conflict dynamics and its dependence on imported diesel for electricity, with heavily taxed supply chains controlled by conflict actors, ultimately leading to scarce and expensive energy access for South Sudanese. The report offers evidence that renewable energy investment in fragile, energy poor countries like South Sudan can help break the cycle of conflict and serve as a building block for future peace.
Speakers include:
Victoria Holt, Director, Dickey Center for International Understanding, Dartmouth College (moderator)
Elizabeth Rolando, Chief of Office of the UN Under Secretary General for Operational Support
Ameirah AlHefeiti , Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN
Hans Olav Ibrekk, Special Envoy for Climate and Security, Norway
Joseph Africano Bartel, Undersecretary of Environment, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Republic of South Sudan
Guang Cong, UNMISS, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General
Rutu Dave, World Bank Senior Energy Specialist and Team Leader, Leave No One Behind Program
Eugene Chen (Lead author, Director of the Prevention and Peacebuilding Program at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation)
Flora McCrone (Lead author, Visiting Fellow at the LSE's Firoz Lalji Insitute for Africa)
Dave Mozersky (Contributing author, President, Energy Peace Partners)