The University of Strathclyde are seeking to engage with the Alliance membership on renewable energy in Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda. Strathclyde hosts the Scottish Government’s Global Renewables Centre (GRC) which aims to provide a hub for facilitating knowledge exchange between stakeholders in international development partner countries and the Scottish renewables sector, offering networking, shared learning, and resources that enhance global citizenship and enable increased deployment of sustainable energy.
The Strathclyde team have been engaging widely with stakeholders in the partner countries to develop the strategic focus of the GRC and are now keen to hear perspectives on challenges and opportunities around renewables from Scottish stakeholders.
Although the GRC will have a strong focus on technical and policy aspects of renewable energy, cross-cutting themes of leadership from the Global South, climate justice, and gender mainstreaming are also a priority. The GRC aims to ensure that voices and perspectives of communities from the Global South are represented and included in its decision-making processes.
The GRC will also work to promote local ownership and leadership of renewable energy projects, ensuring that communities from the Global South have a meaningful say in how these projects are designed and implemented.
Climate justice will be a focal point of stakeholder engagement, acknowledging that climate change has the highest impact on low-income communities and marginalised groups who are least responsible for the causes; and that renewable energy has the potential to support mitigation and adaption efforts. The GRC also recognises the impact access to energy can have on contributing to gender equality and will place a focus on removing gender-based barriers to participation in the renewable energy sector.
Engagement events will be advertised in due course; however, any members with an interest or experience in deployment of renewable energy to support their development work are encouraged to get in touch via sgglobalrenewables@strath.ac.uk, the Strathclyde team would love to hear from you!