WLPGA participating in New Asian Development Bank Energy Partnership that aims to reach 100 million People by 2015
Please click here to access the corresponding ADB press release. Please click here for the Partnership hompage
The need for cross-sector partnerships to provide sustainable energy solutions to the poor is more pressing than ever in the Asia-Pacific region, where more than more than 800 million people have no access to energy, and nearly 1.8 billion people still rely on traditional biomass fuels to meet their cooking and heating needs.
During the Asia Clean Energy and Climate Week 2009, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched the Energy for All Partnership (E 4 All), which aims to provide access to modern energy to an additional 100 million people in the Asia-Pacific region by 2015. WLPGA has been invited to lead the E 4 All Working Group on LP Gas and joined the launch event that took place at ADB's headquarters in Manila in June.
Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, ADB vice-president for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, speaking at the launch, said the E 4 All Partnership will emphasize low-cost, environmentally friendly technologies such as LP Gas and innovative financing mechanisms such as Microfinance that will enable even the poorest households to gain access to energy. This will have a significant impact on all households, especially on women and children and particularly regarding their health security.
“For households without energy, the benefits of access are immediate and life-changing,” said Ms. Schaefer-Preuss. “The benefits of modern energy extend across the spectrum of human development, from improved health, education and social equality, to increased economic opportunity and higher agricultural productivity."
The E 4 All Partnership will support an initial phase of six working groups – on domestic biogas, solar lanterns, LP Gas, financing for energy services, energy enterprise development, and the Pacific region – that will design and implement programs, such as increasing microfinance lending for energy investments, or replicating business models for private-sector service delivery.
The E 4 All Partnership is a key pillar of WLPGA’s work on promoting the use of LP Gas in the Asia Pacific region. Michael Kelly, WLPGA Director of Market Development, speaking during the event, noted that “The LP Gas industry understands that there is great opportunity that exists at the ‘bottom of pyramid’ in the Asia Pacific region and that partnering with organizations such as the ADB is an excellent way to open new markets for WLPGA members while furthering the development goals of the ADB and national governments. This initiative will leverage the work of partner organizations for greater impact and wider benefits for our members and the communities they operate in.
