New INFORSE action plan

At the INFORSE Coordinators' Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, January 26-30, an overall Action Plan for the coming three years was elaborated. It makes a clear distinction between activities geared towards international policy and those addressing goals of increased cooperation among INFORSE members, particularly South - South cooperation.

Influence the Global Agenda for Sustainable Energy

Sustainable Energy in the Rio Process

A major focus for INFORSE activities will be the preparations for the UN Commission for Sustainable Development, session on energy (CSD 9) in 2001. This will be the major UN event on energy in the next few years. It is part of the Rio process, linking environment and development with energy questions.

To be involved. INFORSE will follow the official negotiations and set up a task force to prepare input from the Network.

The political strategy upon which it is based, will also be updated as part of the involvement in the CSD 9 preparations.

Climate and Desertification Negotiations

Several INFORSE organisations are involved in negotiations following the climate convention and the convention on desertification. These negotiations have clear links to Sustainable energy, and INFORSE should be involved in support of the members involved. For the Desertification Convention, the activities will focus on the Conference of the Parties (countries) in Dakar to November, 1998. In general, INFORSE members are asked to inform the Network about their participation to the negotiations, to facilitate joint INFORSE activities "on the spot".

A classical example of successful South - South cooperation is the development of efficient charcoal stoves to Africa, where the "Thai Bucket Stove" was used as inspiration for the Kenya Ceramic Jiko (picture) that is disseminated by the millions to East Africa, and was used as the basis for similar stoves in West Africa.

Information and Awareness Activities

The basic news channels of the Network, i.e. this newsletter and the INFORSE website will be improved, and new channels of communication will be added. Plans include an email list and, if funds can be made available, a French edition of Sustainable Energy News with special focus on West African problems. A new task force will assist the secretariat giving special attention to the internet activities.

The regional coordinators will only meet to person every second year, and will meet virtually via email conferences on alternate years.

South - South - North Cooperation

The other major INFORSE activity will be to foster increased South - South - North cooperation among its members. The focus will be on using experience gained to one Southern country to support the development in other countries/regions, and to supplement with experience from the North. It is the intention to develop projects that demonstrate alternative models for sustainable energy development. A small South - South North Cooperation Fund will be formed to support and facilitate such cooperation, primarily preparation of specific cooperative projects. Current ideas are:

· Exchange of biogas experience, starting with an international biogas conference in India in late '98 or early '99, followed by bilateral cooperation projects.

· Cooperation on small hydro-power, e.g, with members in India and Nepal.

· Renewable-energy island projects, starting with the ongoing mapping of initiatives done by Forum for Energy & Development, Denmark.

· Urban household energy.

· Production of efficient stoves,

· Palm oil for electricity generation.

· An internet-based education package.

Targeting International Policy The 8 INFORSE members represented at the Climate Negotiations in Kyoto took the opportunity to make an INFORSE statement and to hold a press meeting at December 8, '97. They pointed at the large potential to combine CO2 emission reductions with creations of new jobs. They also urged industrialised countries' leaders to accept significant reductions in C02 emissions to the climate negotiations and to take the lead to sustainable energy development by implementing efficient and renewable energy technologies on a large scale. Many other NGOs and networks also called for C02 reductions at the climate negotiations in Kyoto

Regions

The regional activities will continue to be an important part of the Network activities, and need not be limited to the above-mentioned global activities. With the new concept of national focal points of INFORSE, increased national activities are expected in countries with more members.

All INFORSE members will receive a copy of the full INFORSE action plan.