Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity

Last updated

Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity (GERES) is an international development NGO set up in Marseille in 1976.

Contents

Background

The Groupement pour l'Exploitation Rationnelle de l'Energie Soldaire (Group for the Rational Use of Solar Energy) was founded on 14 September 1976,[ citation needed ] following the first oil crisis, at the initiative of teachers/researchers working with Georges Peri. Its aim was to put researchers and professionals in touch in order to develop solar energy solutions.

GERES changed its name first in 1986 (Groupe Energies Renouvelables / Renewable Energies Group), again in 1994 (Groupe Energies Renouvelables et Environnement / Renewable Energies and Environment Group), and then finally in 2008 (Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités / Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity) as it broadened its areas of intervention.[ citation needed ]

In 2004, GERES launched CO2Solidaire, the first French carbon offsetting programme.[ citation needed ]

Activities

As an organisation specialising in sustainable and renewable energies, climate change [1] and environmental protection, GERES works for an energy transition, along with natural resource conservation and improved living conditions for local people, both in Europe and in the developing world.[ citation needed ]

As lead agency for the Climate and Development Committee of Coordination SUD, for the period 2013 - 2016, GERES is working with other NGOs to engage in advocacy with authorities aimed at guiding national and international climate change policy.[ citation needed ]

GERES promotes renewable energy use and local economic development in four broad geographic areas: [2] Europe and the Mediterranean, West Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.

It is present in a dozen or so countries working alongside local development actors around five core themes:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Environment Programme</span> Agency of the United Nations focused on solving environmental issues

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972. Its mandate is to provide leadership, deliver science and develop solutions on a wide range of issues, including climate change, the management of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and green economic development. The organization also develops international environmental agreements; publishes and promotes environmental science and helps national governments achieve environmental targets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Energy Agency</span> Autonomous intergovernmental organisation

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organisation, established in 1974, that provides policy recommendations, analysis and data on the global energy sector. The 31 member countries and 13 association countries of the IEA represent 75% of global energy demand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in the European Union</span>

Renewable energy progress in the European Union (EU) is driven by the European Commission's 2023 revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, which raises the EU's binding renewable energy target for 2030 to at least 42.5%, up from the previous target of 32%. Effective since November 20, 2023, across all EU countries, this directive aligns with broader climate objectives, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Additionally, the Energy 2020 strategy exceeded its goals, with the EU achieving a 22.1% share of renewable energy in 2020, surpassing the 20% target.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clean technology</span> Any process, product, or service that reduces negative environmental impacts

Clean technology, also called cleantech or climatetech, is any process, product, or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities. Clean technology includes a broad range of technology related to recycling, renewable energy, information technology, green transportation, electric motors, green chemistry, lighting, grey water, and more. Environmental finance is a method by which new clean technology projects can obtain financing through the generation of carbon credits. A project that is developed with concern for climate change mitigation is also known as a carbon project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership</span> Organization for renewable energy

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is a Vienna-based Quasi-International Organisation that advances markets for renewable energy and energy efficiency with a particular emphasis on the emerging markets and developing countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy commercialization</span> Deployment of technologies harnessing easily replenished natural resources

Renewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years. First-generation technologies, which are already mature and economically competitive, include biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal power and heat. Second-generation technologies are market-ready and are being deployed at the present time; they include solar heating, photovoltaics, wind power, solar thermal power stations, and modern forms of bioenergy. Third-generation technologies require continued R&D efforts in order to make large contributions on a global scale and include advanced biomass gasification, hot-dry-rock geothermal power, and ocean energy. In 2019, nearly 75% of new installed electricity generation capacity used renewable energy and the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that by 2025, renewable capacity will meet 35% of global power generation.

SustainableEnergy (VedvarendeEnergi), which was called Danish Organisation for Renewable Energy (OVE) until 2010, is a non-governmental, non-profit, membership based association. SustainableEnergy was founded in 1975 based on a popular movement for renewable energy in Denmark with close relationship to the anti-nuclear movement (OOA), which had an immense popular backup.

The Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) is a youth organization in India that aims to raise the voice of Indian youth on the global platform, as South Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions affected by climate change and environmental issues. Further, IYCN is motivated by global need in the Indian context to adopt mitigation and adaptation policy measure to combat climate change. It is part of the International Youth Climate Movement, which has the same acronym of IYCM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EDF Renewables</span>

EDF Renewables is a wholly owned subsidiary of the French utility EDF Group, specializing in renewable energy production. As an integrated operator, the Group develops and finances the construction of renewable energy facilities, and manages operations and maintenance for its own account and for third parties.

The GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE (GEI) was founded in the U.S. in 2003 and was registered as an independent non-profit organization in the State of Delaware. GEI's mission was to design and implement market-based models for solving environmental problems in order to achieve development that is economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable. GEI was dissolved in October 2011. GEI's sister organization, the independent Beijing Chaoyang District Sustainable Global Environmental Institute in China (GEI-China) remains active.

Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) is the European branch of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International (FOEI). It includes 33 national organizations and thousands of local groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalkia</span>

Dalkia is an energy service company, subsidiary of the EDF Group. Its two main businesses consist in making the most of local renewables and unlocking energy savings. Dalkia develops alternative renewables, such as biomass, geothermal, biogas and recovered energies.

Ecosphere is a social enterprise that works on the sustainable development of Spiti Valley by focusing on economic empowerment, environmental conservation, and community development in the cold mountain desert of the Indian Trans-Himalayas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar power in Italy</span>

Solar power is an important contributor to electricity generation in Italy, accounting for 8% of the total in 2017. As of 2022, the country has a total installed capacity of 22.56 GW. In 2019, Italy set a national goal of reaching 50 GW by 2030.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy transition</span> Significant structural change in an energy system

An energy transition is a major structural change to energy supply and consumption in an energy system. Currently, a transition to sustainable energy is underway to limit climate change. As much sustainable energy is renewable it is also known as the renewable energy transition. The current transition aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy quickly and sustainably, mostly by phasing-down fossil fuels and changing as many processes as possible to operate on low carbon electricity. A previous energy transition perhaps took place during the Industrial Revolution from 1760 onwards, from wood and other biomass to coal, followed by oil and later natural gas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in Kenya</span>

Most of Kenya's electricity is generated by renewable energy sources. Access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy is one of the 17 main goals of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Development of the energy sector is also critical to help Kenya achieve the goals in Kenya Vision 2030 to become a newly industrializing, middle-income country. With an installed power capacity of 2,819 MW, Kenya currently generates 826 MW hydroelectric power, 828 geothermal power, 749 MW thermal power, 331 MW wind power, and the rest from solar and biomass sources. Kenya is the largest geothermal energy producer in Africa and also has the largest wind farm on the continent. In March 2011, Kenya opened Africa's first carbon exchange to promote investments in renewable energy projects. Kenya has also been selected as a pilot country under the Scaling-Up Renewable Energy Programmes in Low Income Countries Programme to increase deployment of renewable energy solutions in low-income countries. Despite significant strides in renewable energy development, about a quarter of the Kenyan population still lacks access to electricity, necessitating policy changes to diversify the energy generation mix and promote public-private partnerships for financing renewable energy projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Renewable Energy Agency</span> International organization

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It is the first international organisation to focus exclusively on renewable energy, addressing needs in both industrialised and developing countries. It was founded in 2009 and its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010. The agency is headquartered in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. The Director-General of IRENA is Francesco La Camera, a national of Italy. IRENA is an official United Nations observer.

Renewable energy in Thailand is a developing sector that addresses the country’s present high rate of carbon emissions. Several policies, such as the Thirteenth Plan or the Alternative Energy Development Plan, set future goals for increasing the capacity of renewable energy and reduce the reliance of nonrenewable energy. The major sources of renewable energy in Thailand are hydro power, solar power, wind power, and biomass, with biomass currently accounting for the majority of production. Thailand’s growth is hoped to lead to renewable energy cost reduction and increased investment.

Green recovery packages are proposed environmental, regulatory, and fiscal reforms to rebuild prosperity in the wake of an economic crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). They pertain to fiscal measures that intend to recover economic growth while also positively benefitting the environment, including measures for renewable energy, efficient energy use, nature-based solutions, sustainable transport, green innovation and green jobs, amongst others.

Green grabbing or green colonialism is the foreign land grabbing and appropriation of resources for environmental purposes, resulting in a pattern of unjust development. The purposes of green grabbing are varied; it can be done for ecotourism, conservation of biodiversity or ecosystem services, for carbon emission trading, or for biofuel production. It involves governments, NGOs, and corporations, often working in alliances. Green grabs can result in local residents' displacement from land where they live or make their livelihoods. It is considered to be a subtype of green imperialism.

References

  1. "Creating glaciers out of thin air". The Independent (UK). 22 January 2010.
  2. "Économies d'énergie chez les plus vulnérables du 30 mai 2012 - France Inter". www.franceinter.fr (in French). 30 May 2012.
  3. "Biomass Briquette Plant Opens in Cambodia". The New York Times. 4 January 2010.
  4. "Man creates glaciers to save village - CNN Video". CNN - Eco Solutions. 3 June 2012.