Transitions to Renewable Energy And

CONTACT TRANSITIONS TO RENEWABLE www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/igp [email protected] ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE @instituteforglobalprosperity @glo_pro @glo__pro PROSPERITY IN LEBANON: A People-Centred Approach to Equitable Energy Supply ISBN 978-1-913041-02-1 FOREWORD New and existing models of energy delivery must recognise communities’ energy needs across Finding alternatives to energy production is crucial if various contexts, taking into account socio- we are to alter the trajectory of our planet and avert economic conditions and self-defined aspirations catastrophic climate change. This global challenge for achieving prosperity. At the Institute for needs to be addressed through context specific Global Prosperity, UCL and the RELIEF Centre, solutions if we are to limit warming to the 1.5°C we are working with communities to understand target set out in the Paris Agreement. The impacts what prosperity means for them, based on their of climate change are already being felt across the understanding and opportunities for living a economy and environment in Lebanon, a country good life. We see opportunity in community-led particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and water decentralised energy projects across Lebanon, shortages. Yet Lebanon has a mixed response; as which are providing alternatives to pollutants signatories of the Paris Agreement, the country is and insufficient energy supply from the state. committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions Despite facing a myriad of challenges, Lebanese by up to 30% by 2030 but at the same time it is entrepreneurs in particular are providing examples searching for its first oil and gas reserves. of how future decentralised energy solutions could look and are helping achieve the government’s Public services here, already in short supply, are target of 12% renewable energy supply by 2020. compounded by the influx of displaced people But more still needs to be done. from the Syrian Civil War, and Lebanon now hosts the highest percentage refugee population of any We partnered with Chatham House for this country in the world. Like the Lebanese, displaced workshop, learning from their expertise in Syrians in Lebanon living in both formal and informal decentralised energy supply for refugee populations settings are not obtaining the required electricity in Jordan as part of the Moving Energy Initiative. to operate even basic household appliances. The The workshop, Transitions to Renewable Energy inadequate energy supply has resulted in endemic and Sustainable Prosperity in Lebanon: A People- power outages; the power gap is estimated at Centred Approach to Equitable Energy Supply around 1GW, equalling three-hour cuts in Beirut and bought together Lebanese energy entrepreneurs, up to 12-hour cuts daily in other parts of the country. policy makers and donors to discuss the future of Consequently, households and businesses are energy in Lebanon. relying on self-generation through polluting private diesel generators to fill in the gaps of the supply. The wellbeing of future populations, education, health, water supply and employment opportunity Displaced people and climate change are two of are all inextricably linked to energy supply and the biggest issues imposing on Lebanon’s future are crucial for achieving prosperity. Our hope prosperity. They are also two opportunities that, is that the combined expertise and discussions if responded to through the uptake of renewable from this workshop are a first step towards future energy options, could enable the creation of a collaboration and action towards a renewable thriving economy in Lebanon. A renewable energy energy transition. As you will see in the following transition would utilise the skills of an increasing report, the combined crises of climate and migration population, the country’s natural resources, and in Lebanon need urgent action, and data on this provide energy resilience. It is not just about area is severely lacking. To set Lebanon on a changing energy patterns but creating value for sustainably prosperous trajectory, the energy supply communities by reformulating public services to must be addressed by utilising the understanding improve prosperity for all residents. and expertise of the communities themselves that are facing these crises, and those who are already benefitting from innovative, decentralised energy projects, helping set them on their own pathways to prosperity. PROFESSOR HENRIETTA L. MOORE Founder and Director The Institute for Global Prosperity 1 2 INTRODUCTION At the Institute for Global Prosperity, UCL and RELIEF Centre, we understand prosperity to Energy is critical for creating a prosperous future include quality of life, good health, and better for Lebanon. For years, Lebanon’s sectarian opportunities for people and communities. Going politics have halted progress toward a more beyond its traditional definition, we see prosperity established renewable energy landscape. The as tying social value to economic value. There wars that have plagued the country, destroying are diverse ways to flourish and no single model much of its infrastructure and igniting the ‘brain of development. In this way, prosperity offers us drain’, have compounded this stagnation. Lebanon opportunities to engage with diversity and create also has the largest number of displaced people inclusive, sustainable change in a myriad of ways, per capita, adding to the difficulties of an already adapting to local circumstances. In the context of struggling state. Energy supply, at the macro- energy for Lebanon, which needs to be resilient, level, is unreliable, unable to meet the needs of diverse and adaptable to different contexts, this is the population and is deeply affecting its most where the potential lies. vulnerable groups. The workshop, Transitions to Renewable Energy In the face of a lack of sufficient power and and Sustainable Prosperity in Lebanon: A People- endemic power outages, alternative community Centred Approach to Equitable Energy Supply, energy projects around the country are proving an joined the research and thinking of the Institute appetite for change at the local level. The millennial for Global Prosperity, RELIEF Centre and Chatham generation in particular are finding creative House with pioneers from Lebanon’s energy ways to solve the energy crisis; as progressive, sector. Over the course of a day we discussed open-minded, and environmentally, socially and ideas, collaborations, and strategies that could technologically conscious individuals, they see help Lebanon move towards a more prosperous opportunities to develop pathways to prosperity for energy future. We found that through place-based Lebanon through a renewable energy transition. and people-centred approaches, we will be able to support models of energy delivery that meet people’s needs in context; their socio-economic conditions, their perspective and aspirations for achieving their self-defined prosperity. 3 4 PREFACE LEBANON’S ENERGY PROFILE HIGH FOSSIL FUEL IMPORT GOVERNMENT POLICIES DEPENDENCE AND THE HOPES This paper has been prepared by the Institute for FOR DOMESTIC GAS Since 2009, the Government of Lebanon (GoL) has Global Prosperity, the RELIEF Centre and Chatham “ A prosperous future for Lebanon been taking steps to address these problems. The House. It is based on a discussion around the in a time of mass migration and The electricity sector is currently responsible for National Energy Efficiently Action Plan (NEEAP) was challenges and solutions to transitions to renewable a changing climate is dependent over 53% of the nation’s GHG emissions (UNDP, established in 2010; one of its targets is for Lebanon energy and sustainable prosperity in Lebanon held on a renewable energy transition, 2017). At present, the only forms of energy to access 12% of its energy from renewable sources at a workshop at Chatham House in London on 29 produced within Lebanon come from renewable by 2020 and 30% by 2030 through a number of January 2019. inextricably linked to public services. initiatives and actions implemented at the national This complex intersection means sources, including solar water heaters and hydroelectric power plants (UN ESCWA, 2018). level. GoL then signed up to the UN Sustainable The workshop brought together strategic planners, that a dependable energy supply Otherwise, Lebanon relies on imported fossil fuels Development Goals in 2015, and a year later, the scholars, and energy practitioners to discuss the would improve the wellbeing, (fuel oil and diesel) for 98% of its total energy Lebanese Centre for Energy Conservation (LCEC) development of a research agenda around people- employability, safety, health and supply and provision (OECD/IEA, 2014). This developed the National Renewable Energy Action centred approaches to equitable energy supply dependence has significant environmental and Plan (NREAP). To prevent further deterioration of in Lebanon. The aim was to generate discussions education of residents of Lebanon political consequences, as the country’s economy the humanitarian situation caused by the Syrian around alternative choices to traditional top- leading to a better quality of life, is vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices, exacerbated conflict, the Lebanese Crisis Response Plan 2017 - down structural reforms, particularly in view of the as well as laying the ground for by regional unrest (UN ESCWA, 2018). Currently, 2020 was also put into place. It was noted that the evolving crisis response and resilience approach. sustainable prosperity

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