Legislators from Central Africa to address climate change
Meeting in Limbé, Cameroon will encourage transition to renewable energy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 24 2010
Legislators from Central African nations are gathering in Limbé, Cameroon between March 26-28 to discuss how they can supply renewable energy to all citizens of their nations.
The 15-20 politicians will be addressed by experts who will explain how effective legislation could lead to the fast implementation of solar and hydro schemes in the region.
The presentations and the discussions at the hearing aim to help legislators to take action to promote renewable energy when they return to their home parliaments.
The hearing will be held at the Seme Beach Hotel in Limbé and the members of parliament will be addressed by the following experts:
- Hon. Graham Watson MEP, Chair of the Climate Parliament, and Hon. Jean Jacques Zam MP, from Cameroon will welcome the legislators and experts to the hearing.
- Dr Euloge Ogouwale of the Laboratoire d’Etude des Climats, des Ressources en Eau et de la Dynamique des Ecosystèmes (LECREDE) of the Université d’Abomey Calavi will talk about the effects of climate change on Central Africa.
- Yves Prevost, Principal specialist on the Environment at the World Bank will talk about the importance of hydro-electric schemes in Central Africa.
- Xavier Vallvé, Associate Director of the renewable energy company Trama Tecno Ambiental from Barcelona, will talk about how mini-grids can enable the sharing of renewable energy among rural populations.
- Dr Joseph Kenfack, Lecturer at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Polytechnique (ENSP) de Yaoundé will show how mini-grids could be built in Central Africa.
- Henry Vanderpuye, Director of the Energy Access Project at the Ghanaian Ministry of Energy will talk about how electricity has been extended to the rural poor in Ghana through the ‘Self-Help Electrification Programme’ (SHEP).
- Dr Ernestine Yuntenwi Tangang, specialist on efficient cookstoves, will explain how efficient distribution of such stoves can both reduce emissions and deforestation.
- Cornelia Ehlers of the German NGO Green Step accompany the legislators on a visit to a locally-produced wind turbine.
Legislators will be coming to the hearing from the following countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé and Principe.
While most of the hearing will take place at the Seme Beach Hotel, the legislators will also be taken to visit a locally-manufactured wind turbine near Limbé and will meet with villagers who have benefited from pico-hydro schemes in Lebialem.
While most of the hearing will take place at the Seme Beach Hotel, the legislators will also be taken to visit a locally-manufactured wind turbine near Limbé and will meet with villagers who have benefited from pico-hydro schemes in Lebialem.
The hearing has been convened by the Climate Parliament, a new organisation that has been set up to help the world’s legislators address the issue of climate change.
The Climate Parliament’s parent organisation, the e-Parliament, has convened similar hearings over the past two years that have resulted in action being taken by legislators to combat climate change in African and Asian countries.
The Cameroon hearing is one of a series of nine funded by the European Commission and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) for African, Caribbean and Pacific Island legislators on the subject of ‘Energy Access for the Poor’. Previous hearings in the series have taken place in Kenya, Ghana, Tobago, Guyana, Mozambique and Vanuatu.
Later this year Climate Parliament energy hearings will take place in Papua New Guinea and Tanzania.
NOTES
Available for telephone briefing prior to the hearing. Both speak good French:
Kitty Garden, Programme Officer, Climate Parliament. Kitty at climateparl.net
James Corre, Programme Officer, Climate Parliament. James at climateparl.net
There is the possibility that some members of the press could accompany the legislators on the field trip on March 26th. Please apply to Kitty Garden.
Please also contact James and Kitty if you’d like to be sent a summary of proceedings at the end of the hearing.
The Climate Parliament is an international forum for the world’s democratic legislators which exists to spread and implement good ideas for legislation on climate change and renewable energy around the world. For more information please visit www.e-parl.net.
  
The Climate Parliament would like to thank the European Commission, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIDA and Oxfam Novib for funding this project. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the e-Parliament and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or SIDA.
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