extractives

In the framework of the transformAfrica Programme, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (hbs) in collaboration with Le Cube, is looking for creative and artistic contributions capturing socio-ecological transformations in Africa. The artistic contributions are supposed to raise awareness on environmental challenges, and showcase best practices as well as successful ecological initiatives contributing to an inclusive and sustainable transformation in Africa.

Perspectives, a publication series of the African offices of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, spoke to Jerotich Seii of the #SwitchOffKPLC campaign to shed light on the dark side of Kenya’s power sector, which is said to be one of the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa, having undergone structural reforms and liberalisation since the 1990s.  

“People and Power: Stories of Small Scale Renewable Energy Entrepreneurs in Kenya” documents 11 renewable energy projects that highlight how decentralised renewable energy is empowering people across the country, and especially in rural areas which rely heavily on biomass energy sources due to the lack of grid connections. 

The Government of Kenya has proposed a 1,050 Megawatt (MW) coal plant to be built in Kwasasi, Lamu County, 20km from Lamu Town. The project will be operated by Amu Power on a joint venture by two Kenyan companies, Gulf Energy and Centum. Residents of Lamu County are opposed to the power plant due to the negative economic, environmental, and health impacts it wil have on the ecosystem in Lamu. Building the plant will cause Kenya to be in violation of international treaties and impact Kenya's ability to keep its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Accord. 

The Government of Kenya has proposed a 1,050 Megawatt (MW) coal plant to be built in Kwasasi, Lamu County, 20km from Lamu Town. The project will be operated by Amu Power on a joint venture by two Kenyan companies, Gulf Energy and Centum. Residents of Lamu County are opposed to the power plant due to the negative economic, environmental, and health impacts it wil have on the ecosystem in Lamu. Building the plant will cause Kenya to be in violation of international treaties and impact Kenya's ability to keep its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Accord. Potential affected communities groups have banded together to form the deCOALonize campaign to keep the coal industry out of Kenya.

Geoengineering is an ineffective and irresponsible approach to the challenges posed by climate change. Its risks and potential impacts are global and extend far beyond the climate discussion. All of the proposed technologies carry large-scale risks for biodiversity, ecosystems, food security, human rights, health and democracy. It creates new threats to peace and security at the national, regional and global scales, both through the unintended but foreseeable exacerbation of underlying conflicts and through the potential for weaponization of geoengineering technologies. And it would further entrench our dependence on a fossil fuel economy.

The “Big Bad Fix” provides policy makers, journalists, NGO activists, social movements, and other change agents with a comprehensive overview of the key actors, technologies and fora relevant in the geoengineering discourse. It delivers a sound background analysis of the history of geoengineering, the various vested interests shaping it, and case studies on some of the most important technologies and experiments.

Thank You For The Rain - Banyak Films Watch on Vimeo This external content requires your consent. Please note our privacy policy. Thank You For The Rain is a feature documentary that tells the story of Kisilu Musya, a Kenyan father on the frontline of climate change. Five years ago Kisilu, a Kenyan farmer, started to use his camera to capture the life of his family, his village and the damages of climate change. When a violent storm throws him and a Norwegian filmmaker together we see him transform from a father, to community leader to an activist on the global stage.

The current discourse on renewable energy tends to centre on the positive reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improved energy security, while the risks of social and environmental injustice are largely ignored.

Globally, political leaders are lauding the acceptance of the global and legally binding Paris Agreement on Climate Change at COP 21 as a historical moment. It achieves a goal long believed unattainable. However, judged against the enormity of the challenge and the needs and pressure from people on the ground demanding a global deal anchored in climate justice (“system change, not climate change!”), the Paris Agreement can only be called a collective failure and disappointment. Read a critical assessment by HBS colleagues from around the world. 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed upon in September 2015. The goals, 17 in total, aim to complete what the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) didn’t achieve as well as address the root causes of poverty and inequality.

As the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations suffer huge losses from climate change, the entities most responsible for the problem - the so-called "Big Polluters" - continue to reap billions in profits. This has to change.

As the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations suffer huge losses from climate change, the entities most responsible for the problem - the so-called "Big Polluters" - continue to reap billions in profits. This has to change.

For many rural Kenyans, it’s too expensive for households to pay to be connected to the national electricity grid. Some communities, who live near the right kinds of rivers are opting for a cheaper, more sustainable option: small scale hydro plants, to power lights, charge mobile phones, and pick up on the airwaves. South Africa-based science writer Leonie Joubert takes a closer look at a thriving model for community development.

What are the common obstacles that African National/ Multilateral/ and Regional Implementing Entities face during the Adaptation Fund Board accreditation process and during the execution of projects?