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Power to More People
Africa may be about to get a whole lot more power.For years, nonprofits have worked to make lighting available and affordable to Africans who aren't connected to a power grid. But they've managed to help only a tiny percentage of that population, mainly by selling them inexpensive kerosene lamps.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- solar, sustainability
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The Hidden Agenda at Rio+20
As everyone knows by now, the "main event" – the official negotiations among government leaders –was a disappointment. The general consensus among participants was that the official agreement, spelled out in agonizing detail in a document entitled "The Future We Want," would not produce the future we want. It is, at best, an exercise in rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. As the week wore on, it became clear to me that the so-called "side events" (organized by companies, NGOs, and consortia) had really become the main event.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Environment
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In Rio+20, a $175B commitment for transport
Eight multilateral development banks made an unprecendented commitment to transportation infrastructure during the opening of the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, which runs June 20-22.
- Categories
- Environment
- Tags
- sustainability
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South Africa: Support From Private Sector Is Needed for Sustainable Development
Sustainable development in Africa depends on innovative sources of finance and resources from the private sector, African leaders and world experts said at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20, currently being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Environment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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CEOs urge Rio+20 leaders to make water security top priority
AFP - Some 45 corporate chiefs attending the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development on Monday pledged to make water security a strategic priority and called for decisive action by governments.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment
- Tags
- sustainability, water
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Low-Cost Solar Brightens Lives in the Developing World
A decade ago, Katherine Lucey oversaw a heavily subsidized $1,500 solar-light installation in the rural district of Mpigi in central Uganda. The 60-watt rooftop solar panel system could power three lights in the four-room, off-the-grid house.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
- Tags
- solar, sustainability
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NexThought Monday: On the Eve of Rio+20, Creating a Lasting Cookstove Market
The Global Village Energy Partnership works with a group of 400 entrepreneurs to promote clean cookstoves in East Africa. Last year, these entrepreneurs sold more than 275,000 improved cookstoves, indicating that people have accepted the value of more efficient cookstoves, and that they provide a market opportunity for creating a sustainable business model.
- Categories
- Environment
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Rio+20: Are We There Yet?
No, we are not yet there, but we may be getting closer. On Saturday, the Brazilians took over the once again informal negotiations on the outcome document. The world is fortunate in this regard, as Brazil has one of the best diplomatic corps in the business.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- Latin America
- Tags
- sustainability