Session 3.2: Green Jobs, Gender, and Development

May 29th, 2022

This session will cover topics such as the world's first future-proof and fully self-sustaining city, in the Netherlands; enhancing the role of women in the energy sector; skills development for off-grid solar PV development in Indonesia; and business opportunities for rice and rice husk value chains in Myanmar.

Track Chair: Cindy Cisneros Tiangco, Principal Energy Specialist, Energy Division, Pacific Department
Moderator: Cindy Bryson, Social Development Specialist, Social Sectors and Public Sector Management Division, Pacific Department

Program

Time (Manila) Activities
10:30 - 10:35 a.m. Introduction to the Session

  • Ananya Basu, Director Social Sectors and Public Sector Management Division, Pacific Department
10:35 - 10:40 a.m. Introduction to Speakers and Panelists

  • Cindy Bryson, Session Moderator
10:40 - 11:12 a.m. Presentations (8 minutes per speaker)

    Integrated self-sustaining city model

  • Tom Bosschaert, CEO, Except Integrated Sustainability
  • We are building a place that has never been seen in a time when the world desperately needs new solutions and a more a resilient future. Orchid City is the world's first self-sustaining city blueprint. Here, we reinvent how we coexist with nature and with each other. It goes beyond just being a beautiful place to live. It is a home for those who want to live happy, healthy lives in harmony with the environment and the community around them. Orchid City offers the first affordable, physically, socially, and environmentally sustainable city blueprint in the world. It uses currently available technologies and collaborates across global partnerships with those wanting to build a better future today.

    Enhancing Role of Women in Energy Sector

  • Reena Suri, Executive Director India Smart Grid Forum
  • Gender disparity is a persisting issue in the clean energy sector. Barriers exist that dissuade women from pursuing careers and leadership roles in the sector. There is a dire need to create awareness among public and private authorities on the added value and need to promote women’s leadership and participation in the development of the clean energy sector. As we are moving towards seizing the opportunities of energy transformation, creation of a gender-responsive clean energy ecosystem with growing opportunities for women to formally participate at all levels in the energy sector will be pivotal.

    Empowering women, youth and marginalized groups to co-design and take part in energy use and skill development in a Photovoltaic (PV) small-scale off-grid renewable

  • Dedy Haning, Demonstration Strand Lead, HIVOS
  • The presentation highlights the learning on MENTARI project in increasing women, youth and marginalized groups’ participation in the planning and implementation stage of the 95 kWp PV mini-grid in Central Sumba Indonesia. The presentation showcases tools and gender and inclusion interventions to increase participations of women, youth and marginalized groups to co-design activities and some part of system planning as well as to plan and benefit from capacity building programs e.g. technical and non-technical skills.

    Bridging agricultural livelihoods and energy access: Barriers and opportunities for rice and rice husk value chains in Labutta, Myanmar

  • Angela Minas, Research Associate, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, The University of Manchester
  • Reflecting on the results of our husk-to-energy research project, our aim is to encourage thinking about the role of energy in poverty alleviation. Here, we present the results of a collaborative research project that explored the intersection between agricultural livelihoods and energy access through an investigation of social networks in rice and rice husk value chains in rural farming communities in Myanmar’s Lower Delta. Rice production is an important agricultural activity in Myanmar. However, because of lack of access to electricity in many rural areas, rice farmers have limited opportunities to increase their income. For many off-grid communities, heat and electricity for household lighting and livelihood activities are provided through steam and electricity produced from combustion or gasification of rice husk. With an estimated over 3 million tonnes of rice husk produced every year, Myanmar has potential to utilise rice husk for income-generating activities and energy generation to support agricultural production and rural livelihoods. By mapping social networks in rice husk value chain in Labutta, Ayeyarwaddy Region, we identified actors and network structures that could play important roles in supporting energy access and increasing livelihood opportunities for smallholders. Our interviews and group discussions with farmers and millers also revealed important challenges and opportunities for rice husk bioenergy within rural farming communities.

11:12 - 11:55 a.m. Panel Discussion

  • Hans-Henning Judek, Executive Chairman, Verde Visions LLC
  • Reena Suri, Executive Director India Smart Grid Forum
  • Dedy Haning, Demonstration Strand Lead, HIVOS
  • Angela Minas, Research Associate, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, The University of Manchester
  • Session Moderator: Cindy Bryson
11:45 - 11:55 Q&A from the Audience

  • Cindy Bryson, Session Moderator 
11:55 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Closing/Wrap-up

  • Ananya Basu, Director Social Sectors and Public Sector Management Division, Pacific Department