Energy access is hallowed as an important component of the Paris Agreement on climate change. In addition, recognition of its fundamental role in achieving other global essentials, such as gender equality, economic empowerment, abolishment of indoor air pollution and deforestation, and water and food security, has led to universal energy access being stressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG7). Yet, despite the increased attention by development organisations on energy access in the past decade, much energy planning, whether through the United Nations’ Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4All) or nationally driven policy processes, is still dominated by large-scale, top-down, centralised energy infrastructure development. Even where there is an intention to deliver off-grid energy access at scale, uncertainty about which options will be the most appropriate still prevails. 

The Poor People’s Energy Outlook (PPEO) therefore presents evidence and methods on putting energy poor people’s (i.e. customers’) needs, rather than government assumptions, at the centre of energy planning. The PPEO is published yearly by the NGO Practical Action, which was just awarded the renowned Zayed Future Energy Prize of the United Arab Emirates at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. The German PPEO launched on 02 February in Bonn aimed to spark a discussion illustrating that current practices had been unable to deliver on global priorities and that 21st century methods and technologies are required to address the 21st century issues and promises outlined in the SDGs and Paris Accord. We warmly welcomed registrations from civil society, academia, policy making, international organisations and the media.

Programme
Introduction

• Anna Pegels (DIE)

Launch of PPEO 2016

• Aaron Leopold (Practical Action)

 
Comments

• Anja Rohde (GIZ)

Panel Discussion

• Aaron Leopold (Practical Action)
• Dolf Gielen (IITC)
• Karl Kolmsee (Smart Hydro-Power)
• Christoph Bals (Germanwatch)
• Tania Rödiger-Vorwerk (BMZ

Moderation

• Vera Scholz (GIZ)

Wrap-up and Closure

• Anna Pegels (DIE)