Momentum For Change Podcast

Millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to decent and affordable housing. Deforestation has led to scarcity of timber and straw for traditional roof construction. Families spend what little money they have on imported and expensive timber and sheet metal to put a roof over their heads, further worsening the vicious circle of poverty in which they are trapped.Through its Earth Roofs in the Sahel Program: A Roof + A Skill + A Market, the Association la Voûte Nubienne is addressing this problem with a traditional, very low-carbon building technique known as Nubian Vault. The organization supports the training of local builders, in order to create a sustainable and autonomous Nubian Vault market.To tell us more, we spoke to Cecila Rinaudo, the project’s Director of Development.

Belgian-based EcoNation developed Lighten the Energy Bill to promote a unique financing mechanism that enables the installation and management of sustainable lighting systems, by absorbing the entire upfront investment and sharing the profits with the end user. Once the lighting system is installed, customers are charged monthly installments that are guaranteed to be lower than their original electric bill. To tell us more, we sat down in the studio with Xavier Verbeken, Business Development Manager with EcoNation.

Thailand is on the verge of a solar energy transformation as private companies have committed to investing at least USD 2 billion over the next five years in solar power production. The woman leading the country down a cleaner path is Wandee Khunchornyakong, who runs Solar Power Company Group, the largest solar power generation company in Thailand. Solar Power Company Group has constructed 36 solar farms in sunny, northeast Thailand, accounting for 250 MW of installed capacity by the end of 2014. This translates into potential savings of 200,000 tonnes of CO2-equivilent per year compared to Thailand’s fossil-fuel driven electricity generation. To tell us more, we sat down with Solar Power Company Group’s CEO Wandee Khunchornyakong.

Solar panels traditionally require a significant up-front investment and a long-term pay-back period, but what if you could rent them short term? Redavia leases cost-effective, convenient and clean solar farms without up-front capital investment or long-term obligations. The farms in turn reduce consumption of diesel fuel by generators, improve access to electricity and reduce emissions and power costs in communities around the world. To give us an update since we last spoke to them, we were joined by Elisabeth Schallhart, Sales and Marketing Manager with Redavia. Elisabeth was in Bonn recently for the UN Climate Change Conference and we caught up with her in the studio.

The China Clean Development Mechanism Fund is a national climate fund that supports low carbon growth and climate resilience in China. It is a revolving fund that receives regular capital injections from levies collected by the government on clean development mechanism projects in China. The revenues collected by the Fund are specifically earmarked to finance climate actions in China. The revenues are mainly used to finance investment programs to leverage additional resources from the private sector and to test innovative financial and economic instruments to support actions to address climate change. To tell us more, we are joined by Jiao Xiaoping, Deputy Director General of the China CDM Fund.

The Alliance for International Reforestation (AIR) is an NGO in Guatemala that promotes tree planting to sequester carbon and improve farming techniques, such as preventing erosion, improving yields and increasing crop diversity. They also build highly-efficient brick stoves with chimneys that reduce both the negative health impacts caused by smoke inhalation and the need to cut down trees for fuel. To tell us more, we’re joined by Anne Hallum, AIR’s U.S. Administrator.

The Momentum for Change awards recognize innovative examples of how people around the world are addressing climate change. Organizations, cities, industries, governments and other key players that are taking the lead on tackling climate change can nominate their game-changing projects for an award until April 24th at http://momentum.unfccc.intTo tell us more, we talk to Nick Nuttall, UNFCCC Spokesperson and Director of Communications.

Food & Trees for Africa is a South African initiative that fosters women's leadership to address climate change. They're focused on activities such as planting trees to sequester carbon and raising public awareness about climate change. Their programs also enhance food security, alleviate poverty, teach women skills and create a healthier and more sustainable environment. To tell us more, we are joined by Jeunesse Park, Founder of Food & Trees for Africa.

In Sudan, climate change, drought and desertification are facts of life. The Low Smoke Stoves Project transforms communities and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by replacing traditional wood and charcoal stoves with energy efficient stoves. To tell us about the project, we talk to Impact and Practice Manager Omar Fedlala Modowi from Practical Action.

In Ghana, a women-run initiative to build bicycles out of local, sustainable bamboo is turning heads. Ghana Bamboo Bikes has provided jobs for over 30 bike builders, who produce bikes with less electricity and no hazardous chemicals. Not only are the bikes light and stable, they can handle rough terrain and can carry large farm loads and passengers. We talk to founder Bernice Dapaah about her initiative.

Solar panels traditionally require a significant up-front investment and a long-term pay-back period, but what if you could rent them short term? Redavia leases cost-effective, convenient and clean solar farms without up-front capital investment or long-term obligations. The farms in turn reduce consumption of diesel fuel by generators, improve access to electricity and reduce emissions and power costs in communities around the world. To tell us more, we’re joined by Erwin Spolders, CEO and Founder of Redavia.

On this week’s episode, we visit the to learn about the Sustainable Energy Finance (SEF) Program. It’s the first of its kind in the country, and it’s paving the way for more private financial sector investment into sustainable energy projects. These projects are reducing greenhouse emissions, improving energy security and boosting economic development in the Philippines. The SEF is an advisory programme being implemented by the International Finance Corporation in different regions around the world. We talk to Jesse Ang, the International Finance Corporation’s Philippines representative.

Because of its coastal location, facing the Indian Ocean, Maputo, Mozambique is exposed to severe climate risks, such as flooding, cyclones and sea level rise. In addition, 44% of the population lives in poverty and access to services and other infrastructure is low. Heightened environmental risks are compounded with high vulnerabilities to these risks. Public Private People Partnerships for Climate Compatible Development (4PCCD) empowers the people living in urban poor neighborhoods to design and implement activities to adapt to climate change. These activities include improving and maintaining drainage channels; protecting the water supply; managing local waste; and establishing awareness and communication channels between citizens and relevant institutions. On this podcast, we talk to Vanessa Castan Broto, founder of 4PCCD about the community-based project.

In the arid lands of Kenya, the BOMA Project is helping vulnerable women adapt to climate change. These impoverished women are learning how to start small businesses in their villages, which enables them to diversify the ways in which they can make a living. Most of these women live on less than US $1.25 a day. BOMA helps them become more resilient to climate change by making money that is not tied to the drought-threatened livestock industry. In two years, these women are able to double their incomes and save money for the more frequent droughts. To tell us more about BOMA’s work, we talk to the organization’s founder, Kathleen Colson.

In Kathmandu, BioComp Nepal produces high-quality compost from a local, abundant resource: organic waste from vegetable markets and private companies. The compost assists farmers in producing organic and high-quality vegetables and fruits and generating more income. By collecting waste destined for the landfill and turning it into compost, Biocomp Nepal helps the environment and people at the same time. To learn more about the initiative, we talk to Kathrin Dellantonio, head of Marketing and Communications with myclimate.

In Australia, women are building a movement to tackle climate change. 1 Million Women has a simple goal with a big impact: get one million women to pledge to take small steps in their daily lives to save energy, reduce waste, cut pollution and lead change. Thus far, they’ve signed up more than 100,000 women to their campaign. Together, they’ve committed to cut more than 100,000 tons of carbon emissions. In this week’s podcast, we interview 1 Million Women founder, Natalie Isaacs.

In 2011, Vestergaard Frandsen launched a breakthrough initiative called LifeStraw Carbon for Water. The LifeStraw is a water purification system that uses no fuel. Each filter can produce at least 18,000 liters of quality drinking water over a 10-year life span. In Kenya's Western Province, they delivered nearly 880,000 family water filters to 91% of all households without access to safe municipal water. In doing so, they provided 4.5 million people with sustainable access to safe drinking water for the first time. To talk to us about LifeStraw Carbon for Water, we’re joined by Tara Lundy, Concept Development Manager at Vestergaard.

In Namibia, a community-based adaptation programme is piloting six strategies for addressing climate change vulnerability in local communities. The strategies include the innovative use of energy-efficient stoves and agro-forestry and vegetable production under micro drip. This approach helps sustain food security and income generation with no adverse impacts to the land and other natural resources. We talk to representatives from Creative Entrepreneur Solutions about the initiative.

On today's podcast, we talk with Neha Misra, Chief Collaboration Officer at Solar Sister. She talks about Solar Sister's work as a social enterprise that enables African women entrepreneurs to become sellers of solar-powered products and clean cookstoves.