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Towards Energy Democracy in the Philippines

Transforming the Philippines’ Trade Union Movement into a Climate Justice Movement

One of the Philippines’ biggest trade union confederations, SENTRO, is mobilizing its members for climate change issues by linking the fight for workers’ rights with the struggle for an energy transition that is democratic, public, and just. The union has made great progress in two main areas: mobilizing workers and user members of electric cooperatives to fight privatization through large boycotts, and jeepney drivers to demand that the government takes responsibility to support drivers in transitioning to cleaner vehicles. They have won some partial successes. The union is now supporting urban community-based unions to advocate for solarized public housing to achieve clean energy access and reliability for impoverished households. By putting worker’s rights and the right to energy front and centre in the fight for a public and democratic energy transition that can deliver climate justice, SENTRO has demonstrated the power of a united worker front in climate justice issues.

Les femmes pêcheuses construisent la justice climatique et l’égalité de genre dans le delta du Saloum

Promouvoir une transition énergétique juste, ancrée dans l'action locale

4800 femmes pêcheuses dans le delta du Saloum au Sénégal mènent une transition climatique et énergétique face à la montée des eaux, la salinisation des sols, la surpêche industrielle et l’accroissement agressif de l’industrie de farine de poisson. Leurs pratiques de pêche artisanale créent non seulement des emplois locaux, mais elles nourrissent également les populations les plus vulnérables et permettent la survie économique de nombreuses familles.

Grâce à l’appui de l’association Enda Graf Sahel, ces femmes restaurent et développent une pêche durable et des pratiques économes en énergie pour la transformation des coquillages de mangrove et des petits poissons comme la sardinelle. Elles ont été formées pour combiner la collecte des coquillages avec le reboisement des mangroves et l’ensemencement des arches ou palourdes, activités indispensables à la préservation de l’environnement et la régénération des ressources. Et maintenant, les femmes utilisent des fours collectifs améliorés et plus de 200 foyers domestiques économes en énergie pour cuisiner, fumer, sécher et transformer le poisson et les crustacés. Les foyers nécessitent moins de bois, ce qui réduit les émissions de CO2, les risques pour la santé et les coûts de combustible. Elles espèrent évoluer vers des équipements entièrement alimentés à l’énergie solaire afin d’éliminer complètement l’utilisation du bois dans les pratiques de transformation.

The Fisherwomen of the Saloum Delta

Building gender and climate justice one energy efficient oven at a time

In the Saloum Delta in Senegal, 4,800 women fishers are carrying forward a climate and energy transition in the face of rising water levels, soil salinisation, industrial overfishing and the explosive growth of fishmeal factories. Their artisanal fishing practices not only create local jobs, they also feed the most vulnerable population and enable the economic survival of many households.

With the support of the organisation Enda Graf Sahel, these women fishers are restoring and developing sustainable fishing, and energy efficient processing practices of mangrove shellfish and small fish (sardinelle). They have been trained to combine harvesting shellfish with reforesting the mangroves and seeding clams, activities which are essential for preserving the environment. And now, the women are using energy efficient collective ovens and 200 improved domestic stoves to cook, smoke, dry and process the fish and shellfish. The ovens require less wood, reducing CO2 emissions, health risks and fuel costs. They hope to move towards fully solar-powered equipment to entirely eliminate the use of wood in processing practices.

კოოპერატივები ხელს უწყობს გენდერულ თანასწორობას და ებრძვის ენერგეტიკულ სიღარიბეს საქართველოს სოფლებში

საქართველოს სოფლებში ბევრი ადამიანი, განსაკუთრებით ქალები, განიცდის ენერგეტიკულ სიღარიბეს. ენერგეტიკული მოთხოვნილებების დასაკმაყოფილებლად არამდგრადი მეთოდებით მოპოვებული შეშის გამოყენება ძვირი ჯდება და შრომატევადია. ამავდროულად ეს იწვევს სათბურის აირების გამოყოფას და შენობაში არსებული ჰაერის დაბინძურებას, რაც ჯანმრთელობისთვის საზიანოა.

არასამთავრობო ორგანიზაციამ Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF) და ადგილობრივმა პარტნიორებმა შექმნეს მზის წყალგამაცხელებლები და ენერგოეფექტური ღუმელები, რომლებიც ამცირებს შეშის საჭიროებას, აუმჯობესებს კომფორტს და ჯანმრთელობას, ამავდროულად ამცირებს ჰაერის დაბინძურებას, არაანაზღაურებად შრომას და ენერგიის გადასახადებს 20 – 50%-ით.