Page - (000204) - in Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development

11.1 Introduction Renewableenergy technologiescanprovideenergy to ruralpopulations towhich it is technically or economically infeasible to extend the electricity grid. Electricity canbeusedforapplicationsrangingfromlightingtoawidearrayofproductiveuses toenergyservicessupportinghealth,education,andsanitation.Currentresearchhas mainly focusedon the impacts andcase studies ofDREonpoverty alleviationand sustainable development. Climate change adaptation is necessary due to the adverse impacts of increas- ingly frequent extreme weather events. The poorest and most vulnerable populationswithindevelopingcountriessuffer theworsteffectsofextremeweather events, especially populations inwhichnatural resourcebases are fundamental for their livelihoods (Adger et al. 2003; Thomas and Twyman 2005). The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2007/2008 Human Development Report (HDR)first emphasized the importanceofadaptation integratedwithdevel- opment since ‘adaptation is about development for all’ (UNDP2007). Therefore, failure to address adaptation will deter developing countries from growing eco- nomically and alleviatingpoverty (UNDP2007). Adaptation literature has focused on specific topics that include crop diversifi- cation (Bradshaw et al. 2004; Naylor et al. 2007), insurance (Crichton 2007, Linnerooth-Bayer and Mechler 2006; Mills 2007; Moser et al. 2007; Romilly 2007; Johnson et al. 2007), the ski industry, and flood riskmanagement (Johnson et al. 2007; Tol et al. 2003). However, there is scant literature on the use of renewable energy to increase adaptive capacity. Eriksen andO’Brien (2007) and Venema and Rehman (2007) hypothesize DREmay be one strategy to meet the triple objective, although they don’t provide in-depth details on how this will happen. The role of renewable energy systems tomeet climate changemitigation goals has been well documented (CEPAL 2007a,b). Market-based policy instruments have been created to mitigate climate change without sustainable development objectives always being met. For example, ocal, small-scale renewable energy projects, which have a larger development component, haven’t beenmain partic- ipants within CDMproject portfolios, while they have figuredmore prominently underVoluntaryCarbonOffset (VCO) initiatives.As such,VCOprojects include have a greater focus ondevelopment objectives than theCDM.Even though rural developmentprojectshavebeen includedwithin theCDM, there is aneed tocreate a clear set of guidelines to effectively incorporate sustainable development objec- tives into the projects. Theuse ofDRE is the only cost-effective and environmentally soundoption to provide access to electricity tomany rural populations. Only recently has energy accessbeenviewedasanecessary, thoughnot sufficient, enabler fordevelopment, includingtheachievementof theMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs)andnow of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The lack of basic infrastructure, includingenergy,haspreventedsomecountries fromachieving theMDG’s in rural 188 D.Ley