Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

35 - From Darkness to Empowerment: Building Resilient Energy Systems for Sustainable Communities in Colombia (and South Africa) - Juan P...

41min | 06/21/2023

Description

In this episode of Energ'ethic, Juan Pablo Cárdenas, an environmental engineer turned humanities advocate, guides us through the energy transition in Colombia and South Africa. Juan Pablo shares his journey from technical engineering to a multidisciplinary approach, highlighting the importance of building lasting, sustainable solutions. Drawing from his personal experiences with blackouts in Colombia and South Africa, he sheds light on how such events can transform energy systems.

Juan Pablo emphasises the unequal distribution of electricity access in both countries, with South Africa ranking as the most unequal country globally. He discusses the policy responses to address energy poverty, including the free basic electricity allowance in South Africa and Colombia's cross-subsidy mechanism. These initiatives aim to make electricity more affordable and accessible for marginalised communities.

A key focus of the conversation is energy communities and their potential to reshape the energy landscape. Juan Pablo shares insights from a pilot project in Medellin, Colombia, where a middle-income neighbourhood became an energy community. He highlights the importance of community leadership figures in driving such initiatives and building a sense of ownership and participation among residents.

Collaborating with the vertically-integrated utility, EPM, Juan Pablo and his colleagues navigate the regulatory landscape to enable the energy community to thrive. They also engage with policymakers, regulators, and local governments to raise awareness about the transformative potential of energy communities. Juan Pablo discusses how energy communities are gaining prominence in Colombian politics, particularly for remote areas where energy poverty is a pressing concern.

By diversifying the energy mix and promoting local sustainability, energy communities offer a pathway to a more cohesive and resilient energy system. Juan Pablo believes that energy communities represent a unique opportunity to foster community and social cohesion while promoting conscious resource use, which are essential for resilience towards climate change, addressing both mitigation and adaptation challenges.

Tune in to this inspiring conversation with Juan Pablo Cárdenas to learn how energy communities can empower individuals, create a more equitable energy landscape, and drive the transition towards a sustainable future in Colombia and beyond.

Reach out to Marine Cornelis via Twitter @MarineCornelis or LinkedIn
Music: I Need You Here - Kamarius
Edition: Podcast Media Factory

Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon https://patreon.com/Energethic

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Energ’Ethic is a podcast exploring the human, institutional, and ethical dimensions of the energy transition.

Hosted by Marine Cornelis, Energ’Ethic brings together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, city practitioners, researchers, and civil society voices to examine what makes energy transitions succeed—or fail—in the real world.

Beyond technology and targets, the podcast focuses on trust, power, consumer rights, digitalisation, and energy justice. Each conversation connects policy and market design with lived experience, unpacking how decisions taken in boardrooms and institutions translate into everyday realities for people and communities.

Energ’Ethic is not about slogans or quick fixes. It is a space for rigorous, grounded conversations about resilience, legitimacy, and the social conditions required for lasting climate and energy strategies.

Listen to Energ’Ethic to:

Hear first-hand perspectives from those shaping energy and climate policy from the inside
Understand how governance, regulation, and technology affect consumers and communities
Explore energy and climate justice through practical, experience-based insights

Energ’Ethic speaks to an engaged audience of decision-makers and practitioners working at the intersection of policy, markets, cities, and society.

Organisations can partner with Energ’Ethic to support high-quality dialogue and reach a thoughtful, policy-literate audience committed to a fair and resilient energy transition.

Listen, subscribe, and join the conversation.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Energ’Ethic is a podcast exploring the human, institutional, and ethical dimensions of the energy transition.

Hosted by Marine Cornelis, Energ’Ethic brings together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, city practitioners, researchers, and civil society voices to examine what makes energy transitions succeed—or fail—in the real world.

Beyond technology and targets, the podcast focuses on trust, power, consumer rights, digitalisation, and energy justice. Each conversation connects policy and market design with lived experience, unpacking how decisions taken in boardrooms and institutions translate into everyday realities for people and communities.

Energ’Ethic is not about slogans or quick fixes. It is a space for rigorous, grounded conversations about resilience, legitimacy, and the social conditions required for lasting climate and energy strategies.

Listen to Energ’Ethic to:

Hear first-hand perspectives from those shaping energy and climate policy from the inside
Understand how governance, regulation, and technology affect consumers and communities
Explore energy and climate justice through practical, experience-based insights

Energ’Ethic speaks to an engaged audience of decision-makers and practitioners working at the intersection of policy, markets, cities, and society.

Organisations can partner with Energ’Ethic to support high-quality dialogue and reach a thoughtful, policy-literate audience committed to a fair and resilient energy transition.

Listen, subscribe, and join the conversation.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

In this episode of Energ'ethic, Juan Pablo Cárdenas, an environmental engineer turned humanities advocate, guides us through the energy transition in Colombia and South Africa. Juan Pablo shares his journey from technical engineering to a multidisciplinary approach, highlighting the importance of building lasting, sustainable solutions. Drawing from his personal experiences with blackouts in Colombia and South Africa, he sheds light on how such events can transform energy systems.

Juan Pablo emphasises the unequal distribution of electricity access in both countries, with South Africa ranking as the most unequal country globally. He discusses the policy responses to address energy poverty, including the free basic electricity allowance in South Africa and Colombia's cross-subsidy mechanism. These initiatives aim to make electricity more affordable and accessible for marginalised communities.

A key focus of the conversation is energy communities and their potential to reshape the energy landscape. Juan Pablo shares insights from a pilot project in Medellin, Colombia, where a middle-income neighbourhood became an energy community. He highlights the importance of community leadership figures in driving such initiatives and building a sense of ownership and participation among residents.

Collaborating with the vertically-integrated utility, EPM, Juan Pablo and his colleagues navigate the regulatory landscape to enable the energy community to thrive. They also engage with policymakers, regulators, and local governments to raise awareness about the transformative potential of energy communities. Juan Pablo discusses how energy communities are gaining prominence in Colombian politics, particularly for remote areas where energy poverty is a pressing concern.

By diversifying the energy mix and promoting local sustainability, energy communities offer a pathway to a more cohesive and resilient energy system. Juan Pablo believes that energy communities represent a unique opportunity to foster community and social cohesion while promoting conscious resource use, which are essential for resilience towards climate change, addressing both mitigation and adaptation challenges.

Tune in to this inspiring conversation with Juan Pablo Cárdenas to learn how energy communities can empower individuals, create a more equitable energy landscape, and drive the transition towards a sustainable future in Colombia and beyond.

Reach out to Marine Cornelis via Twitter @MarineCornelis or LinkedIn
Music: I Need You Here - Kamarius
Edition: Podcast Media Factory

Support Energ'Ethic on Patreon https://patreon.com/Energethic

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Energ’Ethic is a podcast exploring the human, institutional, and ethical dimensions of the energy transition.

Hosted by Marine Cornelis, Energ’Ethic brings together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, city practitioners, researchers, and civil society voices to examine what makes energy transitions succeed—or fail—in the real world.

Beyond technology and targets, the podcast focuses on trust, power, consumer rights, digitalisation, and energy justice. Each conversation connects policy and market design with lived experience, unpacking how decisions taken in boardrooms and institutions translate into everyday realities for people and communities.

Energ’Ethic is not about slogans or quick fixes. It is a space for rigorous, grounded conversations about resilience, legitimacy, and the social conditions required for lasting climate and energy strategies.

Listen to Energ’Ethic to:

Hear first-hand perspectives from those shaping energy and climate policy from the inside
Understand how governance, regulation, and technology affect consumers and communities
Explore energy and climate justice through practical, experience-based insights

Energ’Ethic speaks to an engaged audience of decision-makers and practitioners working at the intersection of policy, markets, cities, and society.

Organisations can partner with Energ’Ethic to support high-quality dialogue and reach a thoughtful, policy-literate audience committed to a fair and resilient energy transition.

Listen, subscribe, and join the conversation.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Energ’Ethic - Climate Justice and Energy Transition

Energ’Ethic is a podcast exploring the human, institutional, and ethical dimensions of the energy transition.

Hosted by Marine Cornelis, Energ’Ethic brings together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, city practitioners, researchers, and civil society voices to examine what makes energy transitions succeed—or fail—in the real world.

Beyond technology and targets, the podcast focuses on trust, power, consumer rights, digitalisation, and energy justice. Each conversation connects policy and market design with lived experience, unpacking how decisions taken in boardrooms and institutions translate into everyday realities for people and communities.

Energ’Ethic is not about slogans or quick fixes. It is a space for rigorous, grounded conversations about resilience, legitimacy, and the social conditions required for lasting climate and energy strategies.

Listen to Energ’Ethic to:

Hear first-hand perspectives from those shaping energy and climate policy from the inside
Understand how governance, regulation, and technology affect consumers and communities
Explore energy and climate justice through practical, experience-based insights

Energ’Ethic speaks to an engaged audience of decision-makers and practitioners working at the intersection of policy, markets, cities, and society.

Organisations can partner with Energ’Ethic to support high-quality dialogue and reach a thoughtful, policy-literate audience committed to a fair and resilient energy transition.

Listen, subscribe, and join the conversation.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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