Every day, every person on the Planet draws on some form of energy to meet basic needs – for cooking, heating, lighting, communications and mobility.

Day after day after day, half the world subsists, unable to access the energy they need to sustain basic health and well-being, to pursue economic development or to participate fully in society.

Energy poverty persists in developing, emerging and industrialised economies because current energy systems are:

Independent reportage that starts at the beginning of the endThe UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative aims to eradicate energy poverty by 2030. As this collective effort ramps up, the ENERGY ACTION project (EnAct) is keen to explore the starting point.

The Project will first examine the personal impacts of energy poverty and the dysfunctions that allow it to persist, then

quickly expand its reporting to highlight the technology solutions and policy options that could change the future.

With this approach, EnAct will help a global audience understand the scope of the energy poverty challenge and the collaborative action needed to address it, capitalising on the power of multimedia to inform, engage and influence.

Africa & Asia Emerging economies Europe & USA

live in abject energy poverty, with no access to modern services.

are subject to energy shortages and infrastructure deficiencies.

struggle with fuel poverty, unable to afford adequate levels of energy.

2.7 billion 600 million 100 million

What will EnAct deliver? EnAct intends to be an “online magazine” with unique features made possible through a multimedia platform. Each quarterly edition will have as its “front page” a 5-7 minute video reportage that reveals the challenges energy poverty creates for individuals and for energy sector players. Recognising the complexity of the energy sector in general and energy poverty in particular, additional content will be delivered in small doses and in diverse formats (see below). The aim is to keep viewers engaged on a weekly basis, gradually building their understanding. Each edition will have interactive components through which viewers can participate in future development.

• compelling personal stories will drive a non-linear story matrix; use of video, still images and sound will take site visitors “inside” situations of energy poverty.• expertinterviews will provide insight into underlying dysfunctions and innovative solutions from both technology and policy perspectives. • “behindthestory” content (feature articles, editorials, news stories, radio documentaries, blogs, etc.) will help visitors better understand the energy sector and the urgent need to transform it.• interactivecomponents will help visitors understand causes and effects associated with energy poverty and the transition to states of having energy access.• asocialmediastrategy will gather information from visitors that will improve stakeholder understanding of consumer perceptions, behaviours and needs. EnAct will be journalistic in approach – at times hard-hitting in its portrayal of the personal impacts of energy poverty or of the technology and policy options that fail to deliver; at times, celebrating the human ingenuity that holds potential to transform societies. In parallel, the Project will probe analysis by the International Energy Agency which states that without a complete transformation of the global energy system, projections for rising energy demand will drive up prices, incite geo-political tension and possibly push the Planet past its capacity to sustain life.

At all times, EnAct will strive for accuracy without shying away from controversy.

Additional project outputsTo add value to the multimedia reportage and create additional awareness-raising opportunities, EnAct aims to produce the following elements: • Photoexhibition: a selection of high-impact images will be made available to sponsors to host exhibitions, thereby creating opportunities to engage with their own audiences.

• Energypovertyimagebank: a wider selection of images will be used to develop an image bank from which sponsors can draw for their own communications products.

• Photographicbook: with the drawing card of compelling images, a high-quality book (distributed through global retail outlets) provides the best medium for content that warrants greater contemplation (e.g. the interplay of policy and technology). Such a book is ideal for gifting to clients, employees and other stakeholders; sponsors will receive preferred pricing on bulk orders.

EnActtakesthepositiontherelationshipbetweenwoman and energy merits special attention. Women represent 70% of the 1.3 billion people living on less than $1/day; low access to energy forces them to spend many hours in unpaid labour. Recognising that many of these women are the “energy managers” in their households, EnAct will highlight opportunities for them to become enegy entrepreneurs. It will also examine the reality that the impacts of fuel poverty are often most severe for elderly women who live alone or single mothers in low-income situations. The Project will address the need to engage women in all aspects of developing energy technology, policy and business.

The EnAct approach

•Maincharacter: A fire inspector who sifts through the ashes to find the source of the fire

• Secondarycharacters: • people telling their personal stories • doctor/nurse on the burn ward of a hospital • electricity company worker doing raids on illegal connections

• Experts • City and rural officials responsible for electricity • Electricity company regarding infrastructure problems and illegal connections • NGOs that can talk about impacts of deficiencies in both urban and rural areas

• Countrycontext: India has the largest energy deficit: 300 million people with no access. Large-scale blackouts are common, and 27% of power generated is lost in transmission or stolen. • Impactsofenergydeficits: A broader examination of how lack of access impacts people, businesses, social services and ultimately the national economy. • Futureprojections: As the population increases and incomes rise, energy demand is expected to double by 2030; massive effort is needed to expand capacity and improve reliability.• Resourceavailability: India has huge reserves of low- quality coal that is inefficient to burn and has high emissions; relying on it would have negative effects global climate change. • Asustainableenergymix: Environmental and social disasters associated with large-scale dams have pitched the Indian public against hydro projects; what is the opportunity for other renewables?• Tailoringsolutionstolocalcontexts: India has increased energy access by 24 million annually in recent years – but has a long way to go. All available on- and off-grid technologies need to be deployed. • Transformingtheenergysystem: The need for new generation capacity gives India a chance to take the lead in installing high-efficiency, low emission coal plants and demonstrating carbon capture and storage technology. But the country lacks technical and financial capacity: how can international efforts influence the outcome?

Up close and personal The bigger picture

To demonstrate the concept of combining personal stories with in-depth information about energy and the energy sector, the Creative Team has mapped out how one story idea might be developed. For each story, the Team will seek out an unusual character who has to deal with the personal impacts of energy poverty over and over again.

75%India: Deficient infrastructure in the face of growing demand

Thehook:

Of4000housefiresperyearinMumbai,75%areattributed to faulty electrical connections. Behind every fire lies a story of personal tragedy.Who is there to hear them?

EnAct Advisory CommitteeRecognising the complexity of the topic – and the diversity of challenges faced by developing, emerging and industrialised economies – the Creative Team seeks to establish an Advisory Committee of experts representing:• Government / intergovernmental organisations• NGOs / social agencies• Energy sector players (producers, distributors, etc.)

The creative teamMarilynSmith,creativedirectorFor 15+ years, Marilyn has specialised in making science and technology topics accessible to non-experts. She recently served as Chief Editor at the International Energy Agency (2009-12) and led a multi-media project examining how health and social policies in 12 European countries influence daily life for people with Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic, crippling disease that affects 2 million people worldwide.

StephenMayes,distributiondirectorStephen’s expansive network will ensure that content developed by EnAct is placed in high-profile print and broadcast media, which will generate additional attention on the topic and prompt reportage by other outlets.www.stephenmayes.co

BombayFlyingClub(BFC),multimediaproductionAward-winning pioneers in multimedia reportage, BFC has explored topics as diverse as delivering medical services in rural Ethiopia, waste disposal in the Maldives and land rush in Brazil. They worked for GEO Germany, Die Zeit, France5, De Volkskrant, the Red Cross and others.www.bombayfc.com

Peter Dicampo, photographerPeter saw the impacts of energy poverty while living in Ghana. His “Life without Lights” project raises awareness through online content and exhibits in which visitors use solar lights to navigate dark space and view images.www.lifewithoutlights.com

MichaelVestergaard,interactivedesignA master at transforming data into interactive tools that let users explore options and understand impacts, Michael works with emerging technologies applied to websites, applications and installations.www.iliketoplay.dk

Tine Hvolby, social mediaTine excels in drawing attention to online social reportage. She designed the online marketing campaign to launch Spinderihallerne, a new business/cultural centre in southern Denmark and spearheads social media activity for the Bombay Flying Club.

Seekingsponsorsthatrepresent solutionsAchieving universal access to energy will require large-scale, coordinated action on the part of all energy sector players as well as governments, NGOs, academic and research institutes, and the private sector. These entities face the challenge of understanding what energy consumers need, and how to provide it in a sustainable and affordable manner.

Without directly advertising, EnAct is keen to raise the profiles of innovators who are taking action against energy poverty, such as:

Energy sector players market operators; developers of smart grids, renewable energy options, etc.

Private sector manufacturers of equipment and devices

Government ministries of energy, technology, social issues, international developement

NGOs working in the areas of energy, development, women’s issues, etc.

Financialinstitutions development banks, credit agencies, lending institutions

Participation by large companies can help EnAct investigate innovative small-scale solutions that require additional research, development, demonstration and deployment.

Starting now, EnActseekstoengage...with energy sector stakeholders who share the common goal of ending energy poverty. To discuss further the aims of EnAct, the opportunity to become a sponsor or propose aspects of energy poverty that warrant further investigation, please contact:

MarilynSmith,creativedirectormarilyn.smith@en-act.orgMob:+33616018932/Tel.+33148425716Skype:Enact.Marilynwww.en-act.org