The Great Power Shift: Decentralization, Reparations, and the Fight for Energy Justice – resilience.org

Report on Sustainable Energy Systems and Climate Justice

Introduction: Infrastructure Failures and the Need for Change

1. In 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico’s centralized electrical grid, causing prolonged power outages that severely impacted healthcare, water supply, and communication.
2. In 2021, a winter storm in Texas exposed vulnerabilities in energy infrastructure, leaving millions without heat or power during extreme cold.
3. These events highlight systemic design failures rather than natural disasters alone, emphasizing the need to rethink infrastructure development with a focus on equity and sustainability.

The Fragility of Centralized Systems and Climate Risks

Traditional centralized infrastructure systems are highly efficient but vulnerable to cascading failures, especially under increasing climate threats such as heatwaves, floods, and megafires. These systems are misaligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 13: Climate Action

Infrastructure designed for historical climate patterns is failing under current extremes, affecting urban and rural areas globally, including vulnerable communities in the Global South.

The Global Energy Gap and Its Implications

Despite progress, approximately 685 million people worldwide remain without electricity, with many more connected to unreliable grids. This energy poverty disproportionately affects marginalized populations, perpetuating inequalities and hindering progress toward:

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Energy access is critical for resilience during disasters, enabling communication, healthcare, food preservation, and water access. The energy gap is thus a multifaceted issue involving development, security, and justice.

The Rise of Decentralized Solar Solutions

Decentralized solar energy systems offer a transformative alternative to centralized grids by being:

• Faster and cheaper to deploy
• Modular and locally owned
• Resilient to climate disruptions

Examples from the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) demonstrate practical impacts aligned with SDGs:

• In Uganda, solar-powered water pumps provide clean water directly to villages (SDG 6).
• In Benin, solar vaccine refrigerators support rural healthcare (SDG 3).
• In Haiti, solar electricity enhances educational opportunities (SDG 4).

Restoring Equity and Community Agency

Decentralized energy empowers communities to control their development paths, fostering local ownership and capacity building. This approach supports:

• Community-led decision-making
• Job creation and training
• Incremental growth of energy infrastructure

Such empowerment aligns with:

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The Case for Climate Reparations and Justice

Communities most affected by climate change have contributed least to global emissions, highlighting a critical justice issue. For example:

• Africa accounts for only 3-4% of global carbon emissions but faces severe climate impacts.
• Wealthy nations have historically benefited from fossil fuel use and colonial exploitation.

Climate reparations are essential and should move beyond rhetoric to practical actions such as clean energy investments, which serve as acts of justice rather than charity. This supports:

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Recommendations for Moving Forward

1. Shift focus from expanding centralized grids to developing smart, accessible, and locally adaptable energy systems.
2. Encourage policymakers and funders to invest in community-owned infrastructure that builds local capacity and ownership.
3. Implement innovative policies such as carbon taxes on Global North corporations with proceeds directed to climate-impacted regions.
4. Embed climate justice principles in all infrastructure and development decisions to ensure equitable progress toward the SDGs.

Conclusion

Building resilient, equitable energy systems is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and addressing the intertwined challenges of climate change, poverty, and inequality. Empowering communities through decentralized solar energy and climate reparations offers a pathway to a sustainable and just future for all.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – The article focuses heavily on energy access, energy poverty, and decentralized solar solutions.
2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – Solar-powered water pumps providing clean water in rural villages are discussed.
3. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The article mentions solar-powered vaccine refrigerators and healthcare facilities relying on electricity.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action – The article addresses climate change impacts, resilience to climate shocks, and climate justice.
5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – Issues of energy access inequality, justice, and reparations for historically marginalized communities are highlighted.
6. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The fragility of centralized infrastructure in urban and rural communities is discussed.
7. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The article references job creation, training programs, and economic opportunities from decentralized energy systems.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 7 Targets:
   • 7.1: Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.
   • 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • 7.a: Enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology.
2. SDG 6 Targets:
   • 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water.
   • 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
3. SDG 3 Targets:
   • 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential healthcare services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines.
4. SDG 13 Targets:
   • 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
   • 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
5. SDG 10 Targets:
   • 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all.
   • 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome.
6. SDG 11 Targets:
   • 11.5: Reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected by disasters.
7. SDG 8 Targets:
   • 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators related to SDG 7:
   • Proportion of population with access to electricity (7.1.1) – implied by the discussion of 685 million people without electricity.
   • Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption (7.2.1) – implied by the emphasis on decentralized solar solutions.
   • International financial flows to clean energy research and development (7.a.1) – implied by calls for investment and cooperation.
2. Indicators related to SDG 6:
   • Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services (6.1.1) – implied by solar-powered water pumps providing clean water.
   • Participation of local communities in water and sanitation management (6.b.1) – implied by community ownership of solar water systems.
3. Indicators related to SDG 3:
   • Coverage of essential health services (3.8.1) – implied by vaccine refrigeration and healthcare powered by solar energy.
4. Indicators related to SDG 13:
   • Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters (13.1.1) – implied by disaster impacts from power failures.
   • Number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies (13.1.2) – implied by calls for smarter, resilient systems.
5. Indicators related to SDG 10:
   • Growth rates of household expenditure or income per capita among the bottom 40% (10.1.1) – implied by addressing energy poverty and inequality.
   • Proportion of people living below 50% of median income (10.2.1) – implied by focus on marginalized communities.
6. Indicators related to SDG 11:
   • Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (11.5.1) – implied by infrastructure fragility discussion.
7. Indicators related to SDG 8:
   • Unemployment rate (8.5.2) – implied by creation of maintenance jobs and training programs.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy	7.1: Universal access to affordable, reliable, modern energy 7.2: Increase renewable energy share 7.a: Enhance international cooperation on clean energy	7.1.1: Proportion of population with access to electricity 7.2.1: Renewable energy share in total final energy consumption 7.a.1: International financial flows to clean energy R&D
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.1: Universal access to safe drinking water 6.b: Strengthen local community participation in water management	6.1.1: Proportion using safely managed drinking water services 6.b.1: Participation of local communities in water management
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.8: Universal health coverage and access to essential medicines	3.8.1: Coverage of essential health services
SDG 13: Climate Action	13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate hazards 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into policies	13.1.1: Number of deaths and affected persons from disasters 13.1.2: Countries with disaster risk reduction strategies
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.2: Promote social, economic, political inclusion 10.3: Reduce inequalities of outcome	10.1.1: Growth rates of income among bottom 40% 10.2.1: Proportion living below 50% median income
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.5: Reduce deaths and affected persons from disasters	11.5.1: Deaths and affected persons per 100,000 population
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work	8.5.2: Unemployment rate

Source: resilience.org