Energy for Life aims at increasing public awareness on renewable energies as tool of sustainable development to face depletion of earth’s natural resources, poverty increase and climate change. In bringing together NGOs, public and private sector, general public and youth, Energy for Life addresses the interdependence between EU and DCs in the energy sector by highlighting common problems (resource depletion, pollution, climate change, etc.) and suggesting shared solutions.

Taking in consideration the lack of knowledge on the importance of the REs for the future of both Europe and DCs and that the Global energy demand is expected to increase by the 44 percent over the next two decades with most of the demand coming from developing countries, the overall objectives of Energy For Life are:

1) To raise public awareness of the interdependence between the EU and developing countries;

2) To mobilize support for more equitable North-South relations;

3) To encourage international co-operation – within the framework of the links between renewable energies and development.

In particular, the specific objective is to promote renewable energies as tool for achieving sustainable development and improving the quality of life in Europe and in developing countries:

Energy is the principal means For providing access to basic needs such as food and water and it facilitates various opportunities for the achievement of a decent quality of Life.

Access to affordable, adequate, and appropriate energy services is therefore a prerequisite for sustainable development, and for achieving the Millennium Development Goals adopted by the governments of the world, including the goal of reducing poverty and hunger.

The project aims to promote energy efficiency and renewable energies, encourage technologies that offer alternatives for clean and safe energy supply and use, and help find ways for developing countries to avoid the wasteful and destructive stages that have characterized industrialization in the past.

Energy for Life activities are implemented by a network of 10 partners from 9 different countries in EU and developing country.

In particular activities are the following:

• Establishment of a platform on REs and development, connecting energy actors from Europe and DCs that wish to share information, technologies, best practices and also start business partnerships. The platform consist of 10 project partners and is carried out by 4 partner coordinators (Istituto Oikos, DGS, Ecodes and Oikos Portugal) that are also responsible for the implementation of activities in each country (respectively Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal).
• Creation of a database of best practices and successful experiences on Renewable Energies applications in DCs hosted on this website that is an important tool for efficiently organising information and put it available for general public.
• Scientific research and analysis conducted to identify the contribution of REs technologies to poverty alleviation and to provide concrete policy guidance aimed at overcoming barriers to their dissemination and uptake. The research will lead to the production of a handbook including REs policies and selected best practices as a sort of guidelines for Energy actors on how to assess REs projects and their impact. Handbook will be printed in 2.000 copies and also be available, in electronic format, through the website.
• the Energy For Life campaign addressed to European public to increase awareness on the benefits of REs and carry out through poster and brochure.
• A computer online role-playing game (CRPG) with educational aims as tool to enhance young’s knowledge on the link between the sustainable energies and the development introducing the issue of RE as a solution to reduce natural resources depletion and the impact of climate change. At first there will be a school competition and later the game will remain available through the project and partners website for general public, especially young people aged from 13 to 18 years.
• This web portal is created as the main action tool of the project and Project newsletter is automatically generated every 6 months. It’s disseminated through the web portal and project mailing lists.
• During the three years, 8 national workshops will be organized (2 per country, 1 at the launch of the website and 1midterm) by every partner with the main purpose to contribute to the constitution of a Community of Practice on REs and development that will use the online forum within the web portal to share experiences, peer assistance and review. This will allow a more synergic approach and confidence building in order to enable new opportunities of cooperation.
• At the end of the project, the final International conference taking place in Spain will be a final gathering of all project members and stakeholders that will allow for an important exchange of experiences and lessons learnt as well as provide an ideal forum to communicate and increase awareness about the importance of renewable energies in the fight against global poverty.