Sustainable energy for a good life: Misereor

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While Europe burns brightly from space, Africa smoulders like a cigarette under the ashes. Energy poverty reduces life to the bare essentials: there is light during the day and warmth when the sun shines. Reading is a luxury and collecting wood for hours to make a fire is daily hard labour.

Energy consumption has a global impact. Because 80 per cent of it is based on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, it is changing the climate. And climate change has no conscience, it does not turn against those who cause it. Quite the opposite - it primarily affects the poor. In the South, for example, the rise in temperature is already leading to more frequent droughts, stronger cyclones and thus to crop failures and destruction.

Climate killer: old lignite-fired power stations

Huge dam in Brazil

The view from space reveals the unequal distribution of access to energy.

Madeleine Alisa Wörner

Policy and Global Challenges / Energy

Telephone: +49 241 442577
E-mail: madeleine.woerner@misereor.de

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We are committed to ensuring that people have access to sustainable energy sources. Unfortunately, renewable does not always mean socially just. Large-scale projects such as dams in particular rarely benefit the local population, but instead result in violence and displacement from their homes. Our projects therefore support those affected by large-scale projects in the fight for their human rights.
We also promote political dialogue in order to advance sustainable forms of energy and energy-saving measures.

Our projects provide poor people with sustainable and clean energy and help them to use it efficiently. And they mean much more than just electricity:

Small waterworks not only bring light to remote villages, but also operate grain mills or small machines.
Solar panels supply schools, offices and hospitals with electricity.
Portable solar lamps allow children to study in the evenings.
Efficient wood-burning stoves not only mean less wood, but also more time for other things.
In settlements with light, burglaries and robberies fall and community life flourishes.

"Electric light, refrigerated food, internet access - many things that we take for granted in Europe are out of reach for many Africans. They have no safe and affordable access to electricity."

Gerd Müller
Former Development Minister

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Donations for healthcare and energy in a Congolese hospital

Congo: Clean energy for hospitals

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Woman with baby at dried-up waterhole in Kenya

Surviving despite global climate change

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Making the production and export of green hydrogen sustainable and fair

Misereor Policy Brief

Partner organisations from Kenya, South Africa and Namibia assess their…

Misereor Policy Brief

Partner organisations from Kenya, South Africa and Namibia assess their current experiences with hydrogen. They derive recommendations to put the technology on a path to development: With local value chain, jobs, 100% renewable energy, education, respected land rights and environmental protection.

Publisher: Misereor
Year of publication: 2024
Pages: 12

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Misereor Policy Brief

Publisher: Misereor
Year of publication: 2024
Pages: 12

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Proactively countering threats to the European energy system - doing the right and necessary things now.

Joint position paper by BEE and Misereor on the challenges of the energy transition in times of the…

Joint position paper by BEE and Misereor on the challenges of the energy transition in times of the Russian war against Ukraine.
Misereor and BEE propose concrete measures to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in all sectors in the short term and promote the fastest possible expansion of renewable energy.

Publisher: German Renewable Energy Federation and Misereor
Year of publication: 2022
Pages: 2

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Publisher: German Renewable Energy Federation and Misereor
Year of publication: 2022
Pages: 2

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Strengthen Europe as a location for a globally sustainable financial architecture!

Misereor calls for the rejection of the current proposal on the EU environmental taxonomy. The…

Misereor calls for the rejection of the current proposal on the EU environmental taxonomy. The current version presented by the European Commission is associated with ecological, human rights, geopolitical and energy-related risks that pose acute dangers for the work of Misereor's partners.

The position paper highlights the development policy dimensions of the current draft of the EU environmental taxonomy.

Publisher: Misereor
Year of publication: June 2022
Number of pages: 3

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Publisher: Misereor
Year of publication: June 2022
Number of pages: 3

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All articles on the topic

The exhibition makes energy poverty easy to understand: it takes place in the dark.

Information and dates for borrowing

However, actor Hans Sigl is primarily concerned with the global challenges relating to climate change, energy access and the urgency of a transformation towards sustainability. In the podcast, he discusses global overload with Madeleine Alisa Wörner and emphasises the need to take action.

Listen to the podcast episode now

Many African countries offer ideal conditions for energy from the sun and wind. Nevertheless, Germany is investing in local fossil fuel projects. And this despite the fact that they are fuelling the climate crisis.

Find out more about the campaign now

Sustainable energy for a good life

The temperature is rising, as is poverty

Madeleine Alisa Wörner

Renewable - decentralised - fair

Projects with energy for more

Donation projects on the topic of energy

Congo: Clean energy for hospitals

Surviving despite global climate change

Our publications on the subject of energy

Making the production and export of green hydrogen sustainable and fair

Proactively countering threats to the European energy system - doing the right and necessary things now.

Strengthen Europe as a location for a globally sustainable financial architecture!

Öl und Gas: Eine Bedrohung für die DR Kongo

Energie global. Gerecht. Gestalten!

Notwendige Impulse für die anstehende Klimakonferenz in Baku (COP29)

Keine Energie auf Kosten der Ärmsten

Further information

On a low flame

Global Overshoot or: Renunciation is cool!

No energy at the expense of the poorest

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