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Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet Appoints Agnes Dasewicz as New CEO

Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet Appoints Agnes Dasewicz as New CEO

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a global non-profit organization, has announced the appointment of Agnes Dasewicz as its next Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2027. Dasewicz, currently the Chief Program and Investment Officer, is the first internal leader to be appointed to this role. GEAPP was founded in 2021 by The Rockefeller Foundation, IKEA Foundation, and Bezos Earth Fund with the mission to accelerate clean energy access and economic opportunities, particularly in emerging economies. The Alliance operates on two main pillars: 'Grids of the Future,' which focuses on strengthening energy supply through AI-enabled, renewables-ready power grids, and 'Powering Opportunity,' which aims to help communities utilize clean energy for business development, job creation, and economic growth. Since its launch at COP26 in Glasgow, GEAPP has made significant progress, on track to provide new or improved clean energy access to over 90 million people, create or enhance more tha...

Death toll rises to 8 in Nairobi collapsed building tragedy after more bodies found

Death toll rises to 8 in Nairobi collapsed building tragedy after more bodies found

Authorities have retrieved six more bodies from the debris of a collapsed building in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing the confirmed death toll to eight

Death toll rises to 5 in Nairobi collapsed building tragedy after 3 bodies are found

Death toll rises to 5 in Nairobi collapsed building tragedy after 3 bodies are found

Authorities have retrieved three more bodies from the debris of a collapsed building in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing the confirmed death toll to five

Kenyan Waste Pickers Face Severe Health Risks Amidst Global Plastic Crisis

Kenyan Waste Pickers Face Severe Health Risks Amidst Global Plastic Crisis

In Nairobi, Kenya, thousands of waste pickers at the Dandora landfill site are enduring severe health risks while attempting to salvage recyclable materials from the 2,000 tonnes of waste dumped daily. These vulnerable workers frequently suffer injuries from sharp objects and are exposed to toxic fumes, highlighting the human cost of recycling in a country where the industry is still developing. Globally, 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, yet only 9% of this total is recycled, according to the United Nations. Kenya, a pioneer in banning plastic bags on the African continent, faces a significant challenge in managing its waste, with only 7% of the plastic at Dandora being successfully recycled despite the immense efforts of these workers.

AFRICOM Commander Integrates Energy Cooperation with Security and Economic Development in Africa, Focusing on Nigeria and Kenya

AFRICOM Commander Integrates Energy Cooperation with Security and Economic Development in Africa, Focusing on Nigeria and Kenya

General Dagvin Anderson, commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), is expanding AFRICOM's focus beyond traditional security to include investment and economic opportunities, particularly in the energy sector, with Nigeria and Kenya identified as key partners. This initiative, discussed during the Africa Strategic Dialogue in Washington on October 29, aims to bridge security efforts with stability and economic growth. William Schirano, the U.S. Department of Energy’s deputy assistant secretary for multilateral engagement and market development, highlighted various energy areas, including clean cooking, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) access, electricity grids, geothermal development, and nuclear planning. The G20 energy ministers' statement from Houston in September supports this broader policy agenda, emphasizing financing, stronger distribution systems, consumer affordability, and local value chains. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia Jr. underscored that such cooperation mu...

Inter-American Development Bank Approves $450 Million Loan to Strengthen Colombia's Energy Sector

Inter-American Development Bank Approves $450 Million Loan to Strengthen Colombia's Energy Sector

The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $450 million Programmatic Policy-Based Loan (PBP) for Colombia. This loan is aimed at strengthening energy security and the financial sustainability of Colombia’s power sector. The operation is designed to encourage private investment in power generation and transmission, improve the execution of public resources for expanding electricity access in rural areas, promote the sector's financial sustainability, and help reduce the fiscal deficit associated with subsidies. The program is expected to add 24 GW of capacity to the system and benefit approximately 17 million users of Colombia’s National Interconnected System by addressing projected deficits and enhancing energy security. Additionally, about 1.3 million households currently without electricity are anticipated to gain access through gradual coverage expansion.

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer Leads Delegation to Africa for Economic Partnerships

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer Leads Delegation to Africa for Economic Partnerships

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer Leads Delegation to Africa for Economic Partnerships

ILO Supports Youth-Led Organizations in Kenya to Create Decent Work Opportunities

ILO Supports Youth-Led Organizations in Kenya to Create Decent Work Opportunities

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is supporting eight youth-led organizations in Kenya's refugee-hosting counties of Turkana and Garissa to develop local solutions for employment challenges. These organizations, representing both refugee and host communities, participated in a four-day Youth Leadership Bootcamp in Nairobi. The bootcamp, organized under the ILO–E4Impact Youth Leadership Lab, equipped 32 young leaders with skills in project design, organizational management, and planning. Selected through the ILO PROSPECTS Kenya Innovation Challenge, these organizations are developing diverse solutions, including climate-resilient enterprises, linking skills training to employment, promoting labor rights, and enhancing youth participation in decisions affecting their working lives. The initiative aims to strengthen youth leadership and foster locally driven approaches to create decent work opportunities for young people in these communities.

From fleeing conflict-hit Congo to the Youth Olympics, teenager makes history with dad as coach

From fleeing conflict-hit Congo to the Youth Olympics, teenager makes history with dad as coach

Arno Yafunga is part of the first refugee team to compete at the Youth Olympic Games

Okra Solar Secures $7 Million Debt Facility from British International Investment to Expand Mesh-Grid Connections in Rural Nigeria

Okra Solar Secures $7 Million Debt Facility from British International Investment to Expand Mesh-Grid Connections in Rural Nigeria

Okra Solar, a Nigerian provider of mesh-grid technology for off-grid communities, has secured a $7 million debt facility from British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution. This funding will enable Okra Solar to procure equipment for approximately 150,000 new connections, with the potential to provide electricity to 750,000 people in rural Nigeria for the first time. The investment aims to accelerate access to reliable and clean electricity in Nigeria, a country where an estimated 90 million people lack dependable power. Okra Solar's mesh-grid technology combines solar generation, battery storage, and smart controls, allowing neighboring homes and businesses to share electricity cost-efficiently. The company's CEO, Afnan Hannan, stated that the facility will significantly reduce equipment delivery times and costs, allowing for faster deployment of electricity.

Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund Invests $300 Million in North American Battery Storage Company Aypa Power

Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund Invests $300 Million in North American Battery Storage Company Aypa Power

Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund Invests $300 Million in North American Battery Storage Company Aypa Power

Take Five: Tech wreck and roll

Take Five: Tech wreck and roll

Nov 6 (Reuters) - Traders on the world's financial markets go into next week hoping the storm engulfing tech stocks blows itself out and for no new escalation in the Iran war that sends oil prices surging again.