On November 18, 2013, at a meeting convened by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Dialogue, Secretary Kerry spoke in favor of cooperation among the countries of the Western Hemisphere based on a relationship between equals, with the aim of strengthening democracy, investing in education, and combating climate change. Alluding to prosperity […]
The cooperative community, Hábitat Para la Mujer Comunidad María Auxiliadora (CMA), lies on the outskirts of Cochabamba, Bolivia. This community of collectively owned properties was formed to help single mothers who were escaping unbearable living conditions entangled in domestic abuse. CMA is based off a model of collective ownership that emphasizes the role of women […]
In Peru’s provincial capital of Otuzco, in the department of La Libertad, Peace Corps volunteers in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene program are building the capacity of a community to deploy and maintain its own biodigester. This ECPA initiative became a catalyst for other similar projects geared toward technological modernization and the strengthening of environmental […]
On November 29, 2013, a group of Costa Rican ministers and government officials met with the Environmental Network of Urban Mobility at the OAS National Office in San José. At the gathering, two studies were presented to decision makers: “Impact of Bicycle Lanes in Costa Rica” and “Obstacles and Opportunities for Non-Motorized Mobility in Greater […]
The Clean Energy Solutions Center provides reports, data, tools, interactive expert assistance and training forums to encourage and facilitate the transition to a global clean energy economy. Services are available at no cost to all ECPA Partners, government agencies and specialized organizations and institutes assisting governments. Ron Benioff, of the Solutions Center, said that “we […]
SNV and VIOGAZ are jointly implementing an ECPA initiative on electricity generation from biogas. Energy savings derived from this technique is allowing coffee growers and swine farmers in Costa Rica and Honduras to increase profit margins by making significant energy savings in production processes. Additionally, anaerobic digestion offers the unique advantage of safely treating and […]
Shirley Heights National Park, photo credits: OAS In 2010, the Organization of American States started implementing an ECPA initiative aimed at supporting energy integration in the Caribbean. The initiative fostered regional dialogue on the technical and policy aspects of integration. Legal and technical support was provided to governments seeking to advance sustainable energy solutions, and […]
Photo credit left corner: Jose Luis Rubio, El Sol de Mexico Public spaces play an important role in the social, urban and economic makeup of cities. Many Latin American cities are embarked in the task of renovating their public spaces. In Mexico City, the local government established the Public Space Authority, whose purpose is to […]
Meaningful access to reliable information is pivotal for sound decision-making. The Center for Information on Renewable Energies (CINER) based in Cochabamba, Bolivia, is joining ECPA to contribute to energy and climate information sharing and exchange. The goal of CINER is to support natural resources conservation with a focus on the rational use of energy. CINER […]
(Photo: OAS) The event offered an opportunity to discuss the Caribbean region’s potential to deploy renewable energy technologies, as their cost continues to fall and that of fossil fuels is trending upwards. Government and private sector analyzed the types of policies required to develop a regional market that will allow small island states to harness […]
A fundamental ingredient of clean energy market growth is the capacity of entrepreneurs to design and manage the types of businesses that will expand the marketplace. New energy businesses may not be established without the human ingenuity required for these endeavors to come to fruition. ECPA is supporting entrepreneurial capacity development so that new sustainable […]
(Photo: OAS) The cities of the Americas are experiencing dramatic changes derived from rising urbanization. Numerous cities are rapidly expanding beyond their planned limits, and the systems to provide them with water, sewerage, waste disposal, and other common services are becoming obsolete, inadequate and inefficient. These issues must be addressed insofar as cities are responsible […]
In order to be effective, energy and climate policy making must be guided by robust scientific knowledge. Access to accurate, internationally accepted measurements and standards is therefore fundamental for policy decision making, as well as to assess the impacts of policies and mitigation efforts. The Organization of American States and the U.S. National Institute of […]
On November 20-21, 2013, the Andean Climate Change Inter-American Observatory Network (ACCION), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Andean Eco-region Sustainable Development Consortium (CONDENSAN, for its acronym in Spanish) will host a science policy workshop in Quito, Ecuador to discuss the “Impacts of Global Climate Change on Snow, Glaciers and Water […]
(Photo credits: Darren Mahuron photography) Since 2011, the NGO Trees, Water & People (TWP) is implementing an ECPA initiative to improve the quality of life and livelihoods of impoverished communities in Peru and Honduras by providing them with reliable access to basic energy services. Through their work, people are learning how to build clean cookstoves […]
On October 30th from 6pm – 9pm, ECPA implementer Trees, Water & People (TWP) http://www.treeswaterpeople.org/ will debut its photography exhibition, “Illuminating Opportunity,” in Fort Collins, Colorado to share the impacts of their work Increasing access to clean energy in Latin America. The collection of images captured by Fort Collins photographer Darren Mahuron, depict TWP’s ongoing […]
ECPA Caribbean Manager, Kevin de Cuba, traveled to Trinidad & Tobago on August 21-23 to introduce the Closed Loop Cycle Production concept (CLCP) to key stakeholders from the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation network. This project was successfully implemented in Ecuador and will be replicated in Trinidad and Tobago, thus contributing to the raising awareness and building […]
The Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) co-hosted by the Government of Aruba will take place at the Westin Resort & Casino from October 9-11. The forum seeks to convey the region’s favorable outlook for renewable energy deployment. Prior to the event, the United States Departments of State and Energy, the Caribbean-Central American Action (CCAA) and […]
On August 7-8, the ECPA Energy Efficiency Working Group convened the Second Seminar on Innovation, Science, and Technology for the Energy Efficient Development of Central America in Guatemala City to address energy efficiency in public transport. Experts from Central and South American countries shared their experiences on energy efficiency in this sector as a critical […]
The Fulbright Regional Network for Applied Research (NEXUS) concluded another year of successful research in the Americas at the Scholar Symposium “New Connections for a Changing Climate” held in Washington DC on September 18-19, 2013. Dan Kammen, Fulbright NEXUS Lead Scholar, and three other Senior ECPA Fellows– Jeff Soule, Frank Lowenstein, and Janaki R.R. Alavalapati […]
The ECPA Andean Climate Change Inter-American Observatory Network (ACCION) is an initiative lead by the University at Albany-SUNY to build the capacity of young scientists across the Americas to analyze climate change-induced phenomena. Mathias Vuille, Senior ECPA Fellow and Associate Professor at the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences of the University at Albany, explained […]
The OAS and the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) have recently formalized a knowledge partnership agreement that will expand knowledge generation, best practices sharing and communications and outreach support. All OAS Department of Sustainable Development networks and clearinghouse mechanisms will take part in this effort geared toward building awareness on energy and climate across the […]
In March 2013 the National Energy Council (CNE) of El Salvador imparted a training session on improved driving techniques for defensive driving and fuel-savings. Through two days of intensive practical training, CNE assessed and reoriented the motor vehicle operation skills of eight government institutions. Participating agencies included the Ministry of Finance, Economy, Environment and Natural […]
Richard Huber at the Porto21 World Forum held in Lisbon, Portugal The Sustainable Communities in Central America and the Caribbean ECPA initiative was presented at the Porto 21 World Forum held in Lisbon, Portugal, on April 16 and 17. The initiative implemented by the Organization of American States with support from the U.S. Department of […]
Washington, D.C. – ECPA Senior Fellow Roger Duncan, former General Manager at Austin Energy and a clean energy specialist, was in Brazil from April 22-25 to participate in a series of meetings and events around renewable energy and energy efficiency. During his visit in Porto Alegre, he offered a presentation at the 2nd Forum on […]
(Photo credits: Americas Quarterly) On April 29, prior to his visit to Latin America and the Caribbean, President Obama was interviewed by Americas Quarterly to discuss the purpose of his visit. The topic of energy was on the President’s agenda for his sixth trip to the region. “Our hemisphere produces one quarter of the world’s […]
In this photo, Ambassador Anne Andrew and ECPA grant recipients San Jose – At the University of Costa Rica Planetarium in San Pedro, U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, Anne Andrew, announced the names of the five winners of the Clean Energy Regional Competition. Launched in 2012 by the U.S. Department of State, the aim of […]
Lima, Peru – The Andean Climate Change Interandean Observatory Network (ACCIÓN), an initiative funded by the U.S. State Department and UNESCO’s International Hydrologic Program (IHP), invited atmospheric and environmental science students from Andean countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile) to participate in the First Climate School on “Andean Climate Variability and Change”, which will take place […]
Washington, D.C. – ECPA hosted four events to celebrate Earth Day in support of sustainable development and environmental protection. Celebrations began with the webinar Partners of the Americas and the Senior ECPA Fellows Program held on April 19 to address the issue of sustainable energy. The webinar was moderated by two Senior ECPA Fellows specialized […]
La Paz, Bolivia – The ECPA Energy Efficiency Working Group and the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy (MHE) of Bolivia co-hosted an energy efficiency workshop to discuss the guidelines of the Strategic Plan for Energy Efficiency and Conservation for the Plurinational State of Bolivia in a two-day event held on April 23-24, 2013. Nearly 120 […]
In the 18 months since the launch of its project Improving Access to Clean Energy in Latin America, ECPA grantee Trees, Water & People (TWP) has reached over 15,000 people in Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador with energy efficient and renewable energy solutions. In Honduras, over 2500 small scale solar lighting and mobile phone charging […]
The Solar Professionals’ Academy of the Americas (SPAA), an ECPA initiative implemented by Solar Energy International (SEI), will provide training on the design, installation and maintenance of solar photovoltaic systems in Central America and Mexico. The goal is to support private sector engagement in the clean energy industry. Microenterprise business planning, entrepreneurship and clean energy […]
The ECPA initiative for Sustainable Communities in Central America and the Caribbean recently announced the recipients of 14 grants designed to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations and community associations to build sustainable communities and contribute to sustainable urban development. The initiative comes at a crucial time as the cities of the Americas are […]
Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia—The Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (OAS), through its Caribbean Sustainable Energy Program (CSEP), and the ECPA Energy Efficiency Working Group hosted a workshop on energy efficiency designs for office and public buildings in tropical climates. The event took place at the Bay Gardens Inn in Rodney […]
The Government of Ecuador and the OAS hosted a ceremony to award the first “Cradle-to-Cradle” (C2C) certification in Latin America. The event took place on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at the Radisson hotel in Quito. The C2C certification is the result of the work conducted by the Closed Looped Cycle Production in the Americas Initiative […]
A research project led by the University of Costa Rica (UCR) Research Center for Electrochemistry and Energy Chemistry (CELEQ) aims to create a new clean energy model applicable to the coffee milling industry in Central America. The model takes advantage of power generation opportunities and improves energy efficiency to address the problem of climate change […]
Austin, Texas—Mark Lambrides, OAS Chief of the Energy and Climate Change Mitigation Section of the OAS Department of Sustainable Development, spoke at the VIII Latin American Forum hosted by University of Texas and the Council of the Americas. The event brought together high level officials from the region, including Hon. Edwin Rodas, Vice Minister of […]
The ECPA Energy Efficiency Working Group and the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy of Bolivia (MHE) are organizing the workshop Proposals for the Establishment of a New National Energy Efficiency Policy for the Plurinational State of Bolivia, to be held on April 23 -24, 2013 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in La Paz. The event […]
Basseterre, Saint Kitts—On February 20, 2013, A workshop was held in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, to share the results of a study that looks into the potential for building an electricity interconnection via submarine cables between the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis and Puerto Rico. Senior government officials, electricity utility representatives and other key energy […]
Global Conversations, a climate change blog with over 2.5 million likes on Facebook and more than 24,000 followers on Twitter, hosted the ECPA Week with two blogs on forestry conservation authored by Senior ECPA Fellows Paul Westbrook and Dr. Janaki R. R. Alavalapati. This digital collaboration between Global Conversations and the ECPA Clearinghouse aims to […]
Washington, DC—On February 2, 2013, United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, referred to ECPA as a successful regional initiative while addressing the OAS Permanent Council. Together with two other projects —Connecting the Americas 2022 (an ECPA initiative) and the public-private partnership Pathways for Prosperity— ECPA was highlighted as a ‘good example of dynamism for […]
On February 18, Senior ECPA Fellow, Mathias Vuille, an atmospheric science professor at University at Albany State University of New York – SUNY, shared with CBS News his opinion on climate change and severe weather conditions in the Northeast of the United States. He reminded viewers that, in order to look at the big picture, […]
Central America faces severe deforestation and forest degradation due to myriad socioeconomic and institutional reasons. Since the region is part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, biodiversity conservation becomes an even greater priority. Dr. Alavalapati, ECPA Fellow from Virginia Tech, traveled to Belmopan, Belize, on November 6-8, 2012 to host the Forum “Building Capacities for Sustainable […]
In Peru, the Peace Corps, Trees, Water & People and PowerMundo are collaborating to implement the ECPA-supported initiative, “Improving Access to Clean Energy in Latin America”. As part of this multi-country initiative, PowerMundo and Peace Corps are working with Peruvians to provide light and clean energy in rural communities, thereby creating a new market niche […]
From November 2012 to September 2013, Juan Carlos Lopez, Senior Research Scientist at the Colombian National Coffee Research Center (CENICAFE) will participate in a scientific exchange in Peoria, Illinois. The purpose of this exchange is to study and develop the potential uses of the coffee waste stream as a source of biomass for generating renewable […]
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has selected 20 outstanding scholars to engage in collaborative thinking, analysis, problem-solving and multi-disciplinary research on improving the quality of life through environmental changes in the Western Hemisphere in one of three inter-related topics: Science, Technology and Innovation; Entrepreneurship; and Sustainable Energy. Approximately one-third […]
Peace Corps and Trees, Water & People (TWP) are training Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) to build clean cookstoves. The knowledge shared with local community leaders through this program provides communities with the skills required to build and maintain clean cookstoves. In the small rural village of Rio Abajo, in the municipality of Chalatenango, a total […]
On November 14-15, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) of Peru and the Department of Sustainable Development of the Organization of American States (OAS), which operates the ECPA Clearinghouse, co-hosted the II Regional Symposium on Energy Efficiency in Lima. The Symposium addressed specific activities intended to foster energy efficiency at the national and regional […]
On November 12, 2012, the Institute of the Americas hosted the Chile Energy Roundtable in Santiago. Participants highlighted the importance of increasing transmission infrastructure and the need to connect the nation’s two electric grids in an effort to counteract high energy costs and strike a balance between sustainable development and economic growth. Addressing an audience […]
US and Colombia Host Leaders of the Americas to Pursue Universal Access to Electricity – Energy Efficiency and Innovation Seminar in Costa Rica – Trees, Water & People Inaugurates Renewable Energy Center in Honduras – ECPA Energy Efficiency Pillar Roundtable – Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum 2012, Puerto Rico – Geothermal Congress for Latin America and […]
Nesta Edição: EE.UU e Colombia recebem os representantes dos governos das Américas para discutir o acesso universal à electricidade Missão de intercâmbio México-El Salvador – Congresso regional de geotermia, 2012 – Fórum em Energia Renovável IRENA-CARILEC – Seminário em Inovação, Ciência e Tecnologia para o Desenvolvimento – Energicamente Eficiente na América Central – TWP e […]
Inside this issue: U.S and Colombia Launch Connecting the Americas 2022 – Clearinghouse Hosts Regional Dialogue on ECPA activities at the OAS – Clearinghouse Hosts Technical Exchange on Thermal Retrofitting in Chile’s Bio Bio Region – Mexico City Workshop in Support of Energy Efficiency in the Americas – Clearinghouse Training Course on Closed Looped Cycle […]
Inside this issue: Strong Policy and Tough Decisions Needed Clearinghouse Convenes Clean Production Meeting in Quito Clearinghouse Hosts Training Course on Geothermal Energy in El Salvador ECPA Caribbean Region Climate Adaptation Partnership Initiative to be Established Launch of the U.S.-Chile Energy Business Council Suriname Workshop in Support of Renewable Energy in the Caribbean Saint Kitts […]
2010-04-21Nuestra visión es un futuro energético y climático sostenible para el Hemisferio
View Map