Energy Security and Decentralized Energy Systems: What Lessons from Global South Countries Can Be Implemented in Ukraine?

The event brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss how innovative renewable energy solutions and decentralized systems can help Ukraine achieve energy independence.

The discussions highlighted the transformative potential of decentralized, renewable energy systems in building resilience, reducing emissions, and fostering economic growth. By learning from countries' successes in the Global South, Ukraine can chart a path toward a sustainable and independent energy future.

The session began with a presentation of the new report - Lessons from Certain Global South Countries in development of decentralized energy systems and increasing end use energy efficiency: What can be implemented in Ukraine?

Drawing lessons from Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, and South Africa, the research underscores the transformative potential of community-driven and decentralised energy systems for Ukraine’s energy security.

The event was expertly moderated by Iryna Kondratenko, Climate Change and Energy Policy Coordinator at the Heinrich Boell Foundation, Kyiv Office - Ukraine who facilitated a dynamic discussion on the role of decentralised energy in Ukraine’s reconstruction and energy security. 

We have started to build a more decentralised energy system that is more resilient to attacks and sets a foundation for stronger and long-term transition. While decentralisation in other countries is often driven by sustainability, in Ukraine, a key driver is energy security. As we work to rebuild our energy sector during this ongoing war, the lessons from other countries are not just helpful; they are crucial for us, - noted Iryna Kondratenko.

The event underscored the urgency of adopting decentralised, renewable energy solutions for Ukraine. Drawing from these countries’ successes, Ukraine can build resilient energy systems that ensure independence, reduce emissions, and foster economic growth. 

Key points of speakers

Experts from the Global South and Ukraine shared real-world examples of decentralised energy initiatives:

• Richard Halsey, South Africa, Policy Advisor on Energy Issues at the International Insitute for Sustainable Development: 

South Africa has had an electricity crisis, but I don’t think it is anywhere near as difficult to what is happening in Ukraine; I’m not trying to say our countries are similar, but there may be some lessons from South Africa that are useful. Regulatory reform can allow non-state actors to act quickly in response to electricity supply constraints. You must apply pressure to change these regulations speedily and most logically.

• Jeri Asmoro, Digital Campaigner, 350.org Indonesia team, spoke about Indonesia’s journey in phasing out coal and transitioning to decentralised renewable solutions, including innovative microgrid projects in remote areas: 

We are still struggling to close the coal projects in Indonesia. We see the opportunities for campaigning and ensuring Indonesia’s community-based renewable energy gets bigger and stronger. Indonesia is one of the top coal exporters in the world. Strong vested interests in the coal and fossil fuel sector in Indonesia by politicians, who are also businessmen, create situations that are highly favourable for the coal industry, often delaying renewable energy initiatives.

• Muhammad Mustafa Amjad, from Pakistan, Program Director at Renewables First, discussed Pakistan’s remarkable solar boom that has brought many economic benefits and some risks: 

What is happening in Ukraine is a crisis of unknown magnitude, and there are no parallels. When we can see many examples from across the globe and learn from them, it is important to acknowledge within these crises that there is hope for a greener, better and brighter future. The magnitude of the transition in Pakistan was really estonishing in terms of the scale and speed of the solar pool in the country. For Ukraine, where there are lots of different setups of solar panels coming up, once the war ends, there is a lot of potential for connecting these little grids and providing that resilience within that system.

• Anna Zhovtenko, Project Manager at UNDP Ukraine, emphasising the importance of private investment in distributed generation and energy efficiency:

Almost 12 million people have no or limited access to electricity because of the damages to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Our project, funded by the Global Environment Facility, helps mitigate this situation at least. We developed the energy service mechanism in Ukraine; this is the way of cooperation when a private investor funds the energy efficiency measures in public buildings and municipal entities and then receives a return on investment from the verified energy consumption savings.

• Iryna Ptashnyk, Research and Policy Advisor at Razom We Stand:

Today, even in the 21st century, we have more than one billion people worldwide who lack access to electricity. Before February 2022, Ukraine was never on that list, but after the brutal targeted attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, we are facing losing our grids and generation capacity. Razom We Stand, together with our partner, the Henrich Böll Foundation, decided to analyse the experiences of Kenya, Brazil, South Africa, and Indonesia because each of these countries has some characteristics that can be compared to Ukraine’s situation. Clean energy decentralisation can solve a lot of problems that our countries are facing.