The OpenAccess Energy Communique is now available as an attachment to this article.

While the summit may be ending, the work towards providing 1.1 billion people with reliable, renewable and sustainable energy is just beginning. The development of actionable policy options will be dependent on a concrete 'blueprint' from which to draw from.

When this is published, it will be available online, here.

Thanks to Summits such as this, there is a growing awareness of the inequities faced by those around the world who have not had a chance to share in the benefits that reliable access to electricity brings. The message of the OpenAccess Energy Summit is our mandate here at Affordable Energy 4 Humanity: we must act locally and think globally. There are more than 1 billion people around the world without access to power but to find energy disadvantaged people, as a country we need only look to our north: many are Canadian citizens, and a disproportionate amount are part of our Indigenous people.

"Affordable energy for all is as relevant for Canada in meeting the energy needs of our own remote northern and indigenous communities as it is for Canada’s role in fostering positive change at the global level. The opportunity is to create the conditions for a pathway for the energy poor to be drawn into the economic mainstream. A compelling economic case for investment in high-quality infrastructure is buttressed by an ethical requirement to ensure that the distant, dispersed and the disadvantaged citizens globally and in Canada have a fair shake at improving their quality of life.

The current state of the energy infrastructure that serves our northern and indigenous population is crumbling and inadequate. Efforts to improve matters over the past decade or so have been deeply mired in intergovernmental red tape and jurisdictional issues. Negotiations to determine the share of provincial and federal financial contributions – when conducted with poor intent and hostility – invariably result in a stalemate with no tangible improvements in the community."

The above quote, taken from Wednesday's Globe and Mail op/ed piece written by Professor Nathwani and Colin Andersen, Chair of the Energy Council of Canada can be read in it's entirety by clicking here. The OpenAccess summit brought together a multinational, multidisciplinary and multi-generational group of people with the goal of developing a framework for addressing electricity provision for energy isolated communities. 

At the pre-Summit Advisory Group workshop held in October, experts defined success in the following terms:

"The end goal is to improve well-being through the transformative change modern electricity services provide. We will identify and catalyze the strategies and actions necessary to sustainably provide the energy-isolated with reliable and affordable access to modern electricity services. This will be made possible by harnessing current and emerging science, technology and social innovations, and considering short, medium and long-term time frames."

Here at WISE we are delighted to grant our members access to the videos, articles and the framework itself, when it becomes available. Stay tuned for postings and check out the links below for more information by clicking on the titles:

Read more about the OpenAccess Energy Summit.

Watch OpenAccess Energy & #PowershiftWR Talks (A playlist):

View video from the opening talks, the keynote address from Daniel Kammen; Søren Hermansen, the winner of "the environmental Nobel" prize; and University of Waterloo President Feridun Hamdulllapur give the opening address: 'OpenAccess Energy & #PowerShiftWR: Public Talks'

Watch videos from 'The Agenda at WGSI: The Indigenous Power Struggle':

View 'The Agenda at WGSI: Life Off the Power Grid'.

What is the impact on lives of those in communities off the power grid? What would access to reliable and abundant energy mean for the quality of daily life in Canada's 175 remote and indigenous off-grid regions? As part of the Waterloo Global Science Initiative's OpenAccess Energy Summit, The Agenda discusses how energy access creates growth and opportunity.

View 'The Agenda at WGSI: Energy Poverty in Canada'.

More than half of the communities in Canada not connected to the power grid are indigenous. These remote communities often face heartbreaking challenges made worse by energy poverty. As part of the Waterloo Global Science Initiative's OpenAccess Energy Summit, The Agenda discusses why this is the case and what can be done to change it.

View 'The Agenda at WGSI: Moving Off the Land'

Should indigenous people move from remote communities to improve their lives? As part of the Waterloo Global Science Initiative's OpenAccess Energy Summit, The Agenda discusses the controversial question that has been raised in reaction to recent suicides in Attawapiskat.

View 'The Agenda at WGSI: Better Energy, Faster'

The federal and Ontario governments have committed capital to support improved energy access and transformational change for indigenous communities. As part of the Waterloo Global Science Initiative's OpenAccess Energy Summit, The Agenda discusses what it will take to make the changes needed for quality of life and economic growth, how indigenous leaders can participate in solutions, and how improvement can be achieved faster than in the past.

Watch Video from 'Ending Energy Poverty, The Agenda with Steve Paiken'

This article was originally published on our sister site, AE4H.