Join us for the “Power of One” forum series at the BASE from April to July 2016, and learn from leaders and changemakers who have woven sustainability into the fabric not only of their careers, but also their lifestyles.

It is no secret that China’s energy demand will continue to rise. While the Chinese government is investing strongly in renewable energy sources to keep up with this growing demand, various renewable energy projects are helping secure China’s energy market while gradually making it more mainstream and affordable.

In many parts of the world communities are investing in their own renewable energy projects, either by co-funding wind farms or by installing solar panels on their roofs. IKEA even intends to start selling solar panels and thereby making it available to more people. It is a way of becoming self-sufficient, decrease dependency on fluctuating and increasing energy prices and a way to decrease your environmental footprint. For most of us here in Shanghai, however, it is not feasible or affordable to install solar panels on our rooftops.

So what can you do to get involved in the renewable energy movement?

Some questions we would be looking to answer through this forum are:

• What are examples of renewable energy solutions at the individual, corporate, governmental or community level?
• What can the community do to get involved in renewable energy initiatives?
• What are current barriers in China to increase renewable energy and community initiatives?
• What are some cool renewable energy related projects happening in China?

Event Itinerary

• 18.00 – 19.00: Registration and networking
• 19.00 – 20.00: Speaker Presentations
• 20.00 – 20.30: Q&A session open to the audience
• 20:30 – 21:00: Drinks and networking

Speakers

Joy Hughes
Subject: A shared renewable project or “solar garden” allows multiple owners of an offsite facility to receive a utility bill credit for energy produced. Shared solar is becoming popular in many countries and could enable China to meet its distributed solar energy targets. Joy Hughes will discuss the potential for community solar to expand in China and the challenges it is still facing.
Background: Joy Hughes founded the Solar Gardens Institute in 2010 to support education, policy, and project development for community shared renewable energy everywhere, including advising university student research in China. The Institute is a member of the U.S. National Community Solar Partnership, a project of the White House and Department of Energy. Ms. Hughes has spoken on the topic throughout the U.S. and internationally. She holds a BS degree in Engineering and Applied Sciences from the California Institute of Technology and an MS in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has worked in Apple Computer’s Advanced Technology Group and several Silicon Valley startups.

Cecilia Ledesma
Subject: Using small hydro power as a case study, demonstrate how renewable energy is applicable and relevant for communities across different contexts – from rural mountainous communities in Pakistan , communities in the UK concerned about climate change, or reforestation efforts in China. Renewable energy is a powerful tool for global sustainable development. However, community initiative and engagement is key to project success.
Background: Cecilia Ledesma is Senior Programme Officer at the International Center on Small Hydro Power (ICSHP). ICSHP, under auspices of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and China’s Ministry of Water Resources, promotes small hydro power development worldwide.  Projects focus on training and capacity building to facilitate rural electrification and sustainable economic development in developing countries. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environment, Economics and Politics (EEP) from Claremont McKenna College.

About The Power of One Monthly Forum Series

We are constantly bombarded with negative information about the scale of environmental destruction in China. From the air quality apps we check addictively every minute, to the news reports flashing shocking images of trash-clogged rivers, to the reports we read with statistics like “one fifth of China’s soil is contaminated”. It’s impossible not to feel like the problem is too big for any one person to tackle.

But change on the individual and community level is absolutely necessary, and is in fact critical. As urbanites living in a fast-paced concrete jungle, how can we create a reconnection with the organic nature of the food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear and the DNA of all the devices we use to survive? Does this mean we have to sit in the dark or cycle 40km to work in the rain every day? Does living more sustainably mean lowering our quality of life?

This series will address three key questions:

1. How can individuals be empowered to create change in their daily lives?
2. What is feasible in our own home, offices and communities in Shanghai?
3. What is the connection between individual action and the bigger picture of a more “sustainable future”?

MORE INFO/RSVP