Strengthening Urban Resilience: Integrating Inclusive Infrastructure, Energy, Climate and Health Systems

In our response strategies to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are effectively undertaking a massive experiment where we disrupt our entire economy and how we work and live within it. This has implications for our health and infrastructure, as well as gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) linkages. Better health is a measure of progress in diverse dimensions, including sustainable energy, cities, transport, and GESI. Being better prepared and learning how to become more resilient, is a more viable long-term option than waiting for disasters to occur.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: Perspectives on Technology, Society, and Ethics

One of the objectives of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is to ensure that technology is harmoniously and sustainably harnessed for humanity. Recently, the IEEE has adopted a code of ethics. In this session, a leading member of IEEE outlines the organization’s perspective on social considerations and ethics, and the implications for social inclusion and gender equality in engineering practice. It also presents some practical examples of its work in community energy.

Demand Side Management and the Prosumer: What, Who, and the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Implications

Enter the prosumer, as smart grid will bring in a new paradigm of active distribution that can dramatically change the roles of consumers and communities, transforming passive users into active players—both as producers and consumers or prosumers with potentially important implications for gender equality and social inclusion.

This session explains demand side management in relation to the power system and electricity network, from generation to end users. It discusses the enhanced role of demand management for smart grid systems and examines the case of the Sri Lanka experience.

Asia Pacific Case Studies: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Integrated Energy Initiatives and Impacts

In this session, a range of examples from the energy and power industry in Asia is presented, and projects and programs where social inclusion considerations were assessed and addressed are also discussed. The panelists identify social inclusion issues, key project design features addressing these issues, implementation and processes involved, and results achieved, if any.

Energy Technology Innovation in South Asia: Implications for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

How can gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) be integrated into electricity systems modelling with a rural electrification focus? What are the potential entry points for GESI in the renewable energy programs of the Government of Sri Lanka? These two questions are answered in this session that discusses the methodology, findings, and outcomes of the research on “Energy Technology Innovation in South Asia: Implications for Gender and Social Inclusion” conducted by the University of Melbourne for ADB.