UNDP Tanzania has recently celebrated the adoption of clean energy with an installation of a Hybrid Solar Power System at the United Nations House in Dar es Salaam. This exemplary move towards renewable energy reaffirms UNDP’s role in spearheading the localization of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative and Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).
Verity Nyagah, Acting Resident Representative of UNDP Tanzania, said during the inauguration ceremony: “This sets a framework for other organizations, both public and private, to follow suit, thus helping the country to play a key role in localizing the SE4ALL initiative as well as implementing the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to address climate change in Tanzania.”
Before the inauguration of the hybrid system, the UNDP Tanzania office was dependent on grid power backed by carbon intensive diesel generators, which proved to be polluting, expensive and unreliable. With the new solar panels, 70% of total office electricity consumption will be covered by a carbon emission-free source of power.
“These solar panels will enable UN House to offset 68 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, while producing an impressive 187 Megawatt hours of clean and more efficient energy,”said Kanni Wignaraja, Director ad interim, Bureau for Management Services.
Switching to renewable energy has strong environmental incentives. Cutting CO2 emissions will effectively reduce carbon footprint of the UN House and its burden on the environment (see the infographic below). This supports the achievement of SDG 13 ‘Climate Action’ while also promoting SDG 7 ‘Affordable and Clean Energy’. UN in Tanzania hopes to inspire other organizations in the region to follow suit.
The solar panels are also designed to improve the quality of life and work, as they emit no sound, while their energy predecessors – generators – are noisy and intrusive. This is a measurable benefit to UNDP and other agencies as well as government counterparts that UNDP works with, practicing what UN promotes: sustainable human development.