In a move that evokes many of the same sentiments expressed in the epic song penned by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in 1985 –”We are the world, We are the children, We are the ones who make a brighter day, So let’s start giving” – a new business-nonprofit partnership has launched a worldwide charity called Energy Aid.

Today, the United Nations estimates that 1.3 billion people worldwide have no electricity – and another one billion have limited or unreliable access to power. In response, IBM has joined with Practical Action to launch Energy Aid, a global initiative dedicated to providing off-grid populations with access to heating, lighting, cooking, communications, and mechanical work.

The Armonk, New York-based computer giant and the Rugby, England-based nonprofit organization –which uses technology to tackle critical problems in developing nations – will take a three-prong approach to eradicating “energy poverty,” including a global awareness campaign, an Open Knowledge Base (News - Alert), and an Energy Aid Fund.

The new organization will not only offer technological assistance across the world's poorest areas, including South America, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, but will identify and address the issues that hinder many villagers from using electricity safely. For example, fully 2.7 billion people a year who prepare their meals with biomass, wood, dung, coal, and other solid fuels cannot avoid the noxious indoor fumes belching from their cooking stoves. Indoor smoke kills 1.4 million people each year – most of them, women and children – surpassing the death toll caused by malaria.

Energy Aid will provide investment and resources to charities and agencies that currently are running or planning energy projects in these regions, helping people to find their own way out of energy poverty. At his juncture, more than 80 percent of these energy projects are not achieving their goals and charitable investment is under pressure. This situation highlights the need for a charity that will support local organizations and charities and encourage collaboration between the private, public and charity sectors, which can attract private investment.

“Energy Aid is an excellent initiative and I support their call to business leaders to help address such an important issue,” said Rt. Hon Andrew Mitchell, Member of Parliament for Sutton Coldfield and Secretary of State for International Development. “Sustainable, reliable energy supplies are vital if businesses in the poorest countries are to grow and develop, while new technology and better use of renewables can bring low carbon energy to many more people. With better access to sustainable energy the poorest will be better placed to lift themselves out of poverty.”

The London School of Economics sent researchers to projects in India and Peru to assess how Energy Aid could make a difference. The research discovered many projects would welcome support from a body such as Energy Aid, not only to take advantage of knowledge-sharing and awareness programs, but also in terms of guidance on funding access and visibility for projects. The promotion of charities such as Energy Aid can place selected energy projects on a recognized international platform along with other successful ones.

“Energy powers human progress, from job generation and economic competitiveness, from strengthening security to empowering women. This is a matter of equity, first and foremost, but it is also an issue of urgent practical importance,” said Kandeh Yumkella, Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

Specifically, Energy Aid will provide support through three key tactics:

• Global campaign: An awareness campaign will launch in 2012, dedicated to raising public consciousness of energy poverty, in order to support fund-raising for qualifying member projects.
• Open Knowledge Base: This open source of data, resources, and technologies – potentially, including information on existing project success stories, as well as a database of people still in desperate need –will be available to NGOs, charities, and other bodies that wish to provide support and input. The knowledge base will be designed to reduce the incidence of failure in energy access projects worldwide, through documentation of best practices and collaboration. 
• Energy Aid Fund: The organization will raise funds and invest them in deserving, long-term, game-changing projects. Operating as a patient investor in high-risk environments, the fund will identify opportunities to create economically sustainable markets – which, in turn, will attract private investment to achieve extensive scalability.

The concept behind Energy Aid emerged from HRH Prince of Wales' START sustainability summit organized and run by IBM (News - Alert) IN July 2010. As a founding partner, IBM has provided early development support from its workforce to help bring the charity to life, and technology input to the IT and data infrastructure to support the Open Knowledge Base. IBM will continue to develop Open Knowledge Base projects utilizing its analytical and technical capabilities alongside its Smarter Energy expertise. IBM will also give Energy Aid a leading role in its consumer behavioral change initiatives, while using its extensive network of people and resources to support the awareness campaign.

“Just over a year ago at the IBM Sustainability Summit at START held in London, one particular idea emerged that has since caught many people's imagination – the idea of Energy Aid. Providing universal energy access is one of the most important challenges of our time but no one organization can do this alone and collaborative approaches are now needed,” said Stephen Leonard, Chief Executive, IBM UK and Ireland, Chair of the Trustees, Energy Aid, adding, “IBM is proud to have been part of the creation and the development of Energy Aid and we remain committed to supporting its emergence as a charity of global importance.”

“The creation of Energy Aid was inspired by the work of Practical Action. We have been working for over 40 years with communities providing them with the tools and opportunity they need to lift themselves out of poverty. Practical Action is an expert in energy solutions for the developing world and we are proud to be involved in this exciting initiative,” said Simon Trace, CEO Practical Action and Founding Trustee, Energy Aid.

Sustainable energy is an increasingly prominent global concern; 2012 was announced as the “U.N. Year of Sustainable Energy for All,” with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon giving his personal commitment to the cause. In addition, the UN Earth Summit Rio 20 in June 2012 will focus on alleviating energy access.