Energy is political.
Access to energy is often framed as a technical problem: a question of infrastructure, finance and technology. But energy systems are also social and political systems. They determine who can access healthcare, build livelihoods, own productive assets and who has the ability to shape their own future.
At The Global Hubs, we work at this intersection. We connect practitioners and resources to support sustainable energy solutions that are grounded in local realities and are capable of contributing to broader systemic change.
Our ambition is not to export predetermined solutions, but to support the conditions in which locally relevant solutions can be developed, owned and sustained.
Development has a power problem.
Global development has often been organised through unequal relationships. Institutions based in the Global North have frequently had disproportionate influence over:
Which problems are considered urgent;
How those problems are defined;
What counts as valid knowledge;
Which solutions are considered fundable;
Who receives resources; and
How success is measured.
Even practices designed to be more inclusive can reproduce these inequalities if they fail to change who has the power to shape decisions.
We do not believe that simply bringing organisations together, consulting communities or using the language of inclusive development automatically creates equitable development. For us, local ownership is not only about participation, it is about who gets to define the problem, and who gets to decide what a solution looks like?
The solution can become the problem.
Development interventions too often begin with a solution rather than a problem. A technology, funding opportunity or established model can come to shape what needs to be addressed, rather than the other way around.
At The Global Hubs, we start with the problem. We seek to understand local contexts, listen to those closest to the issue and develop solutions around locally defined needs. By not starting with a predetermined answer, we want to create space to think beyond established models and explore pathways that may not have been anticipated.
Starting with the problem provides room for new ways of thinking, allowing us to work towards systems change rather than change within the system.
01
Energy access is a means, not an end
We believe that access to sustainable energy is not an end in itself. We see sustainable energy as a catalyst for long-term development, where it can enable healthcare workers to provide safer and more effective care, support essential medical services and improve working conditions.
02
Local ownership and decentralisation
Sustainable solutions need to respond to the realities of the context where they are implemented. Programs are therefore designed to promote local ownership of sustainable energy assets and solutions, ensuring that value and decision-making remain at the community level and are sensitive to the relevant context.
03
Working towards systemic change
We focus on systemic, locally-driven solutions rather than short-term aid or externally imposed projects. The key for us is to ensure that seemingly isolated projects are linked to longer-term programs and ultimately systems change for deeper impact.
04
Implementation matters
Rather than emphasizing theoretical research, the Global Hubs prioritises on-ground implementation, building evidence based on the “hands on”approach, and centering on needs-based innovation that serves the end-user as a key decision-maker.
05
Knowledge should be shared
No single organisation can solve the energy access challenge alone. Emphasizing South-South collaboration and knowledge transfer is crucial, rather than relying on external, top-down solutions.
