Accra, March 29, GNA- Ghana is to host the Lighting Africa 2008 Global Business Conference, from May 6th to 7th to develop appropriate and viable business models for delivering modern, clean and safe non-fuel based off-grid lighting solutions.

The conference would be attended by global players from the lighting industry, international and domestic financial institutions, private developers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and international and bilateral development agencies.

Lighting Africa is been supported by multiple donors, the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank's Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) and Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), Good Energies Inc., the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership, the European Commission, the Governments of Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. A working document of the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank made available to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, explained that the Lighting Africa 2008 conference would give participants the unique opportunity to connect with global entrepreneurs from around the world.

It would also offer participants the opportunity to gain key insight and exchange knowledge, view the latest technological innovations and meet the people whose lives would be transformed by their efforts. The Conference would also adopt modalities to shield African consumers from poor-performing lighting products and avoid market spoilage for the industry.

According to IFC, through the Lighting Africa, a wide range of activities to enhance consumer awareness and boost confidence in new lighting products and services would be initiated.

These activities range from the testing of solar lanterns in the market against existing quality standards, to the development of specifications for LED-based lanterns and to the development of a proposed "fair trade" quality seal, in collaboration with the industry. Fuel-based lighting produces carbon dioxide, a major contributor to GHG emissions.

The IFC explained that a kerosene lantern used for four hours per day is estimated to release more than 100 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over the course of a year. Lighting Africa has the objective of reducing GHG emissions and, at the same time, enhancing the financial viability of modern off-grid lighting projects for instance by offsetting the relatively high first costs, which substitute fuel-based lighting.

Lighting Africa is helping in the development of both project and program-based methodologies for the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and voluntary carbon markets. 29 March 08