SDG7: AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY 

The Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030), also known by its acronym SDGs, are an initiative promoted by the United Nations to give continuity to the development agenda after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). There are 17 objectives and 169 targets proposed as a continuation of the MDGs, including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption and peace, and justice, among other priorities. After a negotiation process on the SDGs that involved 193 member states of the UN, on September 25, 2015, the 193 world leaders approved at a summit held in New York in a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, an Agenda entitled “Transform our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ", which entered into force on January 1, 2016.

The 17th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals encourages the creation of favorable conditions for a sustainable future through joint action by countries and local communities. In other words, SDG 17 represents the conclusion of global and local partnerships essential to achieving development, building capacities, enhancing trade exchange and mobilizing and investing financial and technological resources to improve the lives of individuals.

Any global partnership must rely on internal and external investment and innovative financing, ensuring sustainable levels of debt, building skills and competencies / enhancing access to trade, and allowing countries the freedom to set their own economic policies. The revitalization of any global partnership must also include a wide range of actors in the public and private sectors, civil society, sources of development financing, sharing of resources and knowledge, and addressing the primary issues underlying sustainable development for all.

Under the 2030 Agenda, development priorities and resources must be directed towards increasing the capacity of developing countries to mobilize domestic resources, expand economic infrastructure, improve domestic production capacities and high-quality basic social services, confront the effects of climate change, and encourage rapid economic growth that does not marginalize anyone, as well as the importance of ensuring food security and poverty eradication and encouraging the establishment of peaceful and just societies.

Since the ultimate function is to provide young people with quality education, the Lebanese University has a responsibility to focus on the importance of the SDGs in research and institutional culture, and cooperate with universities or other organizations to prepare conscious leaders in their community.

The Lebanese University works on more than a level to serve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the specialized masters’ programs, such as Master in Energy Physics (SDG 7) and Master in Economic & Development Journalism (SDGs 1, 2 & 3). In addition, the agreements concluded with local and international organizations and activities in which university students participate, serve all SDGs.

GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Thermal energy generation still predominates in Lebanon, but it is moving towards increasing its energy generation from renewable sources. Ensuring reliable and sustainable access to electricity to all remains a challenge for the country, notwithstanding managing energy’s impact on pollution. In 2017 Lebanon also started planning offshore petroleum resources exploration Law 462/200248 governs the electricity sector. Its main objective is to create an independent regulatory authority for electricity, unbundle Lebanon’s power sector and ultimately privatize production and distribution, in the hope of resolving power shortages. The regulatory authority has not yet been established yet. 

In 2017 the Council of Ministers approved a five-year strategy for the electricity sector, which builds on a previous plan made in 2010. The strategy aims to bridge the electricity generation supply-demand gap, resolve transmission and distribution problems to improve accessibility and reliability, and work on energy efficiency and increasing the share of energy from renewable sources. 

Recently Lebanon has started to license offshore hydrocarbon exploration. Under the 2010 offshore petroleum resources law, the Lebanese Petroleum Administration was established to advise Cabinet and Parliament. In 2017 the Cabinet issued decrees for the delineation of Lebanon’s maritime borders, and the tendering and award process for hydrocarbon exploration.  

The bidding process was completed, and three companies in one consortium made offers on blocks four and nine in Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone (maritime) and were consequently awarded exploration and production rights. The exploration phase is expected to start upon the approval of the exploration plan and will last up to five years. Commercial findings should ultimately support the country’s electricity generation plans and its shift away from the costly fuel-oil burning power plants that will reduce emissions and contribute to Lebanon’s climate change action and its commitment to the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. The environmental assessment of oil exploration projects is ongoing.  

• International Conference on "Transitions in Energy and Environment" between the Faculty of Law, Political and Administrative Sciences – French Branch and the University of Aix-Marseille

Under the patronage and presence of the President of the Lebanese University, Dr. Bassam Badran, the Faculty of Law and Political and Administrative Sciences – French Branch, in partnership with the University of Aix-Marseille, organized an international conference entitled (Entreprise et transitions énergétique et environnementale).

The conference was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Political and Administrative Sciences, Dr. Habib Al-Azzi, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Dr. Salim Al-Maqdisi, the Director of the Faculty of Law - French Branch, Dr. Tharwat Al-Zahr, in addition to a high-level European delegation and human rights figures.

After the national anthem and the university anthem, Dr. Al-Zahr delivered the opening speech, referring to the distinguished relations between the Faculty of Law – French Branch and the University of Aix-Marseille represented by the Vice-President Dr. Jean-François Marche and Dr. Isabelle Grossi, representative of the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Perrier.

Dr. Al-Zahr stressed that the conference comes as a result of the strong cooperation and coordination between the two universities, pointing to the importance of the conference topic and shedding light on the future of the environment and energy in Lebanon.

For his part, the Vice President of the University of Aix-Marseille, Dr. Jean-François Marche, stressed the importance of continuous scientific cooperation with the Lebanese University, while the Dean congratulated the Faculty of Law - French Branch for organizing the conference in cooperation with the French University.

After that, President Badran delivered a speech in which he praised the distinguished relationship between the Lebanese University and the universities of the European Consortium, pointing to the importance of the topics discussed at the conference.

The conference witnessed a series of interventions by Dr. Salim Al-Maqdisi, Dr. Marie Lamoureux, Dr. Haitham Fadlallah, Judge Lamis Haj Diab and Dr. Yves Troeli, and the discussion was moderated by Brigadier General Al-Azzi and Dr. Amal Abdullah to be presented by Dr. Gisabel Grossi.

• Mohammed Al-Sabsabi from the Lebanese University invents a device after which the strategic illumination of all Lebanon from alternative energy

Student Mohammed al-Sabsabi, from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Third Branch at the Lebanese University, recorded an achievement with a strategic dimension, which is to illuminate all of Lebanon from alternative energy.

A student majoring in French language and literature, he applied his passion for physics by developing an unconventional invention to generate electrical energy from plastic drums, and the mechanism of producing electricity from a vertical axial wind turbine is based on the principle of converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy by the turbine, which in turn gives energy to the electric generator to convert the rotational movement into electricity.

Electrical energy is controlled and regulated by an autonomous controller to charge batteries and store energy.

"What distinguishes this turbine is that it is made of local materials that can be recycled, as plastic barrels play the role of turbines that receive wind energy vertically and horizontally to give the turbine thrust, and to enhance this power, the principle of torque was adopted to produce electrical energy with the lowest possible wind energy," says Mohammed.

Mohammed believes that Lebanon is rich in natural resources that must be exploited to serve the citizen, noting that his new innovation will help achieve two things: first, reduce the cost of energy and second, reduce carbon toxic emissions.

Mohammed hopes to find funding to develop and popularize his project to benefit the largest possible segment of the Lebanese in light of the energy crisis facing Lebanon and the world.

Regarding his studies at the Lebanese University, Mohammed regrets the successive developments that have affected the flow of work at the university normally, starting with the outbreak of Corona, through the repercussions of the economic crisis and political interventions, to the strikes of professors and employees, which students paid for and became the first victim of.

At the beginning of the seminar, student Reem Halawani defined renewable energies, also called sustainable energy or green energy, as derivatives of renewed or non-depleted natural resources, which are fundamentally different from traditional fossil fuel, such as oil, coal, natural gas or nuclear fuel, and which do not generate renewable energy waste such as carbon dioxide or harmful gases that increase global warming. 

According to Dean Badran, the theme of this scientific day is the proof of the Faculty of Science, through its different professional and research Masters, is keeping up with modern technologies, within the framework of the policy of rationalizing expenses and promoting the use of alternative energies, in order to preserve the right of future generations to a healthy and clean environment. This great faculty, in its energies and commitment, is in constant contact with the latest science, inventions and innovations, and in constant renewal, review and self-criticism for the better. 

Dr. Adra occupied several key positions in French and international companies such as Total S.A., Électricité de France S.A. (EDF) and the European Union, in addition to managing major projects in renewable energy and energy saving. She is the founder of the first French companies involved in green buildings, and the Regional President of the Energy Environment Technical Association (ATEE) involved in strengthening energy management in the industrial, construction and environmental protection sectors. In 2015, she was appointed as consultant to the Ministry of Foreign Trade in France pursuant to a decree of the Prime Minister.

6. A Closer Look at Lebanon’s Energy SourcesEDL’s deficit of around $800 million a year requires urgent remedial (Nakad, El Khoury, Arnaout, 2018).  

Hence, the exploration of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy are possible alternatives for the agency. In this section, we will explore the feasibility of integrating sustainable resources to the energy mix through public and private sector partnership.