Ondo, Nigeria – A postdoctoral researcher whose work focuses on gender equality and just energy transitions in the Global South will be among the speakers at the Energies 3.0 Conference, a virtual international event running from April 22 to 24, 2026.
The conference, organised by the Green Institute of Nigeria, takes place online from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day. Registration and further details are available at www.greeninstitute.ng/energies2026.
Dr. Aritra Chakrabarty, based at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, brings both academic and practical experience to the event. He spent eight years as a renewable energy consultant in South Asia before completing his PhD in environment and energy policy at Michigan Technological University in 2025. His Masters in Economics was earned at Symbiosis International University. 
His research draws on engineering, social science, economics and environmental policy to examine how renewable energy transitions can be designed to serve communities fairly, particularly in low and middle income countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa.
Asked how research in sustainable energy systems can help build resilience in regions most vulnerable to climate change, Dr. Chakrabarty said the framing of that question itself deserves scrutiny.
“This question evokes the dominance of a Western framework of extraction that is patriarchal, machinist, and exploitative,” he said, noting that many low and middle income countries now face regular natural hazards, long term ecological degradation and the full weight of global climate change, largely as a result of systems they did not create.
He said the evidence points clearly to decentralised energy as the appropriate response for communities across sub-Saharan Africa.
“Research on resilience has shown that there are opportunities to increase resilience in a decentralized manner at the community level through increased use of off-grid, mini-grid and stand-alone electricity systems in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.
He described such systems as cost effective, better suited to energy security, less environmentally damaging and built on principles of justice.
“The question of improving resilience of energy systems should be answered with place specific responses that are suited to the geography of the climate vulnerable region, to the specific needs of the community, and less dependent on Western framework of production,” he said.
On interdisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Chakrabarty said the path to net zero cannot be navigated by any single discipline working alone.
“The challenge of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions is profound and touches on all aspects of our lives. From the way we travel to the food we eat to how we work,” he said.
He said communities must be treated as contributors to research, not just its subjects.
“Community led research and experiences of the community for whom the research is meant should be welcomed in research innovation, program design and delivery of program objectives,” he said.
He described interdisciplinary work as foundational to energy solutions that are both technically sound and socially just.
“By bringing together expertise from engineering, social sciences, economics, and environmental science, these partnerships ensure that energy transitions are not just technically efficient, but also fair and tailored to the needs of all communities,” he said.
The issues Dr. Chakrabarty will raise at the conference have direct bearing on Eswatini, where access to affordable electricity in rural areas remains uneven and the push toward renewable energy solutions is gaining momentum.
