Lisbon, Portugal. Europontex, the global construction supplier, is launching Social Energy Solutions, an innovative enterprise designed to offer off-grid energy production for isolated communities.

Europontex CEO, Fernando Azevedo, stated: “Social Energy Solutions will focus on energy production for isolated communities; in addition we are providing pre-fabricated housing for government social project, especially for disaster relief and refugee emergencies."

Azevedo commented: “There is a very human side of climate change, with an estimated 200 million climate refugees expected by 2050. Europontex has identified this growing social energy need, and we have created this new company to direct our expertise to the assistance of governments and NGOs.”

“This week, our team attended a special conference in Lisbon on the emerging refugee crisis. The keynote address by Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and former Portuguese Prime Minister, identified the need for swift action to prevent serious social and humanitarian consequences, globally, but also within Europe.”

Guterres remarked: “There is an increasing need for the integration of large movements of refugees.  This century is the century of people on the move; on the move because of wars, conflicts still proliferate, and ethnic cleansing continues. Environmental disasters are increasing, and there is an imbalance that comes from globalization.” He argued that there is a distinction to be made between political refugees and economic refugees - a distinction between those who: “run from war, or who run from hunger.”

Speaking at the conference, Teresa Tito de Morais, Founder and President of CPR, the Portuguese Refugee Council said: “There are three kinds of asylum seekers - the internally displaced, the refugees, and the stateless.” CPR is the only NGO in Portugal whose exclusive goal is aiding refugees and asylum seekers, an organisation at the forefront of refugee policy.

De Morais also focused on an important distinction between concepts of immigrants and what she termed ‘true refugees’. She commented that a refugee is a person forced to abandon his country; he loses everything, his political protection, his physical security, his home and his job. While the immigrant hasn’t lost the protection of his country of origin, and is making arrangements that may lead to a better life elsewhere.”

She added that according to recent reports: “…one of the major causes of the existence of refugees is environmental disasters.”

Against this background, Social Energy Solutions aims to implement global solutions and innovative practices focused on renewable energy. 

Representatives for the company presented a letter of introduction to UN Commissioner Guterres, explaining how Europontex and Social Energy Solutions can partner with governmental teams and NGOs to alleviate critical refugee needs.

Azevedo commented: “Our vast experience has been gained in projects with social impact in Africa, especially Angola and Mozambique, as well as Brazil. In particular we have focused on providing solar energy solutions in isolated areas; and the creation of prefabricated housing for refugees as well as housing, schools, health care, assistance in situations of natural disasters, and the development of water purification systems.”

“Social Energy Solutions’ main objective this year, is to position itself as an ally of the United Nations and governments seeking sustainable solutions to improve the quality of life of people forced to live in refugee camps.”

“As refugee camps are usually located in isolated areas with limited access to the electricty grid. Social Energy Solutions ‘off-grid’ systems take advantage of the weather characteristics of these challenging regions, maximising energy from strong sunlight and providing refugee camps with energy self-sufficiency.” 

“We have a large team dedicated to examining all the factors of geographical and social camps, analysing the socio-cultural rights of refugees, the morphology of the terrain, weather conditions and energy resources available in each region. Based on this analysis, we develop solutions tailored specifically to the temporary dwellings that may eventually receive millions of refugees. Our teams create all the necessary infrastructure for implementing off-grid energy solutions.”