Potsdam Rotary Sponsors UN Speaker on

Posted by Michael Griffin

On Wednesday, October 29, the Potsdam Rotary Club will sponsor a presentation on "Energy for Sustainable Development" by Andrew Yager, Ph.D., Senior Economic Affairs Officer with the United Nations' Division for Sustainable Development. The presentation begins at 6 p.m. in the Clarkson Hall Amphitheater on Clarkson University's downtown campus in Potsdam. Admission is free and open to the public.

On Tuesday, October 28, Dr. Yager will give the same presentation, hosted by the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College. The presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Sturtz Theater, McVean Student Center, on the Jefferson campus in Watertown. This presentation, also free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Noon and Sunrise Rotary Clubs of Watertown.

Dr. Yager will give an overview on the United Nations structure, its sustainable development program, and Millennial Development Goals. He will also describe his own work with the G-8 Global Bio Energy Partnership and his involvement with international efforts, including the United States and Canada, to develop sustainable energy and promote eco-tourism.

Additionally, Dr. Yager will share his insights on how to incorporate alternative energy and new technologies into local and regional economic development strategies.

Dr. Yager has been in his current position at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs since January of this year. As senior economic affairs officer within the Division for Sustainable Development, his focus is energy access, energy efficiency, climate change mitigation and alternative energy issues. Previously, he served as Sustainable Energy Policy Advisor at the United Nations Development Programme.

Dr. Yager was instrumental in the formation of the Global Bioenergy Partnership which addresses issues of biofuel production and distribution in developing and industrialized countries, as well as sustainability issues related to food security and the structure of agriculture and land use.

He is currently the manager of the LP Gas Rural Energy Challenge, the aim of which is to increase access to LP Gas among the poor in developing countries while also creating employment opportunities. Prior to joining UNDP, Dr. Yager was Head of the International Development Section at the Institute for Energy Technology in Norway.

The Watertown Rotary Clubs, in partnership with the Potsdam Rotary Club, were able to arrange Dr. Yager's visit through the United Nations-Rotary Outreach Program, which allows UN specialists in their respective fields to present timely and relevant information with Rotarians and the general public. Rotary International and the United Nations share a long history in working together on key humanitarian and global issues.

For information about Dr. Yager's presentation in Potsdam, please contact Duane M. Pelkey, President of the Potsdam Rotary Club, 315-268-0141.

For information about Dr. Yager's presentation in Watertown, please contact the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College, 315-786-2488.