Mekdes Ijigu, Assistant Project Coordinator of Gaia Association, recently attended the 2011 ECSNCC Forum, representing Gaia and the renewable energy implementing group.  The ECSNCC is a venue for Gaia Association to share its experience with renewable household energy and disseminate project results to relevant stakeholders.

The Ethiopian Civil Society Network on Climate Change (ECSNCC) is a network of Ethiopian Civil Society organizations dedicated to addressing climate change and other environmental issues. ECSNCC was conceived during the 2007 Green Forum – the first national meeting on climate change. The ECSNCC was officially launched on January 2009. The Forum for Environment (FfE), the secretariat of the ECSNCC, is a non-governmental and non-profit organization established in 1997 to serve as a platform for environmental advocacy and communication. The main functions of the Secretariat are to foster coordination and cooperation between CSOs (members and non-members alike) and government institutions, as well as facilitate climate change program planning, monitoring and evaluation. The Forum is responsible for promoting a uniform, effective approach among the network members in order to achieve the greatest possible impact in the mitigation of climate change and the adaptation of environmental regulations.

The network members plan and implement various climate change related projects within various, organized working groups. Gaia Association leads the Energy Working group (EWG). The group consists of Gaia Association, Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY), Christian Aid, Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Union (CETU) and Forum for Environment (FfE) as members.