GERES (Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités; Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity) is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization created in 1976 and specializing in the implementation of adapted energy solutions to improve the living conditions of their inhabitants. Currently, we have 205 employees carrying out projects in 9 countries (Afghanistan, Benin, Cambodia, France, India, Mali, Morocco, Mongolia and Tajikistan).
Operating in Cambodia since 1994, the vision of GERES Cambodia is for South East Asian population to take ownership of achieving sustainable management of natural resources in their landscape and make informed decisions that lead to access to renewable energy, mitigation of, and adaptation to climate change, and improved livelihoods.
The GERES Cambodia team is now made up of more than 80 highly committed & experienced specialists in the energy, environment, agronomy, research, rural development and participatory approach fields.
Contact Information
Our Focus
In 2006, GERES Cambodia was the 1st project developer to bring a stove project (the New Lao Stove) to the voluntary carbon market. The NLS, targeted to urban areas, avoided the emission of 1,464,625 tons of CO2eq (VCS credits generated from 2003 to 2011) which represents more than 1,600,000 NLS sold on the Cambodian market.
Also part of the ICS (Improved Cookstoves) program of GERES Cambodia, the Neang Kongrey Stove (NKS) is targeted at low income households in rural areas and is already distributed at the rate of 10,000 units/month. Since September 2004, more than 300,000 units have been sold on the Cambodian market.
In parallel to its ICS program, and based on an integrated approach focused on biomass energy (both efficient use and sustainable supply), GERES Cambodia developed the ISBS (Integrated Sustainable Biomass Supply) program which includes the construction of efficient charcoal kilns producing high quality charcoal while using 30% less wood, all harvested from sustainably managed plantations. This program also initiated the AREA project (Agroforestry, Renewable Energy and Adaptation), an integrated approach to improving rural livelihoods through increased resilience and productivity of the agricultural landscape.
GERES Cambodia also provides a range of services for companies and organizations such as: - Carbon Auditing: 10 carbon audits already conducted in Cambodia (including International Airports of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, 3 embassies, UNDP Cambodia, ANZ Royal Bank…) and in Myanmar (British Embassy) with 2 on the way. - Laboratory and Field testing with characterization of biomass fuel, characterization of ceramic materials, equipment performance testing, emission testing and IAP testing
Now, GERES develops and takes the lead on a new global initiative – the Global Stove Program (GSP) - to accompany and scale-up local ICS supply chains in the developing countries of Asia and Africa.
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
Through its community development unit, GERES Cambodia collaborates with associations and networks to help local producers and distributors benefit from its technologies and expertise. Created in 2004, the improved cooked stove producers and distributors association of Cambodia (ICOPRODAC) now has more than 100 members from 9 provinces throughout the country. ICOPRODAC has been a great way to bring ICS businesses together to network, share successes and tackle challenges together.
GERES overcomes many social and cultural barriers through participatory appraisal, planning and monitoring activities.
In 2009, ICOPRODAC members started a savings and loan association, to help small businesses make the shift to improved cooking stove production. With a potential market of over 1,000,000 stoves per year, ICOPRODAC is tackling the challenges of the 21st century in a fair, sustainable way.
GERES has engaged in commercialization of products through providing support to existing commercialization channels, indirect subsidy - provided to the producers, and by raising awareness through gender and culturally sensitive awareness programs.
GERES Cambodia is consistently cooking up new and improved techniques for energy efficiency biomass fuel, cookstoves and charcoal kilns. In 2009, we opened the GERES ICS Biomass Energy Laboratory to improve facilities for industrial testing and standards development in the region. We are happy to offer our facilities and expertise for technical coordination, training, workshop, consultancy and testing. Stove standardization is organized by establishing a national standard for improved stoves, proposed to the Institute of Standards of Cambodia (ISC).
GERES Cambodia ensures its project achievements through two separate but related goals: 1) GERES Cambodia’s compliance with the monitoring requirements of the Project Design Document (PDD) for the New Lao Stove (NLS) project; and 2) The collection of data required for GERES’ ongoing partnership with Cambodian Government departments, aimed at developing a regulated production system for improved cookstoves.
Relevant Publications or Studies
None noted
Our Contribution to the Partnership
We regularly participate in the Partnership through exchange of experiences, skills, approaches and strategies.
