SEI's mission is to support decision-making and induce change towards sustainable development around the world by providing integrative knowledge that bridges science and policy in the field of environment and development.
This mission developed from the insights gained at the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm (from which the Institute derives its name), the work of the (Brundtland) World Commission for Environment and Development and the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development. The Institute was established in 1989 following an initiative by the Swedish Government to develop an international environment/development research organisation.
The Climate and Energy Program at SEI has a number of projects, ongoing and completed, that focus on increasing access to improved cooking fuels and technologies in developing countries, particularly in Sub Saharan Africa. Most notable is an ongoing project on improving and scaling up access to modern energy services in Sub Saharan Africa for meeting the MDGs. This project is comprised of a number of key components, including household energy analysis, policy support for the East African Community (EAC) initiative to scale up modern energy services, enhancing private sector involvement (both Swedish and local) in technology transfer and energy access, and assessing current rural energy development approaches in the region. The underlying objective of the project is to address the ongoing energy crisis is Sub Saharan Africa by supporting socially and environmentally sound policy processes.
All work is demand driven and related to the needs and priorities of target countries and communities. SEI recently opened it's Africa Centre in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. This move will allow the Institute to develop research opportunities that are increasingly focused on the needs of African households and policy makers, and will ensure that SEI is even better placed to to support decision-making for sustainable development throughout the continent.
Contact Information
1. Household Energy Economic Analysis for clean cooking fuels – Developing and piloting a methodology for evaluating the significance of product-specific factors for household fuel/stove choice. The methodology was applied in a sample of households in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2008. Publication of findings is pending. This project will continue through 2009 and is expected to be extended to include one other country in the region.
2. East African Community (EAC) Policy Support Project, funded by Sida - Support to the EAC in scaling up energy access will provide insights on how the EAC can reach agreement in the policy arena to develop their common energy access strategy, given that the process will be ongoing for the next couple of years. Further support will be provided through the Africa Centre since an on-the-ground presence and direct involvement in implementing activities are central to the process.
3. Renewable Energy for Development (RED) newsletter is well known among those working with energy, environment and development issues. The publication stimulates international dialogue on the role of renewable energy and climate change mitigation in the field of sustainable development. The content of the newsletter reflects the interdisciplinary nature and varied professional background of its audience and articles address the technical, social, economic and environmental aspects of renewable energy in developing regions of the world, with special emphasis on institutional barriers. Contributions are regularly solicited from partner organisations working with renewable energy and energy efficient projects in the developing world.
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
Local participation is central to all of our projects and SEI strives to ensure that all activities and research is demand driven and relevant to local stakeholders including policy makers. SEI organises a range of activities, from focus groups to workshops and high-level policy dialogues, which broaden the participation of stakeholders and civil society in formulating energy and climate policies.
The central role that women typically play both as providers and primary users of cooking fuels and technologies has long been acknowledged by SEI and efforts are made to mainstream gender across all programme activities.
The Climate and Energy Program at SEI, in cooperation with local partners in the East Africa Community region, are involved in a project to support business models for enhancing sustainable energy access in the EAC. This is a Sida-funded project which is due to begin in early 2009 and will involve a regional review of programmes supporting the scale up to modern energy services in the EAC (including, but not limited to, Multifunctional Platforms, AREED, etc.) In order to gain an understanding of the perceptions of risks and opportunities within the private sector, country level consultations with private sector partners interested in being involved in energy access will take place. The project will result in the design and implementation of viable business plans for enhancing energy access.
Technology Standardisation is viewed as essential for the successful scale up of clean, modern cooking services in the developing world. The need for standardisation has been expressed by our local partners working with household energy access, and, as such, has been incorporated into the design of our energy access projects. For example, SEI is working to identify gaps in the current understanding of the determinants of choice of cooking technology at the household level. This has led to the design of a methodology to investigate consumer choice of cooking stoves and fuels at the household level and, particularly, to provide insights into the product-specific factors determining choice of technology. The application of this methodology is expected to lead to improvements in stove programme and product design.
To address the issues related to air pollution, a regional network of scientists, policy-makers and non-governmental organizations, known as the Air Pollution Information Network for Africa (APINA), has been established and currently covers Southern Africa. These activities form part of a Programme on Atmospheric Environment Issues in Developing Countries coordinated by the Stockholm Environment Institute and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) under a project entitled "Regional Air Pollution in Developing Countries (RAPIDC). The current focus of this work is on ambient air quality monitoring. The countries currently involved include; Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Relevant Publications or Studies
Schlag, N., and Zuzarte, F., 2008 Title: Market Barriers to Clean Cooking Fuels in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Literature
SEI, 2008, Renewable Energy for Development (RED), Newsletter of the SEI Climate and Energy Programme, Volume 21, No. 1.
SEI, 2009, Renewable Energy for Development (RED), Newsletter of the SEI Climate and Energy Programme, Volume 22, No. 1.
Arvidson, A., Nordström, M., Forslund, H., Syngellakis, K., Marcel, J-C., Woodsworth, G., Songela, F., Sawe, E., Ngigi, A.,Macharia, D., and Ngoye, E. (2006) Scaling-up of Energy Services Access in East Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Workshop Report
Our Contribution to the Partnership
- Training and capacity building of partner organisations - Collaboration on relevant projects and proposals - Outreach – knowledge exchange, e.g through the Renewable Energy for Development publication and others as appropriate - Information dissemination: posting relevant links and news on the SEI website - Accessing and communicating with decision makers - Experience sharing through participation in regional workshops and conferences
