Energy projects and articles

What is the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative?

The UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative
26 October 2012
Article
Energy
Sustainable markets

The UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative, launched in 2012, aims to improve the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable people by ensuring universal access to modern energy servic

Improving people’s access to sustainable energy

A girl studies under the light of a rechargeable solar lamp. Without the lamp she couldn’t study at night as her home in Natore, Bangladesh has no access to electricity. Photo: G.M.B. Akash/PANOS
26 October 2012
Article
Energy
1.3 billion people have no electricity and 2.7 billion people do not have clean and safe access to energy for cooking. This means that around 40% of the world’s population breathe in toxic smoke created when burning charcoal, wood, coal or animal waste to cook their food.

Caspian Energy Initiative

11 November 2011
Project
Energy
Governance

IIED’s Caspian Energy Initiative aims to promote transparency and good governance in the energy sector. We have just completed the latest phase of this initiative – a series of dialogues in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. The aim of these dialogues was to bring industry, government and civil society stakeholders together to discuss key issues and develop plans for future action. Background papers and workshop reports are available below.

Previous work by IIED in the Caspian Region includes the FCO-supported project ‘Enhancing the stability of the oil and gas investment climate in the Republic of Kazakhstan’ (2008-2010) and our Sustainable development co-operation with BP in Azerbaijan  (2006-2009). This also relates to our ongoing work on Managing risks and opportunities in oil and gas industry contracting chains.

Bioenergy: the future

19 September 2011
Article
Energy
Forests

Every month we highlight a new, groundbreaking or bestselling IIED research outcome. This month we look at the uncertain future of bioenergy.

The promise of clean, renewable energy makes it a tempting choice but the real costs and benefits are not so simple to calculate. As some talk about a global energy revolution, whilst others start pointing to land grabs, food security issues and a dangerous offsetting tendency in the global North, IIED have started looking into the urgent and critical questions surrounding the debate. 

About the 2011 Ashden Awards Conference

13 May 2011
Article
Energy

The Ashden Awards Conference is unique in bringing together ‘energy champions’ from both the UK and the developing world.

Biomass energy: optimising its contribution to poverty reduction and ecosystem services

21 January 2011
Project
Energy

Biomass energy makes up 77 per cent of the world’s renewable energy - or 10 per cent of the world’s total energy mix (3 per cent in OECD and 22 per cent in non-OECD countries). As a major and increasing component of land use, biomass energy systems therefore have significant impacts on both ecosystem services and poverty.

Energy and forests

21 January 2011
Article
Energy
Forests

Biomass energy currently makes up 10% of the global primary energy mix, but this is expected to expand to 30% by 2050. In the South, biomass enterprises often dominate forest-sector activities and have massive implications for forest governance, the prospects for the growth of small forest enterprise, and climate-change adaptation and mitigation.

Governance of oil and gas contracts in Kazakhstan

23 September 2010
Project
Governance
Energy

This project from 2008-2010 aimed to enhance the stability of the oil and gas investment climate in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The project aimed to identify critical issues and develop policy recommendations for increasing long-term investment stability in the oil and gas sector in Kazakhstan. The core concept of the project was that the policy imperative of sustainable development (i.e. an integrated approach to securing environmental, social and economic benefits) offers a valuable entry point for multi-stakeholder analysis and dialogue on oil and gas investment in Kazakhstan.

Business models for sustainable development

10 May 2010
Article
Energy
Food and agriculture
Forests
Sustainable markets
Water

Business models for sustainable development aim to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits – the three pillars of sustainable development – through core business activities.

IIED's work on business models for sustainable development cuts across several areas of  research including  forestry, food and agriculture, energy and ICTs. Our research to date has identified a number of factors that contribute to the success of business models for sustainable development.

 

Biofuels: Africa focus

5 May 2010
Article
Energy

Africa focusBiofuels have come to be regarded as an important option for reducing consumption of petroleum, a policy goal resulting from

Energy and sustainable development

30 September 2008
Article
Energy
Sustainable markets

The world is facing an energy crisis with major global and local implications. Energy issues need to be addressed holistically, based on integrated models and approaches and involving multiple stakeholders. IIED's work on energy currently focuses on two key areas: governance of large-scale energy sector development (oil, gas, biofuels); and models for delivery of sustainable decentralised energy services.