The Energy and Climate Change Domain team seek to identify pathways that would enable poor people to access energy services sustainably.
Energy and Climate Change domain co-convenor: Rob Byrne
Energy and development go hand-in-hand: lighting, cooking, mobility, heating, cooling and communications are all essential to development processes. Moreover, the manner in which energy services are realised has both positive and negative consequences for our health, environment, wealth and social relations.
At a time when increasing access to modern energy services is seen as a key international development priority – as we attempt to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the context of a changing climate – the STEPS Centre believes a much broader and ambitious approach to energy and development is needed. A working paper and briefing outlining the STEPS work in this domain is available below.
Key Contacts
- Co-convenor: Rob Byrne
- Co-convenor: David Ockwell
We are currently concentrating on two themes and two STEPS affiliated projects.
Theme 1: Energy access for the poor and marginalised
We will explore political economies of knowledge in energy and development, and promote an emphasis on direction, distribution and diversity (3Ds) in energy access interventions, towards building a pathways approach to analysis of pro-poor sustainable energy access.
Theme 2: Climate governance
We hope to engage with international discussions about climate governance, particularly in respect of the impact on the poor and marginalised in developing countries. We will seek out opportunities to extend the work carried out by our affiliate partner, the Sussex Energy Group, on technology transfer/low carbon innovation in those countries to other parts of the developing world.
Projects:
Pro-poor, low carbon development: Improving low carbon energy access and development benefits in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
This project aims to inform the development of Climate Innovation Centres in various developing countries by analysing the history of, and actors involved in, the adoption of solar home systems in Kenya.
The Rising Powers: Clean Development and the Low Carbon Transition in sub-Saharan Africa
Examining clean and renewable energy projects in South Africa and Mozambique, in order to understand how, why and to what extent China, India and Brazil are enabling the transition to low carbon energy systems in southern Africa
Key publications
Working Paper: Energy pathways in low-carbon development By Rob Byrne, Adrian Smith, Jim Watson and David Ockwell
How can we improve energy access while tackling climate change? This Working Paper examines the limits of using technology and finance to solve the problem, and explores a broader and more ambitious approach that addresses politics, social resources and the needs of poor people.
Briefing: Energy pathways in low-carbon development
Key Resources
COP18: A range of useful climate change resources from the STEPS Centre
LCEDN: View videos of all the presentations, powerpoints, photos and more. from the Low Carbon Energy for Development Network second international workshop, Sept 2012.