EnDev Report on Impacts

Overview

Between September 2005 and December 2016, EnDevfacilitated access to sustainable energy services for 17.3 million people. EnDev is mainly active in Africa but is also engaged in Asia and Latin America. On average, EnDev does not spend more than EUR 20 per capita, which is very cost effective in comparison to other programmes. The multinational development partnership has successfully launched markets for modern cookstoves, solar lighting systems and mini-hydro plants in its partner countries. It promotes the expansion of the electricity grid as well as isolated solutions in remote regions. In areas with electricity grids, EnDev develops concepts to enable people in the proximity to afford a connection.

Empowering People

Four out of five people on this planet simply turn a switch. The lights come on, a computer powers up, hot water flows from a tap or machines start humming. One out of five, however, does not have a switch to turn, since he or she simply has no access to modern energy with detrimental impact on the livelihood and well-being. There are various reasons why 1 billion people are still without electricity and 3 billion rely on open fires and traditional stoves for cooking. Operating electricity grids in remote areas is not economically viable for many electricity suppliers in developing and emerging countries and markets for offgrid technologies are not yet developed. Initiatives for promoting modern cookstoves, in turn, face numerous social, cultural and economic challenges.

Energising Development – EnDev – supports access to energy services for all. EnDev focuses on practical solutions for the poor in underdeveloped regions. Access to energy for this particular target group is an essential element for improving their livelihoods and to reduce inequalities. EnDev’s work is rooted in concrete implementation in the field: the bottom-up development of sustainable markets and sectors for pro-poor energy access, and bringing them to scale. EnDev achieves results in terms of sustainable energy access for households, SMEs and social institutions like rural schools and health centres, and in terms of positive impacts on poverty alleviation, gender equality, health, climate, employment, and inclusive economic development.

A pro-poor market approach has the advantage that it supports the self-interest of the suppliers and customers at the same time. Manufacturers and retailers are inspired to develop and sell products and services that meet the basic needs of low-income households and are affordable. Smart subsidies may support penetration into remote areas and to reach more people. Once the markets are up and running, EnDev slowly withdraws and uses its experiences to initiate markets in more countries.

EnDevhas facilitated sustainable access to energy to 17.3 million people since 2005. This number is equal to the entire population of the Netherlands. It was not a straight forward path. What worked in one country didn't work in another. Trying, failing, readjusting, and succeeding: As a learning programme, EnDev has fine-tuned its methods over the years and has gathered knowledge shared globally with other actors in this field of development.

The Sustainable Development Goal 7 to achieve universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions at the same time represents a great challenge EnDevand its partners are committed to. Policies, technology, finance and strategies exist – and yet the mission is still far from being accomplished.

Achieved Impacts

Access to energy is a tool to improve livelihoods. The dissemination of modern energy devices can improve living conditions for people. Energy access figures are relatively easy to gather. It is much harder, however, to quantify and qualify impacts on productivity, poverty, health, gender, education as well as on environment & climate. EnDevhas therefore commissioned a large number of studies. These studies underpin the positive impact of the EnDevprogramme.

• Reduced Poverty & Productive Use: In cooperation with its partners, EnDevhas enabled 17.3 million people, 19,400 social institutions and 38,600 small and medium-sized enterprises to gain access to modern energy. EnDev has also trained more than 40,000 stove builders, craftsmen, vendors, operators and technicians. Stove builders and solar companies being supported by EnDev achieved average yearly revenues of over EUR 25.7 million.
• Gender: Electricity and modern cookstoves facilitate the work of women and girls. Electric lighting improves living and working conditions at home, while modern stoves cook faster and cleaner, use less firewood and save up to 40 per cent of the time usually spent on firewood collection. Women benefit from job creation, too, as shown by a study in Kenya, where women account for almost half of all modern stove builders, installers and marketers.
• Health: Modern stoves and lighting systems reduce emissions caused by traditional stoves or three-stone fires and by kerosene lamps and candles. Almost half (46%) of improved cookstoves disseminated by EnDev are categorised as tier 2 and higher based on the Global Tracking Framework by SEforALL*. This implies a ‘sufficient’ level of health protection for the users. The stoves promoted by EnDevemit on average 30 to 40 per cent less carbon monoxide and other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, benzene or formaldehyde than the baseline stoves traditionally used.
• Education: To date, EnDevand its partners have supported more than 13,400 schools to gain access to modern energy services. It is expected that this will lead to better learning and higher success rates.
• Environment & Climate: Today, at a conservative estimate, more than 3 million stoves improve the lives of 13.3 million people; 4 million people benefit from modern lighting through EnDev interventions. Promoted improved cookstoves save about 1.8 million tons of CO2 equivalent each year compared to traditional 3-stone fires, because every stove saves on average 0.54 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. The wood and charcoal stoves supported by EnDevsave up to 1.7 million tons of firewood each year which contributes to reducing the degradation of forests. Although one cannot assume that this entire forest area will remain, it is clear - and has been confirmed by several studies - that the pressure on forests is lowered.

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Further Information

• An older version of the Report on impacts is accessible here and [[::File:Reports on Impacts May 2013.pdf|here]].
  
• Article about Energising Development (EnDev)
  
• EnDev website www.endev.info