Understanding the impacts of climate change on the energy sector, including energy supply, demand and access, is critical for ensuring climate compatible development in West Africa.  The Energy, Ecodevelopment and Resilience in Africa (EERA) project will develop national energy strategies in Benin, Mali and Togo that take into account the impacts of climate change while meeting other development goals, such as ensuring healthy ecosystems, sustainable livelihoods, and low-carbon economic growth.

Using decision-making tools developed by HELIO and with the active and long-term engagement of key government officials and energy practitioners in Benin, Mali and Togo, the project has:

• Rolled-out national energy policy assessments;
• Developed national frameworks to implement climate-resilient and low-carbon national energy strategies;
• Undertook capacity building activities to build the skills and expertise of policy-makers and practitioners;
• Helped improve the institutional setting for good governance in the energy sector and ensure the long-term sustainability of the energy strategies; and
• Supported regional synergies and scale-up of the EERA approach.

This project built directly on TAAF-0030 HELIO Policy Workshops: Climate-Proofing Energy Systems and Policies. In this project, the HELIO-developed decision-making tools were pilot-tested in Francophone West Africa (Togo and Cameroon). Results from the pilot-testing phase helped to refine the tools and will serve to strengthen the roll-out of the EERA project.

Funding: £496 600

Timeframe: 2 years, Jan 2013 – Jan 2015