Description

This ACEWA Project on clean energy was an advocacy project designed to contribute to the implementation of the regional policies on renewable energy and energy efficiency. The project was meant to help accelerate ownership and implementation of these policies in ECOWAS member countries targeting in particular civil society organizations, the media and decision-makers nationally and regionally and facilitate access to sustainable energy.

 

The project was designed to ensure ownership by creating awareness, building strong alliances and the capacities of all these various actors, focusing on access to sustainable energy in order to enhance the development of the region and accelerate at the same time climate mitigation and poverty reduction. The implementation was strengthened by increasing knowledge and ownership of the policies amongst civil society actors, private sector actors. 

 

The project focused  on three dimensions: - firstly, the analysis of national practices and identification of best practices in the seven implementing countries; - secondly, the improvement of national civil society organizations’ knowledge and capacity to conduct advocacy for clean energy, and the strengthening of national coalitions; and the third dimension of the project focused on increasing regional advocacy towards ECOWAS institutions and decision makers that address poverty reduction through access to sustainable energy.

Major issue

Mobilization of West African civil society and populations for the appropriation and participatory implementation of regional clean energy policies in ECOWAS countries to accelerate access to sustainable energy

Goals

The two objectives of the project include: 

 

Development Objective: Contribute to strengthen the implementation of regional agreed policies and strategies on pro-poor climate in sustainable energy access in West Africa. 

 

Intervention objective: By the end of the project, the political agenda in ECOWAS concerning the implementation of regionally agreed pro-poor climate- and energy-policies has improved.

Expected results

-  Conduction of national baseline studies on renewable energies and energy efficiency in 7 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal) as well as a regional baseline study based on the national studies to help identify gaps and successes to focus on during project time to facilitate access to clean energy by local populations

- Greater ownership of national and regional RE and EE policies in the countries concerned, active participation as well as a strong strategic partnership between stakeholders for the successful and rapid implementation of SE4ALL and all policies and regional programs;

- Establishment of national coalitions of CSOs and stakeholders to implement national advocacy strategies for people's access to sustainable energy;

- Creation of national platforms or a space for dialogue on clean energy for all stakeholders;

- Strengthened capacities of civil society and national media in the countries;

- The establishment of national media networks on renewable energy and energy efficiency;

- Fruitful strategic relationships and partnerships between the actors; as well as new alliances between regional players;

- Strengthening the International Network on Renewable Energies in West Africa, INFORSE WA, with better opportunities to pursue effective advocacy through civil society