Energy, poverty and development: Current and recent projects

Gender and energy

The project builds the evidence base for improving energy interventions’ effectiveness by taking a gender approach. More detail

Technology needs assessment

The project identifies technologies that can contribute to mitigation and adaptation goals while meeting national sustainable development  priorities, as well as and barriers and ways to overcome them. More detail

Understanding the barriers to the introduction and uptake of clean/improved cookstoves in Southern Africa

The project makes use of multi-disciplinary research and participatory methods to better understand the uptake of improved cook stoves, with a particular focus on South-South learning and knowledge transfer. More detail

Employment, income distribution and inclusive growth: Energy, poverty and climate change                

The larger research project (REDI) is a national one, aimed at deepening understanding of the dynamics of employment, incomes and economic trends. By focusing on the interconnections between these three areas, the project seeks to contribute to policy reforms and development strategies that will address South Africa’s unemployment, inequality and poverty challenges. More detail

The rising powers, clean development and the low carbon transition in Sub-Saharan Africa 

This interdisciplinary project seeks to examine why, how and to what extent China, Brazil and India are enabling a low-carbon energy transition in Southern Africa.  It aims to develop new frameworks for analysis in order to systematically compare the roles that rising powers are playing in this transition. More detail

Social Impact study of the training provided in the Touwsriver Training faculty

This study evaluated the impacts of integrating local socio-economic development into renewable energy projects as required under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement programme. More detail

The impact of rising electricity tariffs on the poor

Th project involved developing and administering a questionnaire in the Imizamo Yethu township in Hout Bay (South Africa), followed by its analysis. More detail

Measuring household energy access in South Africa

This project investigated the state of energy access among urban households in a South African city. A survey provided a baseline to interrogate the South African policy approach to energy access. More detail

Energy poverty in developing countries’ urban poor communities: Case study – South Africa

The project explored the barriers to urban energy access among urban communities in South Africa. Demand and supply side barriers at local and national scale were investigated through interviews and a survey. More detail