In this issue of the IEI Newsletter we would like to draw your attention to a new project we intend to launch and make contributions. IEI seeks to catalyze a global clean cooking fuels initiative (GCCFI) to bring about a worldwide shift to clean fluid fuels for cooking and heating by 2020, with an emphasis on the poorest households gaining access to clean fuels. IEI will develop analysis, strategies, and recommended policies for creating universal access to clean fuels and for guaranteeing universal provision of such fuels to the extent needed to satisfy basic human needs. Drawing on these efforts, IEI will undertake major outreach and advocacy efforts to catalyze action by governments (in developing and industrialized countries), international development assistance agencies, non- governmental organizations, and the private sector.

Some 2.6 billion people rely on solid biomass and coal for cooking and heating, with direct and indirect negative consequences, including health damages from indoor air pollution; reduced time for social, educational or economic activities for women and children due to time spent gathering biomass fuel; perpetuation of gender inequities and related social problems; environmental damages from cutting of trees; contributions to earth-warming emissions.

IEI proposes to undertake major background studies on key issues, detailed country case studies in five major regions of the world (Africa, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China), and regional analyses building on the country studies. Stakeholder workshops will be integral to the country and regional studies. Country studies will analyze current domestic fuels use and associated social, economic, and environmental impacts; describe past and ongoing efforts to reduce solid fuels use; identify alternative clean fuels and barriers to their wide use; identify key public and private sector entities that are (or could be) involved in increasing access to cleaner fuels; articulate strategies for accelerating the rate at which rural households gain access to clean fuels; and propose policies for achieving this. A key objective of these studies is to define on a country-by-country basis implementation targets, strategies, and requisite policies.

The analyses will provide the basis for major outreach and advocacy efforts. Results will be published widely. Advocacy and awareness-building efforts (presentations, popular-press articles, one-on- one meetings etc) will be undertaken by IEI staff and Board members. In addition, major outreach/advocacy workshops will be organized in each focus region. Key stakeholders from the private sector, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), governments, multilateral agencies, and others will be invited, with a goal of developing regional/national action plans for achieving the goals of a GCCFI.

In preparation for the proposed effort IEI dedicated the September 2004 issue of its highly-regarded quarterly journal, Energy for Sustainable Development (ESD), to invited articles from leading world experts on a broad range of relevant issues. The lead article, by Jose Goldemberg, Thomas Johansson, Amulya Reddy and Robert Williams - four of IEI's Board of Directors - calls for an intensive global effort to phase out the use of solid fuels within 10 to 15 years. This issue of ESD constitutes a unique information resource that supports IEI's proposed activities and informs a wider audience of decision makers.

We hope you become interested in learning more about clean cooking energy issues by reading our ESD journal, in particular the lead article. Links are provided below.

Gilberto De Martino Jannuzzi, Executive Director of IEI

IEI seeks to catalyze a global clean cooking fuels initiative (GCCFI) to bring about a worldwide shift to clean fluid fuels for cooking and heating by 2020, with an emphasis on the poorest households gaining access to clean fuels. This initiative is crucial to implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (see Quick Links) and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (see Quick Links).

This special issue of Energy for Sustainable Development is part of the global clean cooking fuels initiative (GCCFI), a new effort of the International Energy Initiative aimed at catalyzing the accelerated substitution of solid cooking fuels (biomass and coal) in developing countries with cleaner fuels.

We invited the peer-reviewed set of papers in this issue to help increase the understanding among decision-makers in developing and industrialized countries of the challenges, as well as the opportunities, associated with eliminating the use of solid fuels for cooking.

The lead article in this issue, by Goldemberg, Johansson, Reddy, and Williams (members of the IEI Board of Directors), is written in the style of a 'manifesto' and calls for a global initiative to engage the public and private sectors of developing and industrialized countries to bring about a worldwide shift to clean fuels for cooking and heating over the next 10-15 years. Following the lead article are 13 papers that delve into details of a variety of relevant issues.

The World Energy Assessment: Overview - 2004 Update is a collaborative effort between United Nations Development Programme - UNDP, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs - UNDESA, and the World Energy Council. Its editors are José Goldemberg and Thomas Johansson, members of the IEI Board of Directors. Other members collaborated as contributors. It provides an update to the original World Energy Assessment, published in 2001. The document presents the linkages between energy and the Millennium Development Goals - MDGs, describes the discussions and outcomes that emerged from the ninth session of the Commission for Sustainable Development - CSD- 9, and World Summit on Sustainable Development - WSSD, and outlines the latest energy trends and information, new energy related technologies, and energy policy options for a sustainable future. This book also examines distinct regional challenges linked to energy and describes how key energy issues directly impact the achievement of development objectives outside the energy sector including, for example, food security, the advancement of women, environmental well being and poverty reduction.

With the intention of adding to the competence of the engineering staff at Indian utilities, the Asian Regional Energy Initiative office in Bangalore (REI - Asia) has been providing Fellowships at the Energy Systems Engineering department of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), in Bombay (Mumbai). The candidates have to meet the IIT's selection criteria and academic requirements, on the basis of which they are awarded the Master of Technology degree. It is hoped that the expertise gained can be used to help improving the operation in the utilities at which these engineers are employed. Two engineers graduated from this programme at the just concluded academic session (2002-2004) - one from a private generation-cum-distribution utility, and the other from a state-run transmission utility. While one thesis was based on dynamic simulation models for studying the operating characteristics of thermal power plants, the other considered system load management through time-of-the-day tariffs.

The use of clean fuels like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) instead of the biomass-based fuels used for cooking in India would be beneficial in several ways. However, only about 33.6 million or 17.5% of all Indian homes use LPG as their primary cooking fuel, with 90% of rural homes still dependent on some form of biomass. Hence the Asian Regional Energy Initiative office (REI - Asia) is considering the possibility of enhancing the household use of LPG. From an overview of the cooking fuels used in India, REI - Asia focuses on LPG, analysing the factors affecting current demand and projecting future scenarios. Salient features of the LPG supply and distribution system are also discussed. Based on the existing situation, barriers to increasing LPG use - in particular, the problems regarding affordability, pricing and reliable distribution - have been identified. In this context, experiences with the expansion of household LPG use in other countries and a programme in India have been considered. Finally, based on the challenges recognised, suggestions are being made regarding the policies through which the problems can be overcome. In addition to a detailed report, a paper was prepared for publication in the special issue herein mentioned on clean cooking fuel of IEI's journal Energy for Sustainable Development.

During the nineties Argentina carried out important structural reforms in the electric sector as part of broad economic reform programs. These economic reforms were part of the so-called 'Plan de Convertibilidad' that was established to deal with the macroeconomic instability of the country at the beginning of the nineties.

As far as the electric sector is concerned, the initial objectives were focused on restructuring and regulating the sector, seeking to achieve economic efficiency, low energy prices, improve customer services, and long-term energy supply sustainability.

The Latin American Regional Energy Initiative office commissioned a report on the performance of the power sector reforms during the last decade. Moreover, it evaluates some public benefits that have resulted from its implementation and some of their contribution towards the sustainable development in the country.

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