17 December 2014: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in collaboration with UN Development Programme (UNDP), has convened a ‘Consultative Workshop on Fast Tracking Sustainable Energy Solutions for Human Development’ and roundtable sessions on ‘Sustainable Solutions for Rural Development in Madhya Pradesh’ and ‘Energy-efficient Biomass Cooking Technology in Madhya Pradesh.’ The sessions met on 17 December 2014 in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Over 32% of households in India lack access to electricity and almost 68% depend on solid biomass fuels for cooking, with about 80% of the population in Madhya Pradesh still dependent on such fuels.

The workshop discussed sustainable energy solutions to meet these challenges, with a focus on: institutional, policy and capacity-building for government officials; human development and the contribution to peoples’ choices; policy and programme integration; and training programmes to build stakeholder capacity.

More specifically, workshop and roundtable presentations addressed issues related to India’s energy challenges, including: relevance of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative; integrating energy into the human development agenda; research and development in clean cooking technology; health, social and environmental concerns related to traditional cookstoves; the National Biomass Cookstoves Initiative; improving the dissemination of clean cookstoves in Madhya Pradesh; eco-friendly and practical sanitation technology for rural areas; sustainable housing and infrastructure development; and innovative solid waste management for villages. [TERI News Story] [IISD RS Story on TERI Launch of SE4ALL Capacity Building Hub]