A new ground-breaking initiative, launched with support from the UK’s Department for International Development, is seeking to meet the energy needs of refugees and internally displaced people in a manner that is safe, healthy and reduces costs.

The Moving Energy Initiative, developed by Chatham House and GVEP and backed by a consortium that includes UNHCR, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Practical Action, is aiming to use renewable and sustainable energy as a starting point for upgrading the international response to the needs of displaced people, to reduce costs, and to bring benefits both to them and, eventually, to host populations.

There are more than 50 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, and the vast majority have poor access to energy. Energy management in refugee camps is often costly, carbon-intensive and wasteful. The need for addressing energy issues in humanitarian settings has been clear for decades. However, despite the presence of scattered projects, energy has not been recognised on a par with other services for camp management and the well-being of displaced persons. For these people, access to modern energy is a basic human need but is often largely absent.

The vast majority of displaced people rely on traditional biomass and kerosene for cooking and lighting, which can have significant impacts on the environment and on their well-being. This is true particularly for women and children, who may be more exposed to health and safety risks and have less time for education, livelihoods, social and other activities. Energy is also needed to power the camps’ health centres, schools, administration compounds and to light up the streets at night. Power is generally provided by diesel generator sets that cost humanitarian agencies millions of dollars a year.

In emergencies, this is understandable. But given that two thirds of the world’s refugees find themselves displaced for prolonged periods, there is wide scope for changing the way energy is consumed to increase efficiency, create livelihoods and restore human dignity.

There is growing awareness of particular products and technologies, but research on best practice has been patchy. To address some of these issues, the Moving Energy Initiative will undertake desk and field research, and conduct pilot projects to test new approaches to providing energy access and management in humanitarian interventions. In particular, it will focus on sustainable energy solutions for heating/cooling, cooking, lighting, water & sanitation, communication or other purposes. The initiative will generate best energy practice, whether in terms of camp management, service provision, business models and private sector engagement, or partnerships with local authorities.

The results of the research and pilot projects will be delivered as a series of reports, policy briefs and toolkits, which aim to support widespread adoption of new practices.

In the longer term, the initiative hopes to challenge and change energy policy and practice, whether in terms of response by humanitarian actors, states that provide the funding, or those that host them.