A transição energética residencial começou a receber especial atenção da comunidade científica nos anos 1970 e 1980, quando se acreditava na ocorrência iminente da Crise da Lenha. Na época, temia-se que o corrente ritmo de consumo de biomassas sólidas em países em desenvolvimento ultrapassaria a capacidade de produção primária dos ambientes naturais, com sérias consequências para as camadas menos abastadas da população destes locais, que se veriam em uma situação de escassez de fontes de energia. Apesar de esta crise nunca haver, de fato, se concretizado, a preocupação com a sua potencial ocorrência estimulou o desenvolvimento de modelos que visavam à interpretação do fenômeno da transição energética residencial decorrente do processo de urbanização e aumento de renda dos usuários finais. Tal interesse culminou na elaboração do modelo da Escada Energética que, de uma maneira geral, previa que o abandono de fontes de energia tradicionais e a adoção de fontes de energia modernas era o resultado do aumento do status social da população. Inicialmente, a Escada Energética se estabeleceu como principal modelo de transição energética residencial. À medida que novos estudos foram desenvolvidos, entretanto, evidências passaram a sugerir que diversos fatores envolvidos na transição energética em países em desenvolvimento não podiam ser explicados pelo modelo. Estas evidências subsidiaram a concepção do modelo do Acúmulo de Combustíveis, segundo o qual a diversificação, e não a substituição, de energéticos seria o resultado do desenvolvimento social da população. Atualmente, não existe consenso sobre qual modelo melhor reflete o fenômeno da transição energética residencial. Como consequência, políticas públicas de acesso a energia e serviços energéticos limpos baseadas nestas diferentes interpretações possuem características e resultados distintos. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho pretende contribuir para a discussão sobre qual modelo de transição energética melhor reflete a realidade dos consumidores residenciais de energia de países em desenvolvimento a partir da apresentação de dois estudos de caso que retratam diferentes facetas da questão. As análises elaboradas indicam que o modelo do Acúmulo de Combustíveis consegue representar com maior fidelidade o fenômeno da transição energética residencial e que políticas públicas estruturadas segundo seu arcabouço teórico podem contribuir mais eficazmente para a melhoria das condições de vida da população. / The residential energy transition began to receive special attention from the scientific community in 70s and 80s, when a Fuelwood crisis was believed to be imminent. At the time, it was feared that the current rhythm of solid biomass consumption would not keep pace with the primary productivity of the forests and other sources of fuelwood, with severe consequences striking the least wealthy households, who would face an energy shortage. Although the referred crisis never really happened, the concern with its potential occurrence stimulated the development of models aiming at interpreting the energy transition phenomenon provoked by the urbanization process and the increase in income of households. Such interest culminated in the elaboration of the Energy Ladder model, which indicated that the abandonment of traditional energy sources and the adoption of modern ones was the result of the increase of the social status of the population. Initially, the Energy Ladder established itself as the main residential energy transition model. As new studies were being developed, however, evidences suggesting that different factors related to the energy transition in developing countries couldnt be explained by the model were found. These evidences supported the conception of the Fuel Staking model, according to which diversification, instead of substitution, resulted from the social development of the population. Currently, there is no consensus on which model better represents the residential energy transition. As a consequence, public policies focused on clean energy and energy services access based on these different interpretations have different characteristics and results. In such context, this work intends to contribute to the discussion on which energy transition model better reflects the reality of households in developing countries by presenting two case studies showing different aspects of the thematic. The analysis presented suggests that the Fuel Stacking model can better represent the residential energy transition phenomenon and that public policies structured according to its theoretical framework are more effective in contributing to increase the living standards of the population.

A transição energética residencial começou a receber especial atenção da comunidade científica nos anos 1970 e 1980, quando se acreditava na ocorrência iminente da Crise da Lenha. Na época, temia-se que o corrente ritmo de consumo de biomassas sólidas em países em desenvolvimento ultrapassaria a capacidade de produção primária dos ambientes naturais, com sérias consequências para as camadas menos abastadas da população destes locais, que se veriam em uma situação de escassez de fontes de energia. Apesar de esta crise nunca haver, de fato, se concretizado, a preocupação com a sua potencial ocorrência estimulou o desenvolvimento de modelos que visavam à interpretação do fenômeno da transição energética residencial decorrente do processo de urbanização e aumento de renda dos usuários finais. Tal interesse culminou na elaboração do modelo da Escada Energética que, de uma maneira geral, previa que o abandono de fontes de energia tradicionais e a adoção de fontes de energia modernas era o resultado do aumento do status social da população. Inicialmente, a Escada Energética se estabeleceu como principal modelo de transição energética residencial. À medida que novos estudos foram desenvolvidos, entretanto, evidências passaram a sugerir que diversos fatores envolvidos na transição energética em países em desenvolvimento não podiam ser explicados pelo modelo. Estas evidências subsidiaram a concepção do modelo do Acúmulo de Combustíveis, segundo o qual a diversificação, e não a substituição, de energéticos seria o resultado do desenvolvimento social da população. Atualmente, não existe consenso sobre qual modelo melhor reflete o fenômeno da transição energética residencial. Como consequência, políticas públicas de acesso a energia e serviços energéticos limpos baseadas nestas diferentes interpretações possuem características e resultados distintos. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho pretende contribuir para a discussão sobre qual modelo de transição energética melhor reflete a realidade dos consumidores residenciais de energia de países em desenvolvimento a partir da apresentação de dois estudos de caso que retratam diferentes facetas da questão. As análises elaboradas indicam que o modelo do Acúmulo de Combustíveis consegue representar com maior fidelidade o fenômeno da transição energética residencial e que políticas públicas estruturadas segundo seu arcabouço teórico podem contribuir mais eficazmente para a melhoria das condições de vida da população. / The residential energy transition began to receive special attention from the scientific community in 70s and 80s, when a Fuelwood crisis was believed to be imminent. At the time, it was feared that the current rhythm of solid biomass consumption would not keep pace with the primary productivity of the forests and other sources of fuelwood, with severe consequences striking the least wealthy households, who would face an energy shortage. Although the referred crisis never really happened, the concern with its potential occurrence stimulated the development of models aiming at interpreting the energy transition phenomenon provoked by the urbanization process and the increase in income of households. Such interest culminated in the elaboration of the Energy Ladder model, which indicated that the abandonment of traditional energy sources and the adoption of modern ones was the result of the increase of the social status of the population. Initially, the Energy Ladder established itself as the main residential energy transition model. As new studies were being developed, however, evidences suggesting that different factors related to the energy transition in developing countries couldnt be explained by the model were found. These evidences supported the conception of the Fuel Staking model, according to which diversification, instead of substitution, resulted from the social development of the population. Currently, there is no consensus on which model better represents the residential energy transition. As a consequence, public policies focused on clean energy and energy services access based on these different interpretations have different characteristics and results. In such context, this work intends to contribute to the discussion on which energy transition model better reflects the reality of households in developing countries by presenting two case studies showing different aspects of the thematic. The analysis presented suggests that the Fuel Stacking model can better represent the residential energy transition phenomenon and that public policies structured according to its theoretical framework are more effective in contributing to increase the living standards of the population.

In rural areas of least developed countries, the preparation of meals remains the predominant energy consuming activity. Cooking is mostly performed with firewood – using the ancient “technology” of the 3-stone fire. This practice results in numerous challenges that hinder the transformation envisioned by the Millennium Development Goals and it therefore contributes towards slowing the development of rural areas. Activities focussing on amending this status-quo can be termed insufficient in scope- and sustainability. The main deficiencies of most projects are that the prime focus of the mainstream of these endeavours has been on demand side management, mainly performed by disseminating cookstoves, and that there has been little innovation in respect to raising stove adoption rates. As the strict efficiency focus obviously only captures one side of the problem – merely focussing on treating symptoms rather than providing an effective solution, this thesis stresses the need for a paradigm shift towards more holistic interventions. This work very much focuses on the topic of stove adoption. This is a complex topic - very much linked to attaining behavioural change. Deliberations concluded that the identification of enabling factors for adoption, which can be termed a prerequisite for developing sustainable methods for stove projects, requires a mix of instruments. To suffice the required data demand the initial literature review was complemented by a thorough assessment of the kitchen environment and the cooking behaviour of stove owners. The fieldwork concentrated on 210 beneficiaries of an efficient cookstove project. The applied methods included interviews, observations and pictorial documentation. As a remedy to the challenges and current shortcomings identified during field work and literature review, the author herein develops a novel and more holistic implementation strategy for stove projects – the so- called 3-Step approach. This is based on the simultaneous implementation of availing cookstoves, building capacity in respect to kitchen management, as well as performing small-scale household level tree planting. The research, which further encompassed the piloting of the 3-Step approach, led to the overall conclusion that the proposed increase in project scope holds a multitude of opportunities for improving the livelihoods of the rural target groups. The main impact of this innovative strategy lies in a decrease of average transaction costs as well as in a considerable increase in project sustainability. As will be extensively elaborated, the former is achieved by a more effective utilisation of the extensive infrastructure of trained artisans. The latter refers to the expected income increase on household level, as well as to improvements in environmental- and human health. In combination these enable rural communities to better adapt to climate change.

This dissertation describes the manner by which a multinational corporation (MNC) enacts a market-based logic with a locally embedded partner in a complex and unfamiliar operating setting to fulfil both business and social objectives. It examines a hybrid partnership between BP, an MNC, and SSP, a rural Indian non-governmental organisation (NGO). Together, the organisations trained rural women, who were affiliated with SSP, as agents to distribute and sell BP’s ‘smokeless’ cookstoves and fuel pellets to households who cook on smoky firewood stoves. The research draws on two theories—neo-institutional organizational theory and real markets theory—to examine the process by which logics are aligned across partners and projected and translated into the rural Indian exchange setting. It constructs a four-actor model (MNC, NGO, agent, customer) to explore the exchange relationships between the actors at the meso- and micro-levels. At the meso-level, it explains how the MNC and NGO’s non-aligned logics, asymmetric power dynamics, and lack of mutual trust contribute to the venture’s failure. In addition, the NGO was so determined to succeed as a professional, market-driven, channel partner that it shed part of its identity as a civil advocacy organisation and adopted mainstream commercial practices that were not sensitive to the needs of its local stakeholders. At the micro-level, the partners did not come to a common understanding with the agents regarding the cultural challenges they faced marketing the stove. Moreover, the marketing strategy glossed over the multi-layered social relationships and culinary, behavioural, and religious practices that needed to be translated for the technology to meet the needs of consumers. Using gritty ethnographic data, the dissertation highlights a challenge that large, foreign companies face when entering ‘Base of the Pyramid’ markets, namely the inconsistency between the MNC’s market logic and the wider associational logics that motivate village agents and customers.

In Kenya, 69 percent of populations depend on biomass fuels to meet their cooking needs. The incomplete combustion of biomass is performed in insufficiently ventilated settings thus exposing human health and environment to toxic pollution. To date, women and children in resource limited settings have been most vulnerable to severe respiratory infections. The promotion of the Improved Biomass Cookstoves has become a popular issue in policy, research and practice. Community Based Organizations have however faced serious challenges in increasing sustainable use of the cookstoves among users. This qualitative study investigates the role of Community Based Organizations in promoting the Improved Biomass Cookstoves through women’s empowerment initiatives. It applies focus group interviews, questionnaire and formal interviews. 11 interview forms were administered to 30 women, 2 key informants and 3 implementing Community Based Organization representatives in Dunga wetland community. A combination of previous research and this empirical study show that economic resources, small diameter stove designs as well as insufficient policy support hinder effective stove programmes. While there is general adoption, women lack sufficient income and ownership of land which is a significant resource to empowerment. Women informal financial networks are instrumental in driving behavioral change towards clean cooking in the community. Sufficient gender sensitive policy intervention and support can provide effective channels to ensure sustainable incomes of women, livelihoods and stove use.

There is a need for cleaner technology initiatives into the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) market to combat the effects of climate change. The difficulty of these initiatives lies in their business model innovation process, as those organisations struggle in finding adequate strategies to establish their business in the BoP market. The BoP market is characterised as highly uncertain, which makes the operation of businesses challenging. Hereby the thesis aims at answering the question on how organisational learning occurs in business model innovation in the BoP market. Through a case study approach, the thesis intends to understand the requirements to establish a functioning business model by analysing organisational learning under business model innovation within the BoP market. This has been realised through a three week field study in Northern Mozambique, observing the market introduction of a cleantech company operating in this context. Hereby the business model innovation process and the environment of operation was analysed. This research contributes to the current discussion of business model innovation in BoP markets by detecting organisational learning as a useful mechanism and adding relevant insights on how organisational learning occurs in this specific context. Therefore the study opens the discussion on organisational learning in business model innovation in the context of the BoP market by asking for further studies on the topic.