ABOUT US

Who we are

The Institute for Development, Environment and Energy (IDE-E) is a non-for-profit think and do tank set up as an association, with headquarters in Switzerland and France, aimed to support low carbon, socially inclusive and resilient cities and communities in low-and middle-income countries.

As an international network of experts with strong allies in our partner countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Colombia and Vietnam), IDE-E has supported government agencies for over ten years in designing, implementing and monitoring national and subnational policies to support climate resilience, environmental protection and low carbon development in urban and rural areas.

What we are concerned about

Cities are responsible for 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with the energy sector, including transports, being considered one of the most carbon-intensive, largely based on fossil fuel combustion for heat and power, followed by industry, agriculture and waste.

Cities and neighbourhoods in low-income countries are also among the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, suffering from heavy weathers, floods, draughts, soil pollution and water scarcity.

The need to act and the potential for local governments to mitigate and protect their populations from climate change is significant, however, many of them lack the necessary resources, knowledge and know-how to take action.

Our approach

Subnational engagement. Convinced of local governments’ critical role in setting the right policies, showing by example and catalysing local action, IDE-E provides strategic advice and technical support to regions, provinces, cities and communities for the development of enabling policy frameworks and regulation, participatory planning, project design and co-creation, project management, financial deal-structuring, access to finance and impact monitoring of environmental policies.

Co-creation and collective impact. To ensure the sustainability and local ownership of initiatives, IDE-E facilitates the simultaneous and active involvement of multiple stakeholders from multiple sectors at multiple policy levels and supports the development of interdisciplinary governance structures and processes.

Wherever possible, it pursues an integrated and systemic, collective impact approach, including on all relevant sectors, combining stakeholders at national and local levels, thus strengthening the vertical integration of different policy layers and the horizontal collaboration of public, private and civil society actors – and among peers.