Working towards a Smart Energy Path: Experience from Benin, Mali and Togo

The report details the application of the Smart Energy Path methodology in Benin, Mali, and Togo, emphasizing a multi-sectoral, participatory approach to energy planning. It highlights the vulnerability of these countries' energy systems to climate change and argues for prioritizing collective energy services—such as those for health and education—over individual household electrification. The project utilized the TIPEE multidimensional assessment tool to identify gaps in energy policy and data, concluding that inclusive governance involving non-energy sectors is essential for creating resilient and sustainable energy frameworks.

• Energy services in Benin, Mali, and Togo are currently inadequate and unsustainable, with very low rural electricity access. In 2010, less than 6% of the rural population in Mali and less than 4% in Benin and Togo had access to electricity.
• The energy systems of these West African nations are highly susceptible to climate change. Mali's hydropower plants, which provide over 50% of its consumed electricity, often see a 20% production drop during low rainfall years. Benin is vulnerable due to importing 90% of its electricity, much of it from hydropower in neighboring countries, while 75% of Togo's thermal generating capacity is in flood-prone coastal areas.
• The 'Smart Energy Path' methodology prioritizes collective energy services—those benefiting health, education, and clean water—over household energy provision because they are more critical for poverty alleviation and development.
• The project utilized the 'Processing Information for Energy Policy and Ecodevelopment' (TIPEE) tool, which uses 24 indicators across environmental, social, economic, technical, and participatory dimensions to evaluate national energy policies and identify data gaps.
• Effective energy planning requires a multi-sectoral participatory approach that includes stakeholders from health, education, decentralization, and development sectors, rather than relying solely on energy ministries.
• A lack of recent or reliable data on energy efficiency, distributed renewable energy, and climate vulnerability should not be used as a justification for delaying energy policy action.

APA

Labriet, M., Fiebig, C., & Labrousse, M. (2015). Working towards a Smart Energy Path: Experience from Benin, Mali and Togo. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CDKN-HELIO-Inside-Story-Energy-Smart2.pdf

Chicago

Labriet, Maryse, Christine Fiebig, and Michel Labrousse. Working towards a Smart Energy Path: Experience from Benin, Mali and Togo. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2015. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CDKN-HELIO-Inside-Story-Energy-Smart2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Labriet |first1=Maryse |last2=Fiebig |first2=Christine |last3=Labrousse |first3=Michel |title=Working towards a Smart Energy Path: Experience from Benin, Mali and Togo |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=August 2015 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CDKN-HELIO-Inside-Story-Energy-Smart2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{labriet2015working, author = {Labriet, Maryse and Fiebig, Christine and Labrousse, Michel}, title = {{Working towards a Smart Energy Path: Experience from Benin, Mali and Togo}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = aug, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CDKN-HELIO-Inside-Story-Energy-Smart2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }