Program areas at CLASP
Climate: Clasp focuses on data-driven, cost-effective interventions to mitigate the climate crisis and promote uptake of super-efficient technologies. Energy-efficient appliances are one of the most cost-effective methods for mitigating climate change. They save money for governments and consumers alike, reduce peak energy demand, and bolster economic and energy security. Clasp collaborates with governments, industry and other stakeholders to catalyze markets for energy efficient technologies. Our expertise includes:- technology and market assessments- energy efficiency and performance policy development- consumer product labeling- market transformation; and policy compliance and enforcement.
Research: Clasp's research team spans climate and clean energy access and works to identify the most impactful and innovative opportunities to improve climate mitigation, adaptation, equity, and environmental justice and protection. Clasp's research bridges the gap between analysis and action - developing thought leadership, market monitoring, consumer research, and managing tools like mespy, world's best meps, and the Clasp policy resource center (cprc).
Clean energy access: Clasp supports progress on sustainable development goal (sdg) 7 - affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Clasp helps build healthy markets for off-grid solar products by driving innovation and sales in early-stage product markets; surfacing data and research on product performance, market trends, and consumer preferences; establishing technical foundations for consumer protection; building key financing mechanisms; and aligning sector stakeholders across the value-chain. Clasp's energy access programs include the efficiency for access coalition, the global leap awards, and verasol quality assurance, among other initiatives.
Other program services:the following narrative provides additional detail on projects that Clasp is carrying out that are part of the three programs that are listed on part iii:low-energy inclusive appliances (leia) program: funded by uk aid/fcdo via the transforming energy access (tea) platform, the ikea foundation and the good energies foundation, the leia program is a research and innovation program that seeks to double the efficiency and halve the cost of a range of electrical appliances suited for off- and weak-grid consumers. The leia program is implemented under the efficiency for access coalition - a global coalition working to promote high-performing appliances that contribute to clean energy access for the world's poorest people. With Clasp serving as co-secretariat, the coalition is a catalyst for change, accelerating the growth of off-grid appliance markets to boost incomes, reduce carbon emissions, improve quality of life and support sustainable development.clean lighting coalition: the clean lighting coalition (clic) is a global campaign to leverage expert knowledge and clean lighting stakeholders to transition global markets to safe, cost-effective, and energy-saving led lighting through the removal of fluorescent lamp exemptions in the minamata convention on mercury. Clic has grown rapidly with membership comprising industry partners, public health authorities, mercury experts, and ngo partners who are working together for the global phase-out of toxic mercury lighting through the minamata convention. The accelerated development of led technology within the last decade means that phasing out fluorescent lamps is technologically feasible and economically justified.efficiency for access: efficiency for access is a global coalition working to promote high performing appliances that contribute to clean energy access for the world's poorest people.funded by uk aid, ikea foundation, and good energies foundation, efficiency for access is a catalyst for change, accelerating the growth of off-grid appliance markets to boost incomes, reduce carbon emissions, improve quality of life and support sustainable development.global leap awards: the global leap awards is an international competition to identify and promote the world's best off-grid appliances, accelerating market development and innovation. This unique program has evolved into a trusted global brand that serves as the de facto source of accurate, actionable information about the quality and energy performance of off-grid appliances. Awards and prizes provide a platform for follow-on and affiliated interventions that accelerate an awards or prize program's impacts. Global leap results-based financing aims to catalyze the uptake of high quality, super-efficient appliances by lowering the cost to procure large volumes of best-in-class appliances for early mover off-grid solar companies and facilitating new business partnerships for appliance suppliers that have invested in the production of high-quality off-grid appliances.verasol: verasol is the leading independent quality assurance program for distributed solar solutions, appliances, and equipment. An evolution of lighting global quality assurance, verasol strives to make safe, affordable, and durable products the default option in the market.by prioritizing the quality of solar energy solutions, verasol builds a competitive global market where high-performing products help consumers unlock the full range of benefits that stem from having access to modern energy services.net zero heroes: Clasp launched the landmark report net zero heroes: scaling efficient appliances for climate change mitigation, adaptation & resilience ahead of critical climate talks at cop28. The analysis found that the appliance sector accounts for nearly 40% of energy-related co2 emissions and is on pace to surpass the iea's 2050 net zero targets by over 9 gigatons co2. At the same time, there are profound inequities in access to appliances. Clasp identified the ten appliances net zero heroes that must form the basis of an unprecedented efficiency push. The report provides a clear roadmap for realizing mitigation and adaptation potential by rapidly increasing the efficiency of the net zero heroes. Clasp at cop28: six Clasp team members participated in 17 panels, presentations, and events to urge ambition around Clasp's key areas of work. Clasp hosted three official side events, one on preventing inefficient appliance dumping, the second with climate action southeast asia to showcase findings from our net zero heroes paper, and the third on how the net zero heroes can support cities in emissions reduction and adaptation.clasp at minamata cop5: at the minamata convention on mercury fifth conference of parties (cop5) in november 2023, delegates from 147 countries agreed to phase out florescent lighting globally and completely by 2027. The cop5 proposal and decision was made with Clasp support. This will cumulatively avoid 2.7gt of co2 from the phase out dates to 2050. The decision builds on momentum from cop4 in 2022 and will accelerate global adoption of leds by effectively putting an end to the fluorescent lighting industry.revealing the health risks of gas cooking in the eu: Clasp published several studies revealing that gas cooking appliances release harmful pollutants into homes across europe, exceeding benchmarks set by the world health organization (who) guidelines and eu and uk limits for outdoor air pollution. The reports received global press attention and offer pathways for immediate, meaningful policy action. Supporting efficient appliances in india: with Clasp's support, india's bureau of energy efficiency (bee) launched 15 appliance efficiency policies in 2023. These will cumulatively avoid 110 mt co2 by 2030. Clasp is also supporting energy efficiency services limited, a government-led energy service company, to enable the adoption of 10 million high-efficiency fans. Preventing dumping of climate-harming acs in southeast asia: Clasp and the institute for governance & sustainable development (igsd) launched a seminal report revealing the widespread dumping of millions of inefficient air conditioners to southeast asian countries. The report illustrates the opportunities for six countries to prevent the import of obsolete acs sold by multinational companies, which would reduce emissions over 25 years by more than 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide and cumulatively save usd 148 billion. Tracking innovation: the 2023 tech trends series: Clasp, through efficiency for access, launched 2023 tech trends in energy access. The series offers a current look into the rapidly evolving off-grid appliance market, identifying trends and providing recommendations to drive market progress for high-priority off-grid-appropriate appliances spanning clean cooking, cooling and productive-use for agriculture. The world's best meps: world's best meps is a tool and report utilizing international benchmarks to determine leading appliance efficiency policies across the globe. It evaluates the stringency of minimum energy performance standards (meps) requirements for six major appliance categories lighting, air conditioners, refrigerators, electric motors, water heating, and space heatingacross ten high greenhouse gas-emitting economies brazil, canada, china, the european union, india, indonesia, japan, south africa, the united kingdom, and the united states. The analysis showcases economies with the 'best' minimum energy performance standards (meps) and encourages those on the cusp to increase ambition. Advancing cold chain markets in the global south: efficiency for access announced winners and finalists of the 2022 global leap awards off-grid cold chain challenge (ogccc), identifying 12 best-in-class, affordable, energy-efficient off-grid cold chains appropriate for use in un- and underserved markets. Through efficiency for access, Clasp also published cold chain market assessments of india, kenya, and nigeria which offered critical insights into existing cold chain infrastructure, market gaps, and potential interventions to address the cooling requirements. Productive use financing facility: Clasp's innovative financing facility selected 24 small and medium-sized companies selling productive use appliances (pua) to receive procurement subsidies and capacity-building grants. These subsidies aim to make productive use appliances more affordable and accessible in six african markets: the democratic republic of congo, ethiopia, kenya, nigeria, sierra leone, and uganda. Together, these companies will use their funding to sell more than 25,000 pua products, introducing life-changing productive use technology to over 500,000 people.