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The Zambian government has launched the Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Livelihood in Africa (EELA), Zambia Country Window project, valued at over €5.2 million, aimed at stimulating inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the country.
The project will focus on transforming markets towards high-performing, affordable, and energy-efficient appliances, increasing energy efficiency investments, and promoting sustainable local value chains for energy-efficient products and services.
Energy Minister, Makozo Chikote, officially launched the project through a speech read on his behalf by Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga during a meeting at Southern Sun Hotel in Lusaka on Wednesday.
The EELA project will support the establishment of a One-Stop-Shop Industry Clean-Tech Platform linked with de-risking instruments at national industry associations and foster cooperation with high-quality international technology providers.
It also aims to create market and institutional conditions for a sustainable and inclusive energy sector transformation, including enhancing regional policy harmonization, strengthening regulatory frameworks, building stakeholder capacities, and supporting local energy efficiency markets through private sector development.
“EELA interventions aim to accelerate the demand and uptake of high-quality energy-efficient products, services, and industrial equipment,” said Eline Karlson, Industrial Development Expert and Coordinator of National EELA Projects at UNIDO.
The project will also foster technical innovation through the Industry Clean-Tech Platform, addressing end-of-life management of energy-efficient equipment with a focus on e-waste treatment and related capacity-building initiatives.
“The EELA program positions energy efficiency as a powerful tool to reduce poverty by increasing access to sustainable energy while fostering green and innovative industrialization in sub-Saharan Africa,” Karlson said.
Chikote said the project is strategic for building a resilient, competitive, and sustainable economy—one that creates jobs, attracts investment, and protects the environment.
He noted that EELA aligns with government priorities such as trade facilitation, industrial development, environmental protection, investment promotion, and private sector engagement.
Sweden’s Ambassador to Zambia, Johan Hallenborg, highlighted the project’s focus on enhancing skills for repair, maintenance, and end-of-life treatment of energy-efficient equipment, emphasizing e-waste management.
“The initiative’s public-private partnership model brings together government institutions and private sector actors, creating a platform where regulatory authority meets innovation, and policy frameworks are matched with market-driven solutions,” Hallenborg said.
He added that the collaboration between Sweden, Zambia, and UN agencies would foster technology transfer and innovation, support job creation, and stimulate local industries in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.
“It drives market transformation as businesses adapt to new energy performance standards, creating a more competitive and sustainable marketplace aligned with national development goals,” Hallenborg said.
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