Alternatives to Charcoal Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan

The activity aims to catalyze a shift in energy consumption towards low emission alternatives, thereby reducing deforestation directly attributable to charcoal production. A2C is implemented by Tetra Tech ARD and Tetra Tech ES, Inc. in association with subcontracting partners PMTC Zambia, Shared Value Africa Services International (SVAS), and the Non-governmental Gender Organizations Coordinating Council (NGOCC). Charcoal production and use in Zambia drive unsustainably high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. More than 75% of urban and peri-urban Zambians rely on using charcoal for domestic cooking needs, making it the culturally preferred cooking fuel of choice. The demand for charcoal continues rising exponentially, driven by electricity tariffs, power cuts, and high costs of alternative fuels and equipment. This has propelled an increase of charcoal production in rural areas and over-exploitation of Zambia's highly biodiverse Miombo Woodlands. The A2C activity will work directly with counterparts at the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), including the Forestry Department (FD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Energy Regulation Board (ERB), and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA). Premised on a market-driven approach, the activity will also work closely with private sector partners and investors. The activity will establish a field office in Year 2 and will be managed from the Tetra Tech office in Rhodes Park in Lusaka, Zambia. The activity will promote the use of alternative technologies and fuels, including stoves powered by electricity, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), processed biomass (pellets), briquettes, and solar thermal. However, the widespread adoption of these technologies is hindered by poor enabling conditions and inefficiencies within individual alternative technology and fuel (ATF) value chains that keep costs prohibitively high and accessibility limited. Social and cultural barriers further limit the acceptability of ATFs as alternatives to charcoal. To provide certainty that A2C activity interventions result in reduced GHG emissions, the activity will complete a stand-alone study that will compare emissions from the LPG and charcoal value chains in Zambia. This study will compare emissions associated with both energy sources (production, transport, and cooking time equivalents). The activity design builds on the current dynamic energy markets in Zambia, including innovative solutions for consumer financing and carbon market investors considering subsidizing more efficient charcoal stoves in Zambia as a means to capture carbon offsets. The A2C activity will establish a data management plan to ensure the collection, analysis, and utilization of data to inform decision-making and evaluate the activity's impact. The plan will include roles and responsibilities, data security, data storage, and data reporting and sharing. The activity will also establish a schedule for performance monitoring tasks and indicators and targets to measure progress towards the activity's objectives. The activity will work closely with the Government of the Republic of Zambia and private sector partners to promote the use of alternative technologies and fuels and reduce charcoal consumption and related forest degradation. The activity's design builds on the current opportunities and challenges in the Zambian household energy market system, including the upcoming election and the dynamic energy markets.