Lusaka, September 3, 2025 – After the launches in Kenya and Zimbabwe, the Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa (EELA) Program has inaugurated its third Country Window Project, the EELA Zambia Country Window Project, to promote energy efficiency interventions that support sustainable, inclusive industrialization in the country. Funded by the Government of Sweden and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the project aims to transform markets towards high-performing, affordable, and energy-efficient appliances. It also encourages greater investment in industrial energy efficiency and strengthens local value chains for energy-efficient products and services.

The project is being carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Energy (MOE), the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI), the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), and the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM), and leverages the expertise of the Swedish Energy Agency. The official launch of the EELA Zambia Country Window Project took place on 3 September in Lusaka, coinciding with the first Steering Committee Meeting and bringing together senior representatives from key partner institutions.


The EELA Zambia Country Window Project has been designed as a tailored response to the country’s energy and industrial needs. It aims to address the growing demand for electricity, especially in rural areas, while tackling the high energy intensity of households and the industrial sector. At the same time, it forms part of the broader EELA Program, launched in 2019 in the EAC and SADC regions and later expanded to ECOWAS. Through this regional framework, the project promotes inclusive, low-carbon development by harmonizing policies, advancing energy-efficient solutions, and driving investment in industrial energy efficiency to build sustainable markets.

The EELA Zambia Country Window Project will focus on three key outcomes. Firstly, it will drive a substantial increase in the adoption of energy-efficient appliances in Zambia, helping to reduce poverty and lessen the environmental impacts of inefficient technologies. This will include support to strengthen policies and regulations through the adoption and enforcement of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), capacity building for key market actors, and measures to boost private sector investments, particularly in the ESCO market. In addition, the project will foster technical innovation in industrial production through the establishment of an Industry Clean-Tech Platform, a one-stop-shop designed to meet demand for modern, energy-efficient equipment and solutions. Finally, it will address the end-of-life management of energy-efficient equipment, with a focus on e-waste treatment and related capacity-building initiatives.

High-level representatives attending the launch of the EELA Zambia Country Window Project emphasized the critical role of energy efficiency and shared their perspectives on its importance in driving green industrial growth and sustainable development. “The EELA Zambia Country Window Project is both timely, but also transformative and essential. By driving industrial growth, it offers the most sustainable path to economic development, job creation, and wealth generation for our people” stated Hon. Chipoka Mulenga, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry of the Republic of Zambia. “Support for the project is pivotal to extend its benefits across every corner of the country, allowing us to manage our limited resources efficiently while continuing to expand our energy portfolio through the diverse energy mix initiatives undertaken by our Government”, he continued.

“Energy efficiency is not just a technical issue; it is a development imperative. It is about improving lives, strengthening economies and protecting our planet”, stated H.E. Johan Hallenborg, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Zambia announcing the launch of the EELA Zambia Country Window Project. “Through continued collaboration, mutual learning, and shared commitment, Zambia and Sweden are showing that a sustainable energy future is not only possible, but it is already taking shape”, he continued.

“The EELA Program demonstrates how a single initiative can drive progress on four of Zambia’s Eight National Development Priorities, which are closely aligned with the United Nations development cooperation goals. These priorities focus on improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions, strengthening industrial competitiveness, and enhancing livelihoods, particularly for the most vulnerable populations”, stated Ms. Beatrice Mutali, UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia.

“The EELA Program has positioned energy efficiency as one of the most powerful tools to reduce poverty by increasing access to sustainable energy for women, men, girls, and boys, while fostering green and innovative industrialization in sub-Saharan Africa. We are delighted to collaborate closely with institutions in Zambia to expand energy access in support of the Electricity Service Access Project (ESAP) goals, strengthen policy and regulatory frameworks through a harmonized regional approach, and mitigate the negative externalities of the energy system, helping the country rapidly scale up energy-efficient technologies”, stated Ms. Elin Karlsson, Industrial Development Expert at UNIDO and Coordinator of the National EELA Projects. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Elin Karlsson

Industrial Development Expert, Coordinator National EELA Projects

UNIDO, Division of Energy and Climate Action

Unit of Just Energy Transition

Email: e.karlsson@unido.org

Mobile: +46 76 7055254

Giulia Zappa

Communication Expert

UNIDO, Division of Energy and Climate Action

Unit of Just Energy Transition

Email: g.zappa@unido.org

Mobile: +33 6 24502448

Asteria Markus

Project Assistant

SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE)

Email: asteria.markus@sacreee.org

Mobile: +264 81 238 2253