Initiative Développement (ID) is a French NGO that has worked since 1994 to improve living conditions in poor communities across seven countries, including China. In 2007, ID launched a clean energy project in China’s Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, two remote and low-income areas with difficult farming conditions. Most residents relied on wood or coal for cooking, leading to indoor air pollution, poor hygiene, and health problems.
The project installs biodigesters in rural homes. These systems connect toilets and animal pens to a sealed tank where human and animal waste is turned into clean biogas for cooking and lighting, as well as bio-fertiliser for crops. Each household contributes labour and part of the cost, with the rest funded by donors and carbon credit sales.
ID focused not just on installing the biodigesters but also on training families to use and maintain them. This includes follow-up training every two years and lessons for children in schools. The project created local jobs and helped families save money by cutting coal use and fertiliser costs.
Between 2007 and 2011, 2,750 biodigesters were built, helping around 11,000 people. On average, families save up to $115 per year and reduce their carbon emissions by 3.5 tons. Health and hygiene have also improved, and less wood is used for fuel, which helps protect the environment.
ID’s model is now being scaled up to reach one million homes by 2020. The project is innovative for its focus on long-term support, community training, and use of carbon credit funding. It has become a model for others in China and is supported by international foundations and the Chinese government.
