The Energy Sector Management Assistance Program marks its 30th anniversary this year. In that time, ESMAP has moved from being a small program focused on giving targeted advice to oil-importing countries to one of the World Bank Group’s most established trust funded global programs, mandated with helping developing countries find solutions to a wide range of energy challenges.

For the past two years, an ESMAP-supported technical assistance program has provide strategic advice to the Philippines on integrating renewable energy resources into national grids and expanding electricity access to underserved populations.

The gender dimension of access to services and benefits is increasingly being recognized as an important element to be considered in effective energy sector policy making and project design. ESMAP has recently produced a Briefing Note and a series of online resources and guidance tools to help policy-makers integrate gender equity considerations into energy sector programs.

This issue celebrates ESMAP's 30th anniversary and highlights ESMAP's Global Geothermal Development Plan; rural electrification in the Philippines; gender in energy resources; and its 2012 Annual Report.

This issue highlights ESMAP's newest technology assessment tool and activity database, and work in extending energy access in Rwanda.

How to make decisions when the number of variables is growing rapidly and longstanding assumptions are being overturned?

This issue highlights ESMAP's work on small island development, geothermal development, and clean cooking solutions.

An ESMAP-funded project set out in 2010 to support the Maldives in its goal to move towards carbon neutrality by helping to develop a robust regulatory body for the energy sector.

New ESMAP report distils lessons from low carbon growth studies in seven major emerging economies.

Global efforts can help scale up utilization of geothermal energy, which has the potential to deliver a "triple win" for many developing countries - clean, reliable, locally-produced baseload power.

The ESMAP Knowledge Exchange Forum with Bilateral Agencies was held in Paris on November 27-28, 2012. The event was hosted by Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

A holistic, comprehensive approach to urban transport planning has been the focus of a series of ESMAP-supported training events held around the world that are targeted at the next generation of city transport leaders.

This issue highlights ESMAP's work in rural electrification, urban transport, and clean cooking.