The Danish Organisation for Sustainable Energy (OVE) is a membership NGO founded in 1975 as an offspring of the anti-nuclear movement OOA. The objectives of the organisation are to promote national as well as internationally an energy and environmental policy, which is both resource and environmentally friendly; and to improve democracy and achieve 100 % self-sufficiency from renewable energy sources through people's participation and initiatives. For more than 30 years OVE has been one of the main players in the political debate on energy in Denmark. The main activity is to inform and disseminate information of renewable energy, energy conservation and ecological issues. Through national campaigns e.g. solar energy and wood fuel the organisation helps to show how the environment can be improved at a household level. OVE also organises conferences, provides advisory services, and implement practical courses on different subjects related to sustainable energy.

OVE’s international department has since 1992 worked with sustainable resource management, sustainable energy and urban environment in South East Asia and Africa. For over a decade OVE supported in Thailand the development of regional energy planning, while the activities in South Africa focused on urban environment, Agenda 21 and capacity building. At present OVE is active with partners in Vietnam, Mozambique, Kenya and Mali.

Nordeco is in January 2008 carrying out a capacity assessment of OVE and its international department with a special focus on institutional strategies, partner relations and capacity development.

Women in Sofala, Mozambique use several hours daily collecting fuelwood for cooking.
Photo: Bjarke Rambøll, OVE