As global temperatures continue to rise at an alarming rate, the demand for cooling has never been higher. In 35 African countries analysed in SEforALL’s Chilling Prospects 2023 report, 370 million people are at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling—53% are women, and 47% are men. In Nigeria, about 114 million people (53% of the population) are at high risk. This lack of cooling severely impacts key sectors such as agriculture, especially in countries like Nigeria, where many depend on farming to earn a living.

CoolCycle, a Youth Sustainable Development Network (YSDN) co-led initiative, aims to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance food security, and promote clean energy use, pioneering a transformative approach to Nigeria's agricultural sector by integrating renewable energy with cold storage technology, aiming to revolutionize food security and enhance livelihoods.

Through the successful deployment of a 12-ton walk-in, solar-powered cold storage facility and a pack house in Epe, a key agricultural hub in Lagos, the project has established a reliable and continuous energy supply. This is achieved via a robust solar energy system, comprising 24 units of 350-watt solar panels, a 7.5kVa hybrid inverter, and a 20kWh lithium-ion battery.

Epe was strategically selected due to its significant agricultural output and the pressing cooling infrastructure challenges identified by Eweko farmers. The local government's support further solidified Epe as an ideal location to address both environmental and agricultural needs.

Waste to wealth

To ensure this initiative’s success, CoolCycle tracks  energy consumption, temperature stability, food preservation rates, and end-user feedback. This data-driven approach will go a long way to ensure the system's efficiency and impact.

According to Mr. Saheed Adams- CEO, Eweko aggregate, Epe, Lagos, “Reducing post-harvest losses starts with the right infrastructure. The CoolCycle solution has provided cold storage support to over 50 farmers within the immediate community and is expanding to more than 200 potential farmers, reducing the post-harvest losses to about 5%.” Mr. Saheed Adams added that it supports jobs and economic development, noting that “over 20 job opportunities were created in post-harvest handling because of the CoolCycle solution, and it is growing as Eweko aggregate continues to connect farmers to efficient storage and market linkages, ensuring higher earnings, reduced food waste, and a more resilient food system.”

Farmers in Epe are projected to experience a significant reduction in post-harvest losses, with potential savings of up to 60% for crops like tomatoes. This translates to substantial financial gains, as spoilage-related losses can reach up to N1.4 million (GBP 703) annually for tomatoes alone.

“CoolCycle offers affordable weekly cold storage access for as low as N150 (GBP 0.075) per kilogram, eliminating prohibitive upfront costs”, said Damilola Hamid Balogun, CEO and Co-founder of YSDN, which co-implements the project. “This idea enhances accessibility while minimizing operational expenses through reliance on solar power,” added Damilola.

CoolCycle's solution also supports the circular economy by repurposing discarded generator casings, reduces emissions by displacing fossil fuels with solar-powered systems. Ultimately, it aims to showcase innovation in tackling food security through sustainable and scalable solutions.

To learn more about CoolCycle visit https://www.ze-gen.org/circularity-challenge/

To learn more cooling solutions for food, nutrition, and agriculture, click here.
 

Energy, climate and health experts and practitioners came together during the Energizing Healthcare Conference in Nairobi (3-4 February) to accelerate action on powering healthcare facilities in the Global South with clean and reliable energy. The event was co-organized by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and the Health & Energy Platform of Action (HEPA, hosted by the World Health Organization), in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy of Kenya and the Ministry of Health, Kenya , with support from the UK Government via the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) Initiative.

Nearly 200 participants joined us from across governments, the private sector, philanthropy and civil society to take stock of the trends, barriers and opportunities on health facility electrification. In the midst of a packed two-day agenda, here are some of my takeaways:

1. The event provided an opportunity to take stock of the significant progress the sector has made in the last half-decade, in particular during and on the back of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Indeed, many discussions started with how this sector continues to consistently grow, with ever more active stakeholders, additional health facilities being electrified yearly, and a healthy pipeline of funded or planned projects.
2. However, the energy access gap in the health sector remains significant. Approximately 100,000 health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa alone either have no access to electricity or are hampered by unreliable electricity, impacting almost 1 billion people. To close the gap, the current estimate is that USD 4.9 billion will be required as a mix of grants, debt and guarantees for capital and operational expenses. To put this into perspective, less than $5 would need to be invested per person currently impacted by the lack of reliable electricity to health facilities.
3. A noticeable shift in conversations regarding the health facility electrification sector was around not overly focusing on connections, and more on consumption. The target of powering healthcare is to enable health service delivery. As Dr. Harriet Mwithaga put it, “powering healthcare is not about watts and volts. It’s about heartbeats and hope.”
4. Sustainability and the ‘Operations and Maintenance (O&M) conundrum’ featured heavily throughout the conference. Innovative finance mechanisms and delivery models – e.g. Energy-as-a-Service, Distributed Renewable Energy Credits (D-RECs), income-generation activities at the health facility – were all featured and discussed, both for their merits, challenges, and current barriers for scale. For the first time, several of these models are actively being piloted, in the hope that lessons learnt can be replicated to other geographies and scaled to future projects, in parallel with adapting more traditional approaches to ensure long term operation and maintenance.
5. Most facilities without electricity are also lacking critical and life-saving medical devices and clean water. If we provide electricity, but that electricity cannot be used due to the for the lack of devices, the health impact of electrification efforts is very limited. It is essential for electrification initiatives to coordinate with provision of life-saving power dependent medical devices and clean water supply solutions.

What is next for this cross-sector coalition of partners focused on healthcare electrification?

SEforALL, WHO, and many other partners will be doubling down on our commitment to seed the sector with scalable solutions and accessible tools building on our decade-long track record. While the access gap in the health sector is large, we hold strong our belief that achieving full and reliable electrification of every health facility in the world is not just an imperative, but it is also feasible by 2030.

Fresh perspectives, candid reflections, and a renewed commitment to promote universal energy access, accelerate clean energy transitions, spur sustainable development, and climate resilience at the SEforALL Global Forum.

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and the Government of Barbados enrolled more than 1,300 people from around the world to the sixth SEforALL Global Forum in Barbados from 12-13 March.

The much-anticipated landmark event, held for the first time in Latin America and the Caribbean, lived up to its billing as a key moment on the Road to COP30 with the COP29 and COP30 Presidencies present, and the COP30 Presidency unveiling its plan to engage different stakeholders, as it gets ready for the global climate talks later in the year.

The Forum was filled with inspiring talks, bold commitments and transformative actions to accelerate progress towards clean, affordable energy for all by 2030 and a just and inclusive energy transition.

Highlights

Here are the key highlights from the 2025 SEforALL Global Forum.

Global leaders call for greater action

H.E. Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; H.E. Doto Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Tanzania; Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General; Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC; H.E. Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President and Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues; H.E. Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 President-Designate; Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Nigeria; and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group; among many others, called on the need to move from commitments to action in order to achieve universal energy access by 2030 and a just and equitable energy transition.

You can watch a recap here: https://www.youtube.com/live/JigvwCDIHqA?si=xLfB_d2UB6tals7r

Ministerial roundtables reinforce need for greater international cooperation

Ministers from 28 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Pacific, recommitted to exploring collaborative opportunities to accelerate a just and equitable energy transition. At two Ministerial gatherings at the SEforALL Global Forum, ministers also agreed to advance climate resilience for populations in the Global South. Participants endorsed a Call to Action that highlighted the need for ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans, equitable distribution of climate finance allocations, enhanced local capacity and job opportunities, and accelerated deployment of innovative technological solutions across SIDS, as well as a Global Communiqué calling for accelerated efforts to achieve a just and inclusive energy transition.

Find out more here

Over USD 500 million in commitments to scale energy access and accelerate the clean energy transition

At the SEforALL Global Forum, partners announced a series of commitments:

• DRE Nigeria Fund of USD 500 million to develop and finance distributed renewable energy (DRE) projects in Nigeria. Announced by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), SEforALL, International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Africa50. This new fund will see targeted investments in support of mini-grids, solar home systems, commercial and industrial power solutions, embedded generation projects, and innovative energy storage technologies. 

  Find out more here

• Results-Based Financing (RBF) of USD 20 million to transform energy access in Sierra Leone via the Universal Energy Facility (UEF). Announced by the EU in partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and SEforALL UNOPS, and SEforALL, this RBF mechanism will support the rollout of mini-grids to electrify rural households.
• Scale up of fossil fuel generator displacement of USD 12 million. ZE-Gen, the fossil fuel generator displacement initiative will receive more than €11m in additional funding from the IKEA Foundation to support its work to improve the lives of people across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region by replacing highly polluting fossil fuel generators with renewable energy-based alternatives.
• e-Cooking Support and Scale-Up Programme of USD 3.5 to 5 million to accelerate clean cooking in Sierra Leone. Announced by the Middle East Green Initiative’s “Forward7 Clean Cooking” programme in partnership with the Global electric Cooking Coalition (GeCCo), Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) and UK Aid. This programme will see the prioritization of the clean cooking sector as envisaged in the Sierra Leone Energy Transition and Green Growth Plan, as well as the implementation of the Electricity Sector Reform Roadmap (2018-2040) to facilitate a switch to e-cooking.

Groundbreaking initiatives to raise finance and catalyze national and regional clean energy efforts

At the SEforALL Global Forum, several key initiatives were unveiled:

• Barbados Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP) was formally launched by E. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, along with Senator the Honorable Minister Lisa Cummins, the Minister of Energy and Business, and Damilola Ogunbiyi, the CEO of SEforALL. Developed by SEforALL working with Barbados’ Ministry of Energy and Business, the plan lays out the roadmap for the country to achieve net-zero by 2035.
• Announcement of a partnership between SEforALL and the Government of Pakistan to develop an Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP) for Pakistan. Muhammad Ali, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power and Damilola Ogunbiyi, the CEO of SEforALL, announced this partnership between Pakistan and SEforALL that will develop a roadmap to accelerate the clean energy transition in the country.
• Formula E announced its intention to join the Energy Compacts, which are voluntary commitments coordinated by the United Nations and UN-Energy and supported by SEforALL. By joining the Energy Compacts, Formula E would be the first mainstream sports institution to commit to spurring action towards achieving net-zero while advancing universal energy access.
• The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) launched its Caribbean Chapter aimed at bringing together financial institutions to mobilize private capital to support the clean energy transition. The Caribbean Chapter, an extension of GFANZ’s Latin America and Caribbean Network, will focus on addressing local barriers to increasing investment in the region.
• SEforALL and OLADE, the Latin American Energy Organization, announced their partnership aimed at strengthening policy, regulations and tariffs to achieve a just and equitable energy transition in the Latin America and Caribbean region.
• SEforALL launched the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Financiers’ Collective, a platform to facilitate cooperation between financiers and to enhance engagement with manufacturers in Africa as well as other regions, including Southeast Asia. This innovative platform aims to catalyze green finance and provide local manufacturers with improved access to funding, enabling them to scale operations and accelerate progress toward sustainable energy goals.

Changemakers and innovators recognized through the Energy Heroes Awards

The winners of the 2025 Energy Heroes Awards were announced at the SEforALL Global Forum. Seven winners from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as Middle East and North Africa, were feted for their innovations revolutionizing the sustainable energy sector and their work in providing funding, technical capacity and technologies to accelerate the clean energy transition.

The 2025 winners are:

• Deborah Fadeyi, Vectar Energy, Nigeria (Innovator)
• The BRILHO programme, Mozambique (Changemaker)
• Becool Indonesia, Indonesia (Innovator)
• Mee Panyar, Myanmar (Changemaker)
• Soluz Honduras, Honduras (Innovator)
• Jorge Rivera Staff, Panama (Changemaker)
• Youth 4 Sustainability, UAE (Innovator)

Thank you to Sponsors and Partners

Achieving universal energy access and accelerating the clean energy transition requires collaborative efforts to increase financing for developing nations, to rapidly expand electricity access, enhance energy efficiency, deploy renewable energy technologies, and concentrate new energy investments in the least developed countries.

The SEforALL Global Forum was successful in bringing together different actors to craft solutions and turn commitments to action.

We thank the Government of Barbados for its generous support as the co-hosts of this forum.

We also thank the United Nations, Government of Nigeria, Government of Iceland, the Middle East Green Initiative, All On, Caribbean Development Bank, Climate Emergency Collaboration Group, Energy Catalyst, World Bank ESMAP, GE Vernova, Infracredit, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Lightrock, South Pole, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Transforming Energy Access, ZE-Gen, Africa-Europe Foundation, Climate Investment Funds (CIF), Formula E, IRENA and the Pacific Community for supporting the sixth SEforALL Global Forum.

As we put all our efforts into bringing together the elements of the clean energy transition, we have to make sure that all components work together and benefit everyone. International standards are the invisible thread that holds this transformation together, ensuring grids stay reliable, clean energy solutions deliver on their promise and investors have the confidence to scale up clean technologies. Yet, too often, these essential frameworks are overlooked.

Why International Standards Matter

International standards establish a common framework for safety, reliability, efficiency, interoperability, and performance, enabling global trade and fostering consumer and investor trust in technologies for the energy transition. Without standards and conformity assessment systems, fragmentation emerges, where products don’t work together, energy systems are unreliable and consumers and investors lack confidence in the technologies.

Take electrification, for example. Without clear grid interoperability standards, renewable energy sources remain isolated, unable to seamlessly connect to national grids or be traded across regions. Countries need common technical specifications to ensure that power systems integrate clean energy efficiently and reliably. Another example is energy efficiency. Standards ensure that an LED lightbulb in Kenya is just as efficient as one in Germany, or that a solar panel installed in a rural village meets the same performance benchmarks as one in an urban center.

International standards and conformity assessment can help ensure energy systems deployed in vulnerable regions are not only affordable but also durable and efficient, maximizing the benefits for communities that need them most. Standards don’t just enable the energy transition—they ensure it is reliable, and fair.

Unlocking Investments

International standards and conformity assessments mitigate the risks that often make investors hesitant to back clean energy and energy efficiency technologies. This is crucial in mobilizing the USD 5 trillion in annual investments by 2030, necessary to enable a successful energy transition.

Conformity assessments further reduce uncertainty by verifying that these technologies perform as promised, protecting against failures that could undermine confidence in clean energy markets. Standardized compliance and auditing frameworks also harmonize regulations across borders, making it easier for capital to flow into bankable and scalable energy projects. Another key benefit of international standards and conformity assessments is that they promote scalability. When energy solutions such as solar panels or wind turbines are built according to globally recognized standards, they can be deployed more widely and at a lower cost. This standardization reduces the complexity of designing manufacturing and servicing new systems for each market, allowing innovations to scale rapidly across borders.

Global Collaboration to Ensure No One is Left Behind

While international standards and conformity assessment systems offer significant benefits, their widespread adoption faces challenges, particularly in developing countries. Barriers such as lack of local expertise, insufficient regulatory frameworks and high upfront compliance costs can impede progress. For the transition to be truly just, developing countries must have a seat at the table when international standards are set. The international standards development process encourages the participation of experts from developing countries, ensuring that standards are fit for purpose, consensus-based, and centered on real-world needs.

To affirm the role of international standardization and conformity assessment in the just energy transition the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) created the IEC Global Impact Fund. The Fund ensures international standards improve the lives of people and communities around the world, unlocks the benefits of safe and sustainable electricity, builds capacity to create a better future, and develops solutions to achieve sustainability goals.

Sustainable Energy for All and the IEC Global Impact Fund are joining forces at the SEforALL Global Forum  to amplify the role of international standards in driving just and inclusive energy transitions, embracing collaborative processes to mobilize finance, strengthening the voices of developing nations and making sure the energy transition does not leave any one behind.

To help accelerate progress on achieving global energy goals, we are once again hosting the Sustainable Energy for All Forum - the global landmark gathering that celebrates success, advocates for greater action, and facilitates new partnerships in the sustainable energy movement.

Held in Bridgetown, Barbados on 12 and 13 March 2025, this sixth edition of the SEforALL Global Forum is being organized under the theme “Sustainable Energy for Equity, Security and Prosperity” and will focus on catalyzing the actions and investment needed for countries to achieve their energy access, climate and development goals.

Here are five things you need to know about this year’s Global Forum:

1. Uniting Stakeholders

More than 900 leaders from government, industry, civil society and international organizations will convene at this year’s Forum to elevate energy, climate, and development dialogue.

This year’s Forum features speakers from around the world who will challenge how we are approaching and tackling the sustainable energy transition. Prominent speakers expected to grace the 2025 edition include: H.E. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; H.E. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize; H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone; H.E. Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President and Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Climate Issues; and Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, President-Designate, COP30 UN Climate Summit.

2. Foster Collaboration

At the Forum, we will promote the exchange of ideas and shared solutions across diverse regions and entities. The Forum has traditionally had a focus on shifting from challenges to solutions—looking beyond conventional practices and showcasing viable solutions to deliver change at the speed and scale needed to meet global goals.

This year’s Forum will be no different, as we will shine a spotlight on new thinking and approaches, including public-private-philanthropic partnerships. We will showcase Mission 300, the ambitious initiative by the African Development Bank and World Bank working alongside international organizations such as SEforALL and philanthropies like The Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), to scale up investments in grid expansion, on-grid, off-grid solutions, and innovative financing mechanisms.

3. Advance Financial Reform

Unveiled in 2022 by Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the Bridgetown Initiative has helped to lead a paradigm shift in the discourse on scaling capital flows and reshaping the global financial architecture to achieve the SDGs and spur climate action.

Working closely with key public and private financial institutions, the Forum will expand upon Bridgetown Initiative’s groundwork to hasten financial system reforms and bridge funding disparities in low- and middle-income countries across the globe. To action this imperative to bridge funding disparities, the Forum will unveil  a DRE Fund to accelerate financing of clean energy projects.

4. Inspire Innovation

A key focus of this year’s Forum will be showcasing innovations and the pioneering projects that are allowing communities, countries and regions to accelerate progress to achieve universal energy access, promote renewable energy, and champion a just and equitable energy transition.

At the Forum, we will unveil the first global winners of The Energy Heroes Award showcasing how groundbreaking ideas are translating into real-world impact. The shortlist that was recently unveiled sets the stage for an exciting Awards Ceremony at the Forum, as it highlights a diverse range of technologies and solutions to end energy poverty and accelerate the clean energy revolution.

5. Mobilize Commitments

With just 5 years to the end date of the Global Goals, the Forum will push for substantial and broad-based commitments to support the Global South energy transition.

At the Forum, we have lined up two Ministerials to foster collaboration and ambition and increase investments for the energy transition in developing economies and emerging markets. Moreover, the Forum will provide a critical platform ahead of COP30, where the Brazil Presidency is expected to unveil a Roadmap to guide an increase in climate finance leading up to COP30.

We are excited for you to join us and to work towards ensuring everyone, everywhere, can live a dignified life on a healthy planet, powered by sustainable energy.

You can read the full program here.

Get the latest information and updates from the Forum by visiting the dedicated webpage, signing up to our newsletter, following the #SEforALLForum hashtag or SEforALL’s social media pages on X, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is pleased to unveil the 2025 Energy Heroes Award shortlist, featuring groundbreaking solutions that promise to accelerate the transition to a greener world and end energy poverty.

This award is a tribute to the innovators revolutionizing the sustainable energy sector and scaling transformative solutions in emerging economies, and the changemakers at the forefront of providing the necessary funding, technical capacity and technologies to accelerate the clean energy transition.

The 2025 Shortlist

The award received 200 entries from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Middle East and North Africa regions.

This year’s shortlist features a diverse mix of technologies and solutions, such as solar-powered e-mobility solutions, artificial intelligence-driven based tools, smart freezers and cold rooms, revolutionary asset finance for mini-grid developers, accessible e-cooking solutions, early-stage grant and catalytic financing to groundbreaking projects, and next-generation solar and back-up storage solutions, among many others.

Here is the 2025 shortlist (in no particular order):

Africa

Innovators

• Ignite Energy Access/Ignite Solar – Burkina Faso
• Drop Access/Vaccibox - Kenya
• Zuwa Energy - Malawi
• EM-ONE Energy Solutions - Nigeria
• Energicity - Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin 
• WiseCool/Jean Blaise Tarnyuy Seka
• ZimbosAbantu Healthcare on Wheels - Zimbabwe
• Green Energy Solution - Malawi
• E-Safiri Charging Limited - Kenya
• Vectar Energy Africa - Nigeria
• The KipajiKazi Korogocho Waste Management Project – Kenya, Tanzania
• Community Action for Advancing Sustainable Development (CAASDEV) - Cameroon
• EVC Point Nigeria/ConnectVolt - Nigeria
• HydroBox Kenya Limited - Kenya
• Green Scene Energy Pvt. Ltd. Co - Ethiopia
• Forum for Agriculture, Innovation and Empowerment for Children and Youth Sierra Leone (FAIECY) - Sierra Leone
• ARC Ride Limited - Kenya
• Centre for Inclusive Green Skills (CIGS) - Uganda
• Uwana Energy/Natasha Ibori - Nigeria
• E-COLD/Blueinit/Dossiya Dakou - Benin
• Cool Cycle/Adekoyejo Kuye - Nigeria
• EmTrack/ACBA Energy/Nair de Sousa - Angola, Nigeria, South Africa
• Sirius-X Energy/ Nurudeen Issa - Nigeria
• Green Turbine Energy - Benin

Changemakers

• Sustain Solar/ Sustainable Solar Systems Pty (Ltd) - Benin, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia
• BRILHO – Mozambique
• Youth Sustainable Development Network - Nigeria
• GreenMax Capital Group - Kenya
• LightEd Impact Foundation - Nigeria
• EEP Africa/The Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund – Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
• Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change (CREACC-NG) - Nigeria

Asia-Pacific

Innovators

• INGINE Wave Energy Systems Ltd - Indonesia
• Women Network for Energy and Environment (WoNEE) - Nepal
• Sunil Kumar Sansaniwal/NITI Aayog – India, Nauru, Nepal, Myanmar
• Schneider Electric- India
• BeCool - Indonesia
• Piyush Jha - India
• COMET (Community Energy Toolkit) - Fiji, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal
• Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP)/ The Rooftop Solar Explorer (RTSE) - India

Changemakers

• Society of Renewable Energy (SRE) - Indonesia
• Collectives for Integrated Livelihoods Initiatives (CInI) - India
• Envo Renewable Energy Services Pvt. Ltd. (ERES) - India
• Husk Power Systems Pvt. Ltd. - India
• Mee Panyar - Myanmar

Latin America and the Carribean

Innovators

• Soluz Honduras, S.A. de C.V. - Honduras
• Heliotec SRL - Paraguay

Changemakers

• Jorge Rivera Staff - Panama
• ModuloSolar – Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru

Middle East and North Africa

Innovator

• Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S) - UAE

What next?

The winners’ selection process is led by a distinguished panel of judges, including experts from the Caribbean Development Bank, Tara Climate Foundation, World Bank ESMAP, and IKEA Foundation, ensuring a fair and insightful evaluation.

Entries are categorized into:

Changemakers: Leading institutions—including funders, development agencies, private companies, civil society, and academia—driving the energy transition by providing funding, expertise, and technology. Their initiatives are supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy access, inclusion, CO2 reduction, and climate resilience.

Innovators: Individuals, companies, and organizations driving the energy transition by expanding renewables, improving efficiency, building green skills, promoting inclusion, and strengthening climate resilience at the community or national level.

The winners from each category and region will be announced in a ceremony at the SEforALL Global Forum in Bridgetown, Barbados; gaining global recognition, media exposure, and potential funding to elevate their work.

Learn more and explore the selection criteria: https://www.seforall.org/forum/energy-heroes
 

Gender equity is crucial to effective climate and energy solutions

The discussions at CO29 in Baku highlighted both advancements and setbacks in tackling the interconnected issues of gender, energy access, and climate change. So, how can we make the next COP different? How can discussions and commitments at COP30 underscore the fact that gender equity is crucial to effective climate and energy solutions?

Globally, 675 million people lack access to electricity, and 2.1 billion lack access to clean cooking. Women and girls, particularly in developing countries, bear a disproportionate burden of energy poverty, as they are often responsible for household energy-related tasks such as cooking, water collection, and heating. The reliance on inefficient, polluting fuels like wood or charcoal harms health, limits educational opportunities, and hinders economic empowerment.

The absence of electricity also impacts women’s safety, security, and time management, as tasks that could be done more efficiently with modern energy sources instead consume valuable hours.

The gender-energy nexus highlights that increased access to energy benefits women and girls by promoting gender equality and driving progress in poverty reduction, food security, healthcare, education, and employment. Access to electricity and clean cooking reduces the time women spend on household chores, improves health, and creates more opportunities for education and work. For instance, a study in Nature Sustainability estimated that clean cooking technologies could prevent 463,000 deaths annually and reduce healthcare costs by USD 66 billion in Sub-Saharan Africa. Electrification also boosts female workforce participation and helps reduce gender inequalities, such as enabling girls to study after dark.

The Lima Work Programme on Gender and the Gender Action Plan

At COP29, advocates pushed to keep gender central in climate discussions, calling it the ‘finance and gender COP.’ The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reaffirmed its commitment to gender-responsive climate policies, including the Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG).

COP29 extended the LWPG for ten years to integrate gender into climate action. Alongside the Gender Action Plan (GAP), the LWPG aims to ensure gender balance in decision-making and empower women in climate policy implementation. Since its adoption at COP20, gender references in UNFCCC communications have risen, with 85% of Parties including gender in their latest reports. However, only 36 of 106 countries supported by the Climate Promise have incorporated gender considerations into energy sector mitigation measures in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The updated NDCs (popularly referred to as NDC 3.0 are due to be submitted this coming month (February 2025) outlining countries' climate commitments and present key opportunities to integrate gender equality in climate action.

COP30 can be the moment when we interrogate the commitments coming from different countries to see if gender considerations will have been adequately incorporated.

Intersectionality and Gender Equality: Key Negotiation Challenges

Gender equality remains a key challenge in climate negotiations. For example, the negotiations for the Enhanced LWPG faced significant challenges amid global pushback against women’s rights. The final text (Version 22/11/2024 15:20) saw key terms on diversity and intersectionality from the draft text (Version 13/6/2024 18:00) removed, and protections for women environmental defenders excluded. Participants at COP criticized the negotiations for undermining efforts to combat systemic discrimination, calling the lack of intersectionality a ‘backsliding’ on women’s rights.

Furthermore, a recent analysis by the Women’s Environment and Development Organization found that women’s participation at COP28 was only 34%, a modest increase of just 3 percentage points from COP14 in 2008. While participation fluctuates each year, achieving gender parity is not expected until 2043.

At COP29, for example, only 8 out of 77 opening speakers were women. This persistent underrepresentation reinforces a male-dominated decision-making process that often does not adequately represent women's lived experiences; this must change from COP30 onwards, more voices of women and especially those from the Global South must be heard.                 

Gender- and Age-Disaggregated Data

Gender- and age-disaggregated data is crucial for evidence-based climate and energy decision-making, guiding planning, de-risking finance, and targeting interventions. While the COP29 text called for enhanced disaggregated data collection (Operational Paragraph (OP) 17) and integration into biennial transparency reports (OP18bis), the final version only “encourages” cooperation between United Nations entities and Parties to mainstream such data into existing policies (OP8).

Activists have acknowledged a win with the inclusion of gender- and age-disaggregated data into the final text, but, as highlighted by SEforALL and UN Women, without standardized methodologies, clear targets, and monitoring mechanisms, tracking the impacts of climate actions on women and girls remains inadequate. The gender data gap is particularly concerning for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which remains one of six SDGs lacking gender-specific indicators. While the Enhanced LWPG brings attention to this issue, stronger commitments and actionable frameworks are urgently needed to close the data gap, and this is an area that will need particular attention at COP30.

Young Women in the Enhanced LWPG: A Missed Opportunity

The Enhanced LWPG largely omitted youth perspectives. While the COP29 draft text (OP10) referenced youth empowerment and the vulnerability of girls in climate-related crises, calling for Parties to address risks to their education and safety (OP23), these provisions were removed entirely from the final text.

This exclusion undermines efforts to address the specific challenges young women face, such as increased gender-based violence, educational disruptions, and the disproportionate impacts of climate change and energy poverty.

At COP30, there is need to have more platforms and stronger commitments to empower young women through targeted policies while integrating their voices into climate action; this way we can effectively advance gender equality, build resilience, and ensure that youth can lead a just energy transition.

Finance and Gender-Responsive Climate Action

At COP29, the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) set an annual climate finance target of USD 300 billion, aiming for USD 1.3 trillion by 2035. The NCQG acknowledged the importance of financing that benefits women and marginalized groups, highlighting the need for “human rights-based and gender-responsive" climate finance.

While a step forward, experts caution that the financial commitment remains insufficient to support developing countries in reducing emissions and protecting vulnerable populations from climate impacts. The agreement lacks concrete mechanisms for accountability and equitable distribution, raising concerns about its effectiveness without targeted efforts to ensure women’s needs are addressed.

At COP30 and beyond, targeted efforts will be essential to ensure that climate finance meaningfully addresses the needs of women, girls, and marginalized groups, with robust accountability mechanisms to track and measure impact. Without these measures, the transformative potential of gender-responsive climate finance may remain unrealized.

Looking Ahead

COP30 presents the opportunity to build on COP29's wins, address gaps, and advance gender-responsive, youth-inclusive climate solutions. The ten-year extension of the Enhanced LWPG and the upcoming GAP redevelopment at COP30 provide an opportunity to set clear targets and elevate ambition.

The SEforALL Global Forum in March 2025 will be a crucial platform on the road to COP30 for stakeholders to address these gaps, focusing on integrating gender-responsive data into policies, setting measurable targets for gender-equitable energy access, ensuring inclusive representation in climate decision-making, and empowering youth to lead in a just energy transition. These efforts are crucial for overcoming setbacks in gender equality and setting the stage for transformative progress at COP30.

Join us at the SEforALL Global Forum in Bridgetown, Barbados (12 and 13 March 2025) and at the SDG7 Pavilion at COP30 in Belem, Brazil (10 to 21 November 2025), to continue this work!

At the historic Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, African heads of state and government, joined 1,000 business leaders, and development partners in Dar es Salaam to spark collective action on one singular goal: to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to 300 million people in Africa by 2030.

This bold vision, known as Mission 300, will halve the nearly 600 million Africans currently living without electricity with knock-on effects of stimulating development and job creation.

The landmark gathering, hosted by the United Republic of Tanzania, African Union, African Development Bank Group (AfDB), and World Bank Group resulted in three key outcomes:

• The Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, outlining commitments and practical actions from African governments to reform the energy sector;
• The first set of National Energy Compacts, which will serve as blueprints with country-specific targets and timelines for implementation of critical reforms.In the first phase, 12 countries will present their energy compacts: Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia. Other African countries are expected to develop their compacts in subsequent phases; and
• A raft of pledges by multilateral development institutions in support of electrification and clean cooking efforts across the continent. The Islamic Development Bank pledged USD 2.65 billion, Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank pledged USD 1.5 billion, the OPEC Fund pledged USD 1 billion with additional financing to follow, and Agence Française de Développement pledged USD 1 billion.

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) together with The Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) are supporting this unprecedented collaboration between the AfDB and the World Bank Group to address Africa’s electricity access gap.

Specifically, SEforALL will help the AfDB and World Bank deliver Mission 300, alongside supporting the organization’s focus on reducing energy poverty. The scope includes implementing programmes across Africa, developing energy transition plans and supporting data-driven energy access planning in Mission 300 compact countries, which will help create the market and regulatory readiness needed to drive new energy connections.

To stem the impacts of the global rise in interest rates across Africa’s economies, SEforALL will also collaborate with partners to develop innovative financing instruments to enable private participation in local currency financing platforms with an aim to create a new pan-African local currency mechanism that will not only protect local investors from the risks associated with the volatility of currency markets, but also will lay the groundwork to unlock currently unavailable sources of capital for developers across Africa.

Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy, said: “SEforALL recognizes its role, along with that of The Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, as that of an enabler to the bold Mission 300 initiative in support of the World Bank and the African Development Bank; this reiterated our firm commitment to ending energy poverty and taking the big bets needed to advance action at the scale and pace needed to meet the SDG 7 Goal by 2030.”

The commitments made by the continent’s leaders and partners at this landmark event are expected to continue at the SEforALL Global Forum taking place in Bridgetown, Barbados from 12 – 13 March, where African and global leaders will continue to monitor progress and drive further ambition on transforming the lives of millions of Africans through universal energy access. 

For information about the SEforALL Global Forum: https://www.seforall.org/forum

For more information about Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit: https://mission300africa.org/energysummit/

For information about the Mission 300 initiative:  https://www.seforall.org/projects/powering-africa-through-mission-300

A moment to reflect on what it takes to create a more inclusive and sustainable energy future

On 26 January, the world celebrates the second International Day of Clean Energy. It is an important day that aims to celebrate progress, reflect on challenges, and recommit to ensuring that no one is left behind in the clean energy transition.

Developing nations are at the heart of the clean energy revolution. With growing populations, rapid urbanization, and an urgent need for sustainable development, it is expected that about 85% of additional electricity demand between now and 2026 will come from emerging and developing economies.

Access to clean energy is foundational for improving living standards, reducing poverty, and fostering economic growth. Yet 685 million people worldwide—many in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia—still lack access to electricity, with millions more relying on polluting and harmful fuels posing severe health risks, particularly to women and children.

Our SEforALL analysis shows that if we do not urgently raise ambition, the number of people without electricity access may stay the same by 2030 with 660 million people living without electricity, and 1.8 billion people not having access to clean cooking solutions.

If we are to achieve SDG7 by 2030, we must provide electricity access to 157 million people per year; and increase clean cooking access by 334 million people each year.

We therefore need to urgently come together to prioritize financing, technology transfer, and capacity-building initiatives to close these energy access gaps.

Mission 300, launched by the World Bank Group in partnership with the African Development Bank, is one such initiative that is scaling investment in both on-grid and off-grid solutions to power growth and deliver electricity access to some of the most remote and vulnerable communities in Africa.

The scale and the broad-based partnership within Mission 300 are like nothing we have attempted before, it brings together strong leadership from African governments, with diverse partners and the private sector to drive impact.

Mission 300 demonstrates what is possible when partners come together, and this should be replicated in other regions to ensure we leave no one behind.

As we celebrate this day, let us remember that achieving universal access to clean energy by 2030—a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7)—requires collaboration on a global scale.

The journey toward a clean energy future is one that should be guided by the principles of justice and equality. Developing countries, with their vast untapped potential, hold the key to a sustainable future, and we must renew our commitment to building a world where clean energy is not a privilege but a fundamental right for all.

Together, we can illuminate the path toward a brighter, cleaner, and more equitable future for generations to come.

Happy International Day of Clean Energy.

SEforALL’s Country Brief on Sustainable Cooling for All in Kenya shows that 9.6 million Kenyans are at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling. This includes 5.1 million rural poor who lack electricity and live in extreme poverty and 4.5 million urban poor living in poor quality housing and facing intermittent electricity supply. As Kenya approaches the hot season, characterized by soaring temperatures and prolonged dry spells, the need for effective cooling solutions becomes increasingly critical.

To this end, SEforALL is working with the county governments of Kilifi, Makueni, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Nakuru, Taita Taveta, Tana River, Laikipia, Vihiga and Turkana to develop Heat Action Plans as part of Kenya’s national and county-level strategies to address extreme heat, expected energy demand in County Energy Plans and promote sustainable cooling solutions.

The Heat Action Plans are being developed in partnership with the Kenya Council of Governors, the Climate Resilience Center, and UNEP-led Cool Coalition, among others. This pilot project will address the immediate challenges associated with extreme heat and bolster the implementation of the County Energy Plans and the Kenya National Cooling Action Plan. By leveraging these frameworks, the project aims to create a coordinated response that addresses contextual needs across different counties.

The Heat Action Plan Initiative focuses on three main goals: addressing immediate needs, promoting long-term strategies, and integrating plans into national strategies. It develops emergency response measures, such as early warning systems and public health efforts, while mobilizing investments and resources. In addition, it emphasizes sustainable urban planning, infrastructure improvements, and alignment with existing policies for a comprehensive response to heat waves.

“Through the Heat Action Plan initiative, counties aim to achieve both immediate, short-term and long-term outcomes with aligned and prioritized investment. In the short term, counties will develop effective emergency responses to heatwaves, while in the long term, they will build resilience against rising temperatures through various sustainable cooling practices especially in nature-based solutions and cold chains for both agriculture and healthcare. This initiative will position participating counties as leaders in climate adaptation globally, serving as a model for others in Kenya and beyond,” said Elizabeth Wangeci Chege, Energy Efficiency and Cooling Officer, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)

“Successful county heat action plans must be built on proactive planning, collaboration across sectors and data-driven solutions. These strategies will help protect vulnerable communities from the escalating and compounding risks of extreme heat, ensuring that we respond not only to immediate threats but also build long-term resilience and sustainable development for the future.” Said Eng. Felix Mumbai, Tana River County

Grace Karanja, Director of Environment, Energy, Natural Resources & Climate Change, Nakuru County, highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive planning and collaboration in the face of rising temperatures: “Extreme heat can disrupt daily life, reduce worker productivity, and damage infrastructure, leading to significant economic losses. In Nakuru, we recognize that addressing these challenges requires a unified approach—one that combines scientific research, local knowledge, and community engagement. This approach is critical to creating adaptive strategies that safeguard public health, protect vulnerable populations, and ensure sustainable resilience against the escalating risks of extreme heat.”

Eng. Stephen Nzioka, Director Renewable Energy Department (Energy Efficiency) at Ministry of Energy and Petroleum applauded the counties by being pro-active in addressing global warming through sustainable cooling activities.

Rising temperatures, exacerbated by climate change, strains public health, agriculture and infrastructure while increasing demand for efficient and sustainable cooling with vulnerable communities facing heightened risk, productivity declines, and heat-related conditions.

Proactively addressing and mitigating heat waves will help Kenya safeguard both lives and livelihoods, supported by Heat Action Plans.

The launch of the Heat Action Plan initiative underscores the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to combat rising temperatures across Kenya. By leveraging existing frameworks and addressing local needs, sub-national governments can work together to create sustainable solutions that protect their communities, pool investments and foster resilience in the face of climate change.