CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19

The document examines the impact of the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Sierra Leone, finding that energy sector financing declined sharply as funds were redirected to emergency health responses. It argues that the interlinkages between energy access (SDG7) and healthcare (SDG3) must be recognized to avoid repeating these mistakes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief recommends integrated planning, increased public-private cooperation, and the use of renewable energy for economic recovery.

• During the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak, international funding priorities shifted heavily toward short-term emergency health responses, leading to a decline in energy sector investments. Health-related projects and emergency responses accounted for over 75 percent of total ODA commitments in 2014.
• Energy-related ODA commitments to Sierra Leone were consistently low between 2011 and 2018, averaging only 5 percent of total ODA. The total of USD 175.8 million committed during this period was significantly lower than the estimated USD 117-140 million per annum required to meet renewable energy and electricity access needs by 2030.
• There was a significant gap between financial commitments and actual disbursements for energy projects post-2015, with average disbursements reaching only one-fifth of total commitments. In contrast, health sector disbursements remained 1.5 to 2 times higher than commitments on average.
• The Ebola outbreak caused severe implementation delays and cancellations of energy projects due to rural areas becoming inaccessible and investors invoking force majeure clauses. For example, a USD 16 million project funded by the World Bank and DFID to install solar systems in rural health centres faced cancellation of its planned electrification activities.
• Sierra Leone experienced a sharper decline in ODA commitments post-Ebola (2016 to 2018) than any other low-income African economy, with an average annual decline of 28 percent.
• The document highlights a critical lack of data on energy access in healthcare facilities globally, noting that only 14 developing countries have nationally representative data on this subject.

APA

Climate Policy Initiative (2020). CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EF_SierraLeone-20201007.pdf

Chicago

Climate Policy Initiative. CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19. 2020. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EF_SierraLeone-20201007.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Policy Initiative |title=CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19 |date=1 October 2020 |url=https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EF_SierraLeone-20201007.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatepolicyinitiative2020changes, author = {{Climate Policy Initiative}}, title = {{CHANGES IN ENERGY SECTOR FINANCING DURING COVID-19}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EF_SierraLeone-20201007.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }