GERES AND ENERGY ACCESS

Geres advocates for a holistic approach to universal energy access that moves beyond binary measurements to ensure high-quality, affordable, and reliable energy services. The organization focuses on the 'base of the pyramid' (BoP), integrating renewable energy deployment with energy sobriety and efficiency to avoid environmental degradation. Key operational models include Green Business Areas (GBAs) to foster rural entrepreneurship and the promotion of energy-efficient cooking and cooling solutions. Geres emphasizes capacity-building, gender equality, and the use of social enterprises to ensure the long-term sustainability and scalability of energy projects in rural and peri-urban areas.

• Geres argues that energy access should be measured by quality, reliability, and safety rather than a simple binary of access or no access, suggesting the World Bank's Multi-Tier Framework as a relevant system for this purpose.
• The organization utilizes 'Green Business Areas' (GBAs) as incubators for rural businesses, using mini-grids to power productive energy users and supporting them with entrepreneurship systems. As of the report, 8 GBAs are in operation with a goal of 18 by 2025.
• Energy poverty is identified as a global issue affecting both developed and developing nations; in France, 11.7% of households are categorized as being in energy poverty.
• Geres promotes a combination of energy efficiency (optimizing consumption via better appliances) and energy sobriety (controlling consumption through non-excessive use) to manage limited resources.
• The organization implements gender-specific strategies, noting that women may reinvest up to 90% of their income into their families and communities, and seeks to reduce domestic burdens through reliable energy services.
• To address health risks and environmental pressure, Geres supports clean biomass stoves as a vital complement to advanced fuels like LPG and ethanol, which are often too expensive for the poorest populations.
• Geres is developing technical and economic innovations to lower barriers to energy access, such as the 'vis Kalama' system for Jatropha-based biofuels and lending facilities that provide partial guarantees for SMEs in Mali.

APA

Alliance for Renewable Electrification (n.d.). GERES AND ENERGY ACCESS. https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2023_Position-paper-EN.pdf

Chicago

Alliance for Renewable Electrification. GERES AND ENERGY ACCESS. n.d. https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2023_Position-paper-EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Alliance for Renewable Electrification |title=GERES AND ENERGY ACCESS |url=https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2023_Position-paper-EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{allianceforrenewableelectrificationndgeres, author = {{Alliance for Renewable Electrification}}, title = {{GERES AND ENERGY ACCESS}}, institution = {Alliance for Renewable Electrification}, url = {https://www.renewelec.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2023_Position-paper-EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }