Powering Social Infrastructure – Sierra Leone Project Note

This briefing describes the development and findings of a global Evidence Gap Map (EGM) on sustainable energy, co-funded by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and 3ie. The EGM systematically screens rigorous evidence on the causal effects of sustainable energy interventions in low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs) to support SDG 7 targets regarding energy access, efficiency, and renewables.

• The evidence base for sustainable energy is geographically skewed, with nearly half of the impact evaluations (IEs) focusing on China or India. While East Asia and the Pacific have the most evidence, there is a critical lack of electrification evaluations for countries with the most pressing needs, specifically Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, and South Sudan, where fewer than 20% of people have electricity access.
• The EGM identified significant gaps in the types of interventions evaluated. No rigorous evidence was found for advocacy and diplomacy, push and pull finance, or insurance and other risk guarantee instruments. Conversely, sustainable upgrades—particularly improved cookstoves—are the most heavily evaluated technology.
• Analysis of high and medium confidence systematic reviews (SRs) indicates that top-down interventions generally fail to improve electricity access in informal settlements in L&MICs. Regarding sustainable upgrades like improved cookstoves, evidence shows they can reduce carbon monoxide and particulate matter, lower respiratory and ocular symptoms in women, and reduce risks of low birth weight and acute lower respiratory infections for children in high-altitude Latin American settings.
• The EGM search process, conducted in July and September 2023, screened 144,393 records from 22 academic databases and 29 grey literature sources. This resulted in the inclusion of 703 studies: 668 impact evaluations and 35 systematic reviews.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (n.d.). Powering Social Infrastructure – Sierra Leone Project Note. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-05/brief-egm-3ie-003.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Powering Social Infrastructure – Sierra Leone Project Note. n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-05/brief-egm-3ie-003.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Powering Social Infrastructure – Sierra Leone Project Note |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-05/brief-egm-3ie-003.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforallndpowering, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Powering Social Infrastructure – Sierra Leone Project Note}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2024-05/brief-egm-3ie-003.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }