Search Climate Insights Directory

The Luz en Casa Amazonia Microgrid Pilot Project in Copal Urco, Peru, replaced a diesel-fed system that provided only three hours of daily power with a 33.5-kWp solar PV station and 95-kWh lithium battery storage. Funded with EUR 185,000 by acciona.org, the project provides at least six hours of electricity daily to 60 households and 24-hour power to schools, a health centre, and a community centre. The initiative avoids 50 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually and utilizes a pay-for-service model where users purchase kWh at a local centre. The project also supports local commerce through cooling systems and enabled online education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virtual power plants (VPPs) aggregate distributed energy resources like batteries and electric vehicles to provide grid benefits. In the United States, VPPs could reduce peak demand by 60 GW by 2030 and 200 GW by 2050, while potentially reducing annual power sector expenditures by $17 billion by 2030. They support decarbonization by reducing reliance on polluting peaker plants and enable economy-wide electrification by providing revenue streams and avoiding grid bottlenecks.

Global investments in energy transition technologies reached a record USD 1.3 trillion in 2022, yet this remains insufficient to meet climate goals, with annual needs estimated at over USD 5 trillion. While renewable energy investments are growing, they are heavily concentrated in a few regions—primarily East Asia and the Pacific—and specific technologies like solar PV and wind. Conversely, fossil fuel investments continue to rise, and subsidies remain high, particularly in Europe and the MENA region. The report emphasizes the need for a fundamental shift in financing for the Global South, calling for more innovative public finance instruments, the mobilization of institutional capital, and a transition away from fossil fuel funding to ensure a just and inclusive energy transition.

Global energy transition investments reached a record USD 1.3 trillion in 2022, but this is less than one-third of the annual USD 5 trillion needed to meet the 1.5°C Scenario. While renewable energy investments grew to nearly USD 0.5 trillion in 2022, they remain heavily concentrated in solar and wind technologies and a few regions, primarily East Asia and Pacific. Developing and emerging markets receive a disproportionately small share of finance; for example, Sub-Saharan Africa received less than 1.5% of global investments between 2000 and 2020. The report emphasizes that private capital prioritizes low-risk, commercially viable projects, leaving a critical gap in less mature technologies and high-risk regions. It argues for a fundamental shift in public financing, moving beyond simple de-risking to provide more grants, concessional loans, and innovative instruments like local currency lending and green bonds to ensure a just and inclusive transition.

The document outlines strategies for extending electricity access to 'last mile' remote communities—including indigenous, displaced, and mountain populations—using decentralized renewable energy (DRE). It argues that off-grid solutions, particularly solar PV and hybrid systems, are often more cost-effective than grid extension in low-demand, remote areas. The guide emphasizes community engagement, local capacity building, and the transition from grant-based funding to market-based impact investment to ensure long-term sustainability. It details various delivery mechanisms, such as solar co-operatives and micro-utilities, and provides comparative data on renewable technologies and government program models from Brazil, Malaysia, and Canada.

The Chilling Prospects 2023 analysis identifies 1.12 billion people at high risk of lacking cooling access, primarily the rural and urban poor. While high-risk populations decreased slightly by 20.4 million since 2022, the lower-middle-income group at medium risk grew to 2.9 billion people. The report highlights significant gender disparities, with women overrepresented in high-risk groups, and identifies 'Critical 9' countries—including India, China, and Nigeria—where the most pronounced risks exist.

The 2023 Annual Monitoring Review marks the conclusion of SEforALL's 2021-2023 Business Plan, reporting the overachievement of cross-organizational KPIs. Key results include the mobilization of over USD 8 billion towards energy access and clean energy transitions, the facilitation of 26,669 new energy access connections, and the support of 31 countries in 2023. The report details achievements across four thematic areas: Energy Diplomacy and Advocacy, Energy Access and Closing the Gap, Energy Transitions and Climate, and the Intersection with other SDGs. Notable outcomes include the spearheading of UN Energy Compacts with USD 1.3 trillion in commitments and the deployment of the Universal Energy Facility (UEF) in five countries.

The report argues that renewable energy projects in energy-scarce areas, specifically refugee camps, often overlook the potential to provoke or exacerbate conflict due to unequal energy access. An analysis of 11 projects in Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp reveals that conflict potential is rarely discussed and data on resulting tensions is lacking. The authors recommend local community engagement and stakeholder inclusion to mitigate these risks.

The document analyzes a planned US$245 billion expansion of gas infrastructure in Africa, highlighting a significant imbalance where investment in LNG export terminals and pipelines far outweighs investment in domestic power generation. It warns that these projects, often driven by Europe's short-term energy crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, risk becoming stranded assets while failing to address low electricity access in countries like Nigeria, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

The report highlights a significant imbalance in African gas infrastructure, where investments are heavily skewed toward LNG export terminals rather than domestic electricity generation. With an estimated $245 billion in total gas infrastructure investments underway or planned, the document warns of 'stranded assets' as the world transitions to clean energy and European demand fluctuates. It details the current and projected capacities of LNG terminals, pipelines, and gas-fired power plants, noting that while countries like Nigeria, Mozambique, and Tanzania pursue massive export projects, they continue to face severe domestic electricity shortages.

The document analyzes the current and planned gas infrastructure in Africa, highlighting a significant imbalance where the majority of investment is directed toward LNG exports to Europe rather than domestic electrification. It details the costs and capacities of LNG terminals, pipelines, and gas-fired power plants, noting that while billions are proposed for development, much of this remains in the proposal stage and faces financial risks due to the transient nature of European energy demand.

The report highlights a planned US $245 billion expansion of gas infrastructure in Africa, primarily driven by European demand following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It argues that this focus on exports, particularly LNG and pipelines, undermines domestic energy needs and the transition to renewable energy. Significant funding gaps exist for proposed projects, and the report warns that these investments may become stranded assets as the global energy transition progresses.

The report examines 11 renewable energy projects in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, finding that while they improve energy access, they rarely account for the potential to provoke or exacerbate conflict. The authors argue for a programmatic approach to conflict sensitivity that includes local stakeholder engagement to mitigate tensions over energy access.

The document contends that JETP countries should leapfrog fossil gas to avoid economic volatility and asset stranding, instead leveraging their significant solar and wind resources to improve energy access and ensure a climate-safe transition.

The document contends that the current energy crisis is a "natural gas market crisis" caused by fossil fuel price volatility, specifically citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and post-pandemic recovery. It argues that natural gas is incompatible with the 1.5°C and 2°C Paris Agreement targets, noting that global gas emissions rose 23% between 2010 and 2019. The briefing highlights that solar and onshore wind are now cheaper than gas for two-thirds of the global population and that new gas projects face significant stranded asset risks, such as a USD 13 billion risk in the UK by 2050. It dismisses Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as an effective solution, noting that only 27 of over 260 projects undertaken between 1995 and 2018 were completed. Finally, it argues that for Africa, renewables are the fastest and cheapest way to expand energy access, as gas costs are projected to be double those of solar and wind by 2030.

The author argues that current climate efforts are in a 'catastrophic equilibrium' where unabated fossil fuel growth outpaces clean energy investment. To address this, the document advocates for three principles: recognizing the immense scale of the challenge by investing in all plausible zero-carbon technologies (including nuclear and carbon capture), moving beyond 'black box' economic models that ignore real-world constraints like land use and geopolitics, and embracing a diversified portfolio of strategies to hedge against uncertainty and risk.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) criticises the South African National Treasury's 2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) for maintaining a path of austerity and fiscal consolidation since 2012. The IEJ asserts that prioritising debt stabilisation over developmental goals leads to declining expenditure per learner in basic education and real-term cuts in healthcare spending. The document also highlights the failure to adjust the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for inflation and the exclusion of 3.5 million people from the grant due to stringent criteria. While noting positive infrastructure investment and Eskom debt absorption, the IEJ warns that Eskom's unbundling and private sector participation may lead to higher tariffs. The IEJ advocates for progressive taxation to fund public services and reduce income inequality.

The document examines how countries in the Global South can achieve energy access and economic growth by leveraging clean energy instead of relying on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Using South Africa and Vietnam as case studies, it suggests that renewable energy is increasingly competitive and that gas power plants supplied by imported LNG will play a smaller role in affordable grid expansion than previously assumed.

The report examines the impact of global decarbonisation on Africa's natural gas sector, distinguishing between existing and emerging producers. It argues that faster global transitions to net-zero emissions will reduce LNG demand and prices, creating 'external' climate transition risks that threaten the viability of future projects. The analysis suggests that domestic demand is an insufficient hedge against these risks due to regulated low prices and the increasing competitiveness of renewable energy. Emerging producers are identified as particularly vulnerable due to weaker sovereign credit ratings and the timing of their infrastructure investments.

The document examines the role of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in facilitating the shift from fossil fuels to clean energy in five emerging economies. It argues against the use of natural gas as a 'bridging fuel,' citing price volatility, the risk of stranded assets, and methane emissions. Instead, it advocates for 'leapfrogging' directly to renewables, noting that solar and wind are cost-competitive and better suited for expanding energy access in rural areas. The brief emphasizes that a gas-led transition would be economically disadvantageous and inconsistent with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal.