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This briefing outlines strategic priorities for a green transition and energy access partnership between Africa and Europe. It highlights Africa's severe energy deficits and the potential of its solar resources, while warning against the contradiction of simultaneous fossil fuel expansion in countries like Kenya and South Africa. The document recommends focusing on 'nexus issues' (agriculture, digital economy, trade), de-risking private investment, and ensuring a 'just transition' through reskilling and gender mainstreaming, all while navigating the socio-economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This case study describes the installation of a 12kW solar mini-grid in Mthembanji, Dedza District, Malawi, developed by SustainSolar in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde, United Purpose, BNG Electrical, and Steamaco. The project provides 220 V power to 60 domestic and commercial customers, utilizing a containerised system with lithium-ion batteries and remote monitoring to address energy access gaps in a region where less than 12% of the population is connected to the national grid.

The SEforALL 3-Year Business Plan 2021-2023 outlines the transition to 'SEforALL 3.0,' a strategic shift from global agenda-setting toward an implementation-focused model. The plan prioritizes data-driven decision-making, partnerships with high-impact countries, and the delivery of specific 'Results Offers' across four thematic areas: Energy Diplomacy and Advocacy, Energy Access and Closing the Gap, Energy Transitions and Climate Change, and Intersection with Other SDGs. The organization aims to mobilize USD 58.9 million over three years to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030.

This case study describes the implementation of Nigeria's first solar- and battery-powered undergrid minigrid in the Mokoloki community of Ogun State. The project demonstrates a tripartite business model involving a utility, a private developer, and the community to provide reliable electricity in areas that are technically grid-connected but underserved.

This briefing paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes Green Climate Fund (GCF) funding proposals from 2015 to July 2018 to evaluate the extent of financial support directed toward energy access, particularly in high-impact and low-income countries.

This report, published by the Alliance for Renewable Electrification (ARE) in April 2020, outlines a roadmap to ensure the survival and growth of the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the crisis threatens the viability of DRE companies and the delivery of electricity to rural communities, potentially hindering the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) by 2030. The document provides specific financial, political, and technical recommendations for governments, donors, and charities to protect the sector and leverage the crisis to accelerate universal electrification.

The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) issued a call to action in April 2020 to protect the decentralised renewable energy (DRE) sector from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report argues that the sector is critical for achieving universal electricity by 2030 and proposes a series of financial, policy, and technical interventions to prevent sector collapse and accelerate sustainable electrification.

This briefing paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the Green Climate Fund's (GCF) allocation of energy finance between 2015 and July 2018. It finds that the GCF significantly underfunds energy access projects compared to large-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, and that funding largely bypasses 'high-impact' countries and low-income nations most in need of energy access.

This knowledge brief from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), produced in support of the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP), examines the challenges and opportunities associated with financing sustainable cooling solutions across diverse user needs.

This report synthesizes lessons from six country case studies to provide recommendations for designing 'Energy Safety Nets'—social assistance mechanisms intended to ensure the poorest populations can afford both the initial connection to and the ongoing consumption of modern energy services to meet SDG7 goals by 2030.

This report chapter from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) analyzes development finance for energy projects with gender equality objectives between 2008 and 2018. It highlights a significant gap between general development finance and energy-specific finance targeting gender equality, identifies methodological failures in current tracking systems, and proposes a new framework for reporting and measuring gender-focused energy outcomes.

This 2020 report by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) analyzes the gap between financial commitments and actual disbursements for energy access in High-Impact Countries (HICs). Using OECD Creditor Reporting System (CRS) data, it evaluates the efficiency of development financing for electricity and clean cooking, identifying systemic delays and project design flaws that hinder the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the interactions between the bioeconomy and the rapid growth of electrification technologies, such as solar PV, wind, and batteries. It categorizes these interactions as competitive, complementary, or synergistic, arguing that while electrification may disrupt some biofuel markets, it also provides opportunities for decarbonizing heavy industry and improving agricultural value chains in low-income countries.

This executive summary from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the interactions between the bioeconomy—defined as sectors based on biomass production and processing—and the rapid cost reductions and deployment of variable renewable energy (VRE), specifically solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, and lithium-ion batteries. The document categorizes these interactions as competitive, complementary, or synergistic, arguing that bioeconomy policy must be designed to integrate with and benefit from electrification to achieve deep decarbonization.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the fiscal burden and distributional efficiency of electricity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidies in India. It identifies significant knowledge gaps due to outdated census data and proposes various targeting mechanisms—including volumetric, categorical, and income-based approaches—to ensure subsidies reach the poorest households without compromising energy access.

The 2019 Energizing Finance report by Climate Policy Initiative and Sustainable Energy for All analyzes finance commitments for electrification and clean cooking in 20 high-impact countries (HICs). It finds that current investment levels are severely insufficient to meet Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, and highlights a critical funding gap for clean cooking and a continued, though slightly declining, reliance on fossil fuel investments.

The executive summary of the 'Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2019' report analyzes sustainable energy finance from 2013 to 2017, highlighting significant funding gaps for electricity and clean cooking access, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the continued investment in fossil fuels.

This case study describes Smiling Through Light, a social enterprise founded by Mariama Kamara to increase electricity access in Sierra Leone through a women-led business model that trains local women as solar technology entrepreneurs.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes development finance for energy sectors in 37 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) between 2002 and 2016, utilizing data from the OECD Development Assistance Committee and the World Bank.

This case study profiles Kivu Green Energy (KGE), a recipient of the "Energy Access Booster" award, and its efforts to address severe energy deficits in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through the deployment of solar-based mini-grids.