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The report highlights a significant global energy gap in healthcare, with an estimated 1 billion people lacking reliable power at local facilities. While electrification initiatives grew by 47% annually between 2018 and 2021, the sector faces a USD 4.9 billion investment gap, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The analysis advocates for a shift from grant-based Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) models to long-term service-based models like Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to ensure sustainable operations and maintenance.

The report identifies a significant global gap in healthcare electrification, with an estimated 1 billion people lacking reliable power at local facilities and a total investment need of USD 4.9 billion. While solar PV systems dominate current initiatives, the report argues for a shift from short-term procurement models (EPC) to long-term service-based models (ESCO) to ensure sustainable operation and maintenance (O&M). Key recommendations include developing country-specific taxonomies, enhancing inter-sectoral coordination between health and energy ministries, and leveraging climate finance and decentralized renewable energy certificates (D-RECs) to bridge the funding gap.

SEforALL reports significant progress in 2024, including the mobilization of USD 1.4 trillion in commitments through Energy Compacts and the facilitation of a USD 2 billion commitment for Mission 300 in Nigeria. The organization expanded electricity access for 48 million people in 2024 and advanced national energy policies in Kenya, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, while promoting sustainable cooling and clean cooking initiatives.

The report reveals a decline in international public finance for energy access, with electricity commitments peaking in 2018 and clean cooking funding showing extreme volatility. Significant regional and developmental disparities exist, with a heavy concentration of funds in a few countries like India, China, and Bangladesh, and a predominance of debt-based financing over grants. Case studies of Bangladesh and Kenya highlight that while both achieved significant access gains through concerted policy and financial efforts, they face ongoing challenges with system inefficiency and affordability.

SEforALL's 2024–2026 Strategic Plan focuses on achieving SDG7 and the Paris Agreement goals by operating at the nexus of energy, climate, and development. The strategy is built on three pillars: global advocacy to drive political and financial commitments, the development of scalable solutions and platforms to address systemic bottlenecks, and tailored in-country support to build national capacity. Cross-cutting priorities include clean cooking, gender and youth empowerment, and data intelligence. The organization estimates a total budgetary need of approximately USD 132 million over the three-year period, with annual resource needs growing by 20% to over USD 48 million.

The global mini-grid market has seen significant growth, with installations in 2024 projected to be six times higher than in 2018. There is a clear transition from diesel to solar PV, with solar's share of installed capacity rising from 14% in 2018 to 59% in 2024. While funding has increased—with total committed funding for ongoing programmes exceeding USD 3.1 billion—a significant financing gap remains, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The sector is shifting toward Productive Use of Energy (PUE) business models and innovative technologies like mesh grids and lithium-ion batteries to improve financial viability. However, the report notes that regulatory implementation often lags behind formal policy, and there is a critical need for standardized reporting and better data sharing to attract private investment.

The 2024 State of the Global Mini-Grids Market report highlights a significant expansion of the sector, with installations increasing six-fold since 2018. It documents a transition from diesel-heavy systems to solar photovoltaic (PV) and lithium-ion battery storage, driven by a 90% drop in solar panel costs over the last decade. The report emphasizes the shift toward Productive Use of Energy (PUE) to ensure financial viability and the emergence of innovative models like mesh grids for low-density areas. While total committed funding has exceeded 3.1 billion USD, the report identifies a persistent financing gap and slow disbursement rates, averaging 57% as of March 2024. It recommends the adoption of integrated energy planning, standardized regulatory tools, and a greater focus on local developers to achieve universal electricity access by 2030.

The 2024 Global State of the Mini-Grid Market report highlights a significant expansion in mini-grid installations, with a marked shift from diesel to solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity. It identifies a substantial funding gap despite an increase in total authorized funding to over 3.1 billion USD. The document emphasizes the transition toward integrated energy planning, the importance of Productive Use of Energy (PUE) for financial viability, and the role of digital tools in reducing operational and development costs. It provides detailed case studies on Sierra Leone, India, and Kenya to illustrate diverse regulatory and economic approaches.

The Energy Progress Report 2024 reveals that the world is not on track to achieve any of the 2030 targets for SDG 7. While 91% of the global population has electricity access, progress reversed in 2022, leaving 685.2 million people without power, with 83% of the deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa. Clean cooking access stands at 74%, but 2.1 billion people still rely on polluting fuels. Renewable energy's share in total final energy consumption was 18.7% in 2021, and global energy intensity improved by only 0.8% in 2021, far below the 2.6% target. International public financial flows to developing countries rebounded to USD 15.4 billion in 2022 but remain well below the 2016 peak of USD 28.5 billion.

The report argues that while healthcare facilities in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa face severe energy deficits and climate vulnerabilities, there is a strong climate rationale for investing in low-carbon and resilient technologies. It identifies various climate finance sources—including bilateral finance, multilateral funds, private foundations, carbon/REC markets, and green bonds—and analyzes the barriers to accessing these funds, such as high transaction costs for small-scale projects and limited local technical capacity. The document proposes a programmatic approach to aggregate facilities to achieve economies of scale and recommends integrating energy, health, and climate expertise to mobilize the necessary capital.

The report argues that while healthcare facilities in LMICs face significant energy deficits and climate vulnerabilities, climate finance can bridge the funding gap for low-carbon and resilient infrastructure. It identifies US$ 4.9 billion as the requirement to electrify two-thirds of healthcare facilities across 63 countries. The document outlines a diverse landscape of finance sources—including bilateral, multilateral, and carbon markets—and provides a roadmap for non-governmental partners to overcome barriers such as high upfront costs and limited local capacity.

The document argues that energy efficiency is essential for climate and development goals and can be accelerated by shifting individual and business decision-making through positive, emotion-based narratives. It outlines a framework for communication based on four pillars: empowering people, fostering positive emotional connections, recognizing champions, and innovating communication channels. The compendium utilizes case studies from G20 countries across sectors including buildings, industry, and transport to share lessons for global energy-efficiency actions.

The report argues that empowering consumers to manage their energy demand and production can shift approximately 900 TWh—about 27% of global residential electricity consumption—away from fossil fuels. It categorizes empowerment solutions into supply-side (e.g., 24/7 PPAs, energy cooperatives, P2P trading), demand-side (e.g., time-of-use tariffs, on-bill schemes), and data-based (e.g., smart meters, granular energy certificates) interventions. The document emphasizes that the path to 24/7 CFE varies by country maturity, dividing nations into 'Potential', 'Progressive', 'Aspirer', and 'Frontier' archetypes, each requiring different policy 'recipes' to overcome barriers such as low smart meter penetration and restrictive electricity market regulations.

The report identifies a significant investment gap in health facility electrification across seven priority markets, estimating a total need of $2.6 billion, with $1.4 billion for public and $1.2 billion for private facilities. It argues that the current dominance of donor-funded 'Design, Build, Operate, Transfer' (BOT) models is unsustainable due to a lack of funding for ongoing operation and maintenance (O&M). The analysis suggests a shift toward 'Energy as a Service' (EaaS) models, which would require new financial de-risking instruments—such as sovereign credit guarantees, liquidity pools, and performance-linked grants—to attract private capital and ensure long-term sustainability.

The report examines the potential for Southeast Asia to develop manufacturing capabilities in solar PV, batteries, and electric two-wheelers. It highlights the region's high vulnerability to climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% to 25% by 2030 to align with a 1.5°C pathway. The development of local low-carbon mobility and clean power manufacturing could generate USD 90 billion to USD 100 billion in revenues by 2030 and create 6 million jobs by 2050.

Nigeria faces a significant cooling access gap, with 53 percent of its population at high risk from high temperatures. To address this, the country is implementing sustainable cooling initiatives, including the 2017 Nigeria Building Energy Efficiency Code, which prioritizes passive design and efficient building systems to reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Strategic Plan argues that current energy efficiency efforts are insufficient to meet global climate targets and calls for a doubling of the rate of energy intensity improvement and a tripling of annual end-use energy efficiency investments by 2030. It outlines five pillars for progress: buildings, industry, transport, financing, and behavioral changes, emphasizing international cooperation between the G20 and Global South countries. The plan aligns with the G20 New Delhi Leader Declaration and a Voluntary Action Plan to double the global rate of energy efficiency improvement within the decade.

The Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), co-led by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and The Rockefeller Foundation, aims to scale voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) in Africa. Launched at COP27, the initiative focuses on directing international finance toward renewable energy, forestry, agriculture, e-mobility, and clean cooking to support decarbonization and green job creation. The ACMI roadmap includes 13 Action Programmes targeting supply, standards, intermediation, financing, and demand. As of April 2023, the initiative has secured approximately USD 200 million in Advance Market Commitments, with a target of USD 1 billion by COP28. Implementation efforts include the development of national Carbon Market Activation Plans (CMAPs) for Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Ghana, as well as the digitization of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) processes and the creation of national carbon registries.

The Malawi Integrated Energy Planning (IEP) Tool, developed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and the Malawian government, provides geospatial analytics and modelling to optimize energy investments. The tool identifies the most cost-effective technologies—including grid expansion, mini-grids, and solar home systems—to address Malawi's low electrification rate (15%) and clean cooking access (1%). A specific module for health-facility electrification has already informed GIZ's installation of solar-battery systems at 93 health facilities.

The Universal Energy Facility (UEF), managed by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), launched the 'Stand-Alone Solar for Productive Use' (SSPU) programme in Nigeria in 2022. This results-based financing (RBF) initiative provides grants to renewable energy companies to deploy solar and storage solutions for businesses and households, aiming to displace polluting generators. An initial USD 10 million in funding was allocated to ten companies to provide over 3,500 electricity connections. The programme seeks to improve energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and foster economic productivity by lowering the up-front costs of solar installation.