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The report analyzes the mini-grid sectors in Sierra Leone and Nigeria, focusing on regulatory frameworks, tariff structures, subsidies, and the productive use of energy (PUE). It highlights that while Sierra Leone has established a regulatory framework, its market is nascent and characterized by a top-down, donor-funded approach, whereas Nigeria has a more mature, private-sector-led market. Key findings emphasize the need for Sierra Leone to shift toward a bottom-up approach, implement results-based financing (RBF), and integrate PUE to improve the commercial viability of mini-grids and reduce end-user tariffs.

The document analyzes how gender norms, poverty, and social structures exacerbate the vulnerabilities of women and girls to heat stress and limit their access to cooling services. It highlights specific risks in healthcare, domestic labor, and agriculture, while calling for sex-disaggregated data and gender-transformative policies to achieve universal sustainable cooling.

The report assesses the mini-grid sectors in Sierra Leone and Nigeria, focusing on regulatory frameworks, tariffs, subsidies, and productive use of electricity (PUE). It highlights that Sierra Leone's mini-grid tariffs (averaging USD 0.79/kWh) are higher than Nigeria's (averaging USD 0.58/kWh) due to differences in market scale, planning approaches, and household income. The document recommends that Sierra Leone adopt a long-term national strategy, streamline import duty exemptions, and implement a hybrid up-front cash grant/results-based financing (RBF) subsidy scheme to lower costs and attract private investment.

The report argues that achieving economies of scale in Nigeria's solar sector requires a transition from accelerated importation to local assembly and eventually local manufacturing. It identifies that approximately 7 million Nigerian households are ready for immediate solar home system (SHS) deployment based on geospatial data. The analysis demonstrates that combining four key enablers—import tariff waivers, reduced cost of debt, increased plant capacity, and product subsidies—could reduce SHS prices by 34% and increase the number of households able to afford these systems by 288%.

The report argues that current cooling finance datasets are fragmented and lack the granularity needed to evaluate investment patterns against global needs. To resolve this, it introduces a code-tagging system that categorizes transactions across four dimensions: cooling orientation, climate orientation, solution type, and purpose. The framework aims to move beyond simple equipment sales data to include passive cooling, policy, and service-based investments, ultimately informing targeted investment strategies to meet Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement targets.

Cooling access gaps for the rural and urban poor grew across all analyzed regions in 2021. In Africa, 776 million people across 31 high-impact countries face cooling challenges, with 215 million urban poor at highest risk. In Asia and the Middle East, the population at highest risk rose to 645 million in 2021, with significant rural poor increases in India and Bangladesh. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of people at highest risk in six high-impact countries reached 48.8 million, with the majority being the urban poor.

The document details the socio-economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the logistical barriers to achieving global herd immunity. It highlights that the extreme cold-storage requirements of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines created significant accessibility gaps for countries lacking advanced cold-chain infrastructure, citing India as a specific example where the cost and scale of required equipment would be prohibitive.

In 2021, 1.09 billion people in 54 high-impact countries were at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling, an increase of 50 million compared to 2020. This growth is attributed to the combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed millions into extreme poverty, and increasing global temperatures. Additionally, 2.34 billion lower-middle income people are identified as a risk to energy systems and GHG emissions because they are likely to purchase inefficient cooling devices due to price sensitivity.

The report estimates that achieving universal Tier 1 electricity and Tier 4 clean cooking access in Ghana, Mozambique, and Vietnam will cost between USD 38 billion and 48 billion by 2030. It identifies a significant finance gap, noting that current commitments are far below the required levels, particularly for clean cooking. The analysis highlights that while standalone solar is a primary pathway for electricity in rural areas, mini-grids are hindered by regulatory uncertainty. The report recommends a combination of results-based financing, demand-side subsidies, and the removal of fiscal barriers like VAT on solar equipment to bridge the affordability gap for low-income households.

The report finds that energy finance in high-impact countries (HICs) is critically insufficient to meet SDG7 targets. In 2019, tracked electricity finance in HICs fell to USD 32 billion, with residential access funding at only one-third of the required annual investment. Clean cooking investment has stagnated around USD 130 million annually, far below the USD 4.5 billion needed. While there is a positive shift away from fossil fuel electricity generation and an increase in private finance for clean cooking, significant gaps remain, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report advocates for increased climate resilience in infrastructure, the scaling of decentralized energy solutions, and the integration of clean cooking into national climate policies and NDCs.

The SEforALL 2021-2023 business plan focuses on achieving SDG7 through a framework of 'COMMIT, CONNECT, CREATE' to drive energy transitions and access. The strategy emphasizes data-driven implementation, interdisciplinary integration between public and private sectors, and the mobilization of finance flows to ensure affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all.

The document analyzes Ghana's progress toward SDG7, noting that while electricity access is on track to reach 97% by 2030 under business-as-usual (BAU) scenarios, clean cooking access remains low. Achieving universal Tier 1 electricity access requires an additional USD 22 million, whereas universal Tier 4 clean cooking access requires between USD 10 billion and USD 13 billion. Key barriers include customer affordability, last-mile delivery challenges, and limited private sector finance for local energy enterprises.

Vietnam faces a funding gap to reach universal clean cooking by 2030, with an estimated 5.9 to 13.7 million households likely to remain without access under business-as-usual scenarios. Achieving Tier 4 access (clean fuels like LPG, ethanol, and electric cooking) would require USD 19-22 billion, while universal access to Tier 2/Tier 3 improved cookstoves (ICS) requires USD 183 million. Key barriers include limited private sector finance for ICS enterprises, high distribution costs for last-mile delivery to ethnic minorities, and affordability gaps for approximately 1.3 million households. The document recommends expanding consumer finance, creating a national carbon credit scheme, and providing USD 143 million in private sector finance for ICS.

SEforALL's 100 Days Report details its leadership in planning the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy and COP26, its research on chronic underinvestment in energy finance, and its country-level support for energy access and COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Africa and South Asia.

The report identifies that 1.12 billion people across 76 countries are at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling, with the COVID-19 pandemic increasing this number by approximately 50 million in 2021. It highlights critical gaps in rural and urban poor populations, particularly in Africa and Asia, and examines the urgent need for sustainable cold chains for vaccine distribution. The document also promotes National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs) and showcases passive and solar-powered cooling solutions in countries like Colombia, Rwanda, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.

The report finds that global investment for energy access is critically insufficient. Finance for electricity in HICs fell to USD 32 billion in 2019, with residential access receiving only USD 12.9 billion—less than one-third of the estimated USD 41 billion annual need. Clean cooking investment has stagnated around USD 130 million annually, far below the USD 4.5 billion required. While renewables saw record highs and fossil fuel finance declined in some areas, significant gaps remain, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Case studies in Mozambique, Ghana, and Vietnam highlight the need for climate-resilient infrastructure and diversified technological approaches to clean cooking.

The report analyzes the finance gaps for universal electricity and clean cooking access in Ghana, Mozambique, and Vietnam. It finds that achieving universal Tier 1 electricity and Tier 4 clean cooking access across these three countries will cost between USD 38 billion and 48 billion. The study highlights significant affordability gaps for end-users and a lack of private sector finance, particularly for small and medium enterprises. It recommends a blend of grants, concessional debt, equity, and results-based financing (RBF), alongside regulatory reforms and gender-inclusive policies, to unlock private sector capacity and reach the most vulnerable populations.

The 2021 Annual Monitoring Review details SEforALL's efforts to accelerate universal energy access and a just energy transition. Key achievements include the coordination of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE), which articulated over USD 600 billion in finance through more than 200 Energy Compacts. The organization provided targeted support to 27 countries, with significant focus on Nigeria, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. While the COVID-19 pandemic delayed some deliverables and funding for certain programmes, SEforALL reported progress in electrifying 265 healthcare facilities and leveraging USD 216.9 million for sustainable cooling. The report also highlights the 'Women at the Forefront' initiative, which provided technical training to 100 women in Kenya.

The SEforALL Virtual Youth Summit (9-11 February 2021) engaged 2,343 registered participants from 134 countries to promote Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7). The event featured high-level dialogues on the energy transition, a competition for youth-led energy innovations, and virtual fairs connecting youth to academic and career opportunities. Key outcomes included youth recommendations for the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy and COP26, emphasizing the need for direct youth engagement in policy documentation and national delegations.

The guide addresses the energy access gaps in South Asia, noting that the pandemic threatens to reverse development progress and increase extreme poverty. It emphasizes the need for improved electricity and clean cooking access across the region, with the exception of Bhutan and the Maldives, to ensure a sustainable recovery.