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Kenya faces significant cooling gaps, with millions of people in hot regions at risk due to poverty and lack of electricity. While the country has a high share of renewable energy, the growth of refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) threatens to increase emissions, necessitating a transition to sustainable cooling to align with Net Zero 2050 goals.

The document analyzes energy transition policies in 34 African countries, categorizing them as direct, integrative, or enabling. It identifies a trend toward market-oriented regimes using auction instruments and de-risking tools, while highlighting that only a few countries—including South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Mauritius, Ethiopia, and Egypt—effectively integrate energy justice (distributive, recognitional, and procedural) into their frameworks. The authors warn against over-reliance on market forces and recommend that AU-EU cooperation prioritize energy justice criteria, capacity building, and regional partnerships to ensure a just transition.

The report evaluates Kenya's development prospects to 2040, highlighting a contrast between strong human capital (health and education) and a significant deficit in core infrastructure (water and sanitation). While Kenya is a regional leader in ICT and renewable energy, it faces challenges from a large youth bulge, corruption, and climate-driven food insecurity. The report presents three scenarios: 'Stuck in Traffic' (current path), 'Tuko Kazi' (positive interventions), and 'Bila Hopes' (stagnation and instability).

The report assesses Kenya's cooling landscape, highlighting that 9.6 million people are at high risk due to lack of cooling access. It identifies critical needs in agriculture, where 40% of food is lost annually, and healthcare, where electricity gaps hinder vaccine cold chains. To mitigate these issues and align with the Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP) 2023-2050, the document recommends eight policy interventions, including the adoption of passive cooling, stricter Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPs), and the phase-out of HFC refrigerants. It also proposes financial strategies such as green bonds and blended finance to overcome high upfront costs for sustainable cooling technologies.

The document argues that public funds alone cannot meet Africa's growing energy demands, which require an estimated $120 billion annual investment until 2040. It advocates for 'green financing'—blending public and private capital—to overcome high infrastructure costs and investment risks. Using Kenya's experience, the brief details how instruments like Partial Risk Guarantees, concessional loans, and Feed-in Tariffs have attracted private investment for wind, solar, and geothermal projects. It specifically recommends that the EU and development partners provide technical assistance and risk-mitigation products to create enabling environments for private sector energy investments across the continent.

The document describes a participatory research project in Kitulu, Kenya, where community members used backcasting to imagine a 2030 scenario of universal electric cooking. Participants linked electric cooking to broader development gains, such as improved infrastructure and food security, while emphasizing a stepwise transition through 'stacking' different cooking technologies. The study highlights the importance of building community social capacity and civic engagement to demand public services and manage the transition.

The document argues for a comprehensive AU-EU partnership that integrates the green transition with Africa's broader developmental goals, such as industrialisation and employment. It highlights the critical gap in energy access—with 600 million Africans lacking electricity as of 2018—and the underutilisation of Africa's solar resources. The authors recommend using public finance to de-risk private investment in renewables and addressing 'nexus issues' linking energy to agriculture, the digital economy, and trade. It also notes the tension in countries like Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Mozambique, which are pursuing renewable energy while continuing to develop fossil fuel reserves.

The report identifies Kenya as a pivotal East African economic powerhouse with the potential for a 685% GDP increase by 2043 under a Combined scenario. It argues that implementing eight sectoral interventions could raise GDP per capita to US$10,950 and reduce extreme poverty from 64.6% in 2019 to 6.4% by 2043. To ensure sustainable and equitable growth, the document recommends strengthening anti-corruption efforts, expanding education and healthcare, investing in modern irrigation, and accelerating the transition to renewable energy through geothermal, solar, and wind projects.

The document outlines the financial requirements for Kenya's transition to a low-carbon economy, estimating that Ksh 1,085 billion is needed for the 2013-2017 National Climate Change Action Plan. It identifies key barriers to private investment, such as arduous project development processes, and suggests improvements including the implementation of the draft Climate Change Bill 2014. While Kenya has a strong track record in renewable energy investment and voluntary carbon markets, the briefing warns that compliance carbon markets are currently limited by oversupply and lack of access to the EU-ETS. It lists several domestic and international funding mechanisms available to Kenyan businesses for clean technology and energy efficiency.

The document argues that the global transition to renewable energy, specifically wind and solar, frequently results in 'green colonialism' where Indigenous rights to self-determination and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) are ignored. It documents human rights violations and land-grabbing in countries such as Kenya, Norway, Colombia, and Mexico, noting that Indigenous communities often respond through litigation, protest, and efforts to secure project ownership. The authors recommend the formal recognition of Indigenous rights, the strict application of FPIC, the implementation of Indigenous-led environmental impact assessments, and the promotion of Indigenous ownership to ensure a just transition.

A 64 kWp solar PV system with 92 kWh of battery storage installed by Burhani Solar at a school in Mombasa, Kenya, now supplies approximately 95% of the facility's electricity. The project has reduced operating costs, mitigated the impact of utility outages, and lowered the institution's carbon footprint.

Burhani Solar installed four off-grid solar PV systems (three 7 kW and one 16 kW) with lithium battery storage for Beach Management Units in Kenya. Funded by the European Union as part of the Go Blue Programme, the project provides reliable power for cold chain infrastructure, water purification, and solar lanterns for women fish traders, transitioning operations from diesel to 100% renewable energy.

The text examines Kenya's energy transition, focusing on the shift toward private-sector participation in the geothermal power sector and the effort to modernize the cooking sector to increase the sustainability of charcoal use.

The document examines the barriers to expanding geothermal energy in Kenya, noting that while the resource is abundant and central to the country's climate goals, development is slowed by high upfront exploration costs and infrastructure expenses. It highlights political risks such as the financial viability of the offtaker, Kenya Power, and bureaucratic tensions between national and county governments. Socially, the report identifies community opposition due to land relocation and the uneven distribution of benefits, where marginalized local populations bear the environmental and social costs while urban centers and elites receive the energy benefits. It concludes that for geothermal expansion to be sustainable, the government must better mitigate these risks and ensure equitable benefit-sharing.

The document analyzes the charcoal value chain in Kenya, highlighting the tension between high biomass energy demand and forest loss. It evaluates the role of Charcoal Producer Associations (CPAs) and the potential for improved kiln and stove technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The brief advocates for a coordinated policy approach, including the implementation of a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), to transition the sector from an informal, inefficient state to a regulated, sustainable industry that contributes to Kenya's Paris Agreement commitments.

The fact sheet introduces 'transition indicators' as a tool to improve the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions and national adaptation plans. Based on case studies from seven countries, the document asserts that focusing on a few tangible metrics per sector—rather than abstract CO2 targets—facilitates public dialogue, guides policy implementation, and attracts private investment. It provides specific examples of indicators for water security in India, industrial decarbonization in Germany, transport in South Korea, buildings in China, renewable energy in the Netherlands, and sustainable agriculture in Kenya and Indonesia.

The study evaluates six electricity generation scenarios for Kenya (2010-2040), finding that the 'Full Renewables' (FRE) and 'UN Agenda 2030 SDGs' (SDGs 2) scenarios offer the highest greenhouse gas abatement and lowest health impacts at the lowest costs. Under the SDGs and AU scenarios, GHG emissions are projected to be 99.7% and 97.6% lower, respectively, than the Vision 2030+Least Cost Power Development Plan (VLCPDP).

The document advocates for integrating agroecology into the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus to transform African food systems from industrial, extractive models to resilient, equitable ones. It highlights that while agroecology offers a science-based alternative, it is often fragmented and underfunded. The authors propose that philanthropic organisations, due to their risk tolerance and flexibility, can bridge these gaps by funding policy integration, capacity building, and research. The brief outlines the multi-scalar benefits of the WEF nexus—from the farm to the regional level—and provides case studies from Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda to demonstrate the efficacy of integrated resource management, such as solar-powered irrigation, in enhancing climate resilience.

The report identifies a significant financing gap in Kenya's climate response, noting that while renewable energy is well-funded, adaptation sectors like water, forestry, and food security are underserved. To address this, it proposes three market-based instruments: the African Conservancies Fund (ACF) for wildlife and tourism, the Chyulu Hills Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) for watershed protection, and the Green Village Savings and Loans Association (GVSLA) for community-level resilience. The document emphasizes the role of blended finance and concessional funding in the early stages of these projects to mitigate risk and attract private investors.

The report examines several green energy initiatives across Africa, highlighting a recurring failure to conduct meaningful public consultation and respect land rights. Through case studies on green hydrogen in South Africa and Namibia, nuclear and geothermal power in Kenya, and wind energy in Kenya, the document demonstrates how 'green' labels are often used to bypass human rights standards. It concludes with recommendations for international financiers and states to mandate human rights targets and prioritize the rights of Indigenous peoples and marginalized communities in the Just Energy Transition.