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The report tracks the shift in China-Africa energy cooperation from large-scale infrastructure and thermal power projects toward 'small and beautiful' green initiatives. It highlights a growing alignment between China's commitment to stop funding overseas coal-fired projects and Africa's strategic priorities for climate finance, renewable energy access, and resilient infrastructure. While China offers technological and financial aid, the report notes that some African priorities, such as critical minerals, remain insufficiently addressed.

The report identifies Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia as high-impact regions for clean energy investment, with a subset of eight countries offering over USD 360bn in potential by 2030. It argues that while clean energy costs are falling, private investment is hindered by off-taker, currency, and policy risks. The authors recommend shifting blended finance from covering viability gaps to providing risk-mitigation instruments like guarantees and local currency hedging, and creating liquid, tradable assets through securitization to attract institutional investors.

The document argues that zero carbon buildings (ZCBs) are attainable globally through various policy pathways focused on operational carbon emissions. It emphasizes the leadership role of cities and suggests that ZCB goals are more achievable when definitions expand beyond individual building boundaries to include off-site clean energy or portfolio-wide considerations. The research utilizes policy reviews and stakeholder consultations from India, China, Mexico, and Kenya to demonstrate that feasible ZCB pathways exist across diverse national and subnational policy contexts.

Africa's green transition is projected to generate between 3.8 and 7.9 million jobs by 2030, rising to 65.9–84.5 million by 2050. The report argues that this growth will be service-led and decentralized, with indirect roles—such as installation, distribution, and maintenance—accounting for 56% of employment by 2030. Clean cooking is identified as the largest green value chain by 2030. However, the report highlights significant structural inequalities: 86% of 2030 green jobs are projected to be informal, and women remain concentrated in low-value roles despite high participation in sectors like clean cooking. The analysis of South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya reveals diverse transition architectures, ranging from South Africa's formal, utility-scale model to Nigeria's nano-enterprise-driven decentralized approach. Key recommendations include directing finance toward service-led value chains, reforming TVET systems through modular programs, and extending social protection to informal workers via mobile platforms.

The research explores the application of service design in the Global South, using case studies in Kenya and Uganda to demonstrate how human-centred tools can address multidimensional poverty and complex social-ecological systems. It proposes a conceptual framework bridging service design with the capabilities approach to better align interventions with local contexts and normative development goals.

The document outlines the pathway for establishing renewable energy manufacturing in Kenya, highlighting the country's goal of Net Zero by 2050 and projected near-term investment opportunities of USD 600 billion. It provides a step-by-step guide for OEMs to incorporate legal entities, secure permits from authorities like NEMA and EPRA, and leverage Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export Processing Zones (EPZs) for fiscal incentives. Specific policy landscapes and VAT exemptions are detailed for solar PV, batteries, and electric mobility, while identifying key government agencies such as MITI, KenInvest, and SEZA that facilitate green industrial growth.

The report details SEforALL's efforts over a 100-day period to accelerate the clean energy transition. Key activities include the launch of the 'Be Bold' campaign, coordination of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy and its Energy Compacts, and supporting the COP26 Energy Transition Council. The organization also highlights research on sustainable cooling, a youth summit, and specific technical assistance for energy access in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, alongside a new healthcare electrification partnership with USAID and Power Africa.

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 document examines CFL exchange programmes in Ghana and Kenya, finding that while they achieved immediate technical goals—such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and peak electricity demand—they often overlooked opportunities to build indigenous technological capabilities. In Ghana, a 2007 GEF-funded programme distributed 6 million CFLs, reducing peak demand by 128 MW and saving approximately USD 33 million annually. In Kenya, the 'Badilisha Bulb' programme distributed 1.25 million CFLs, reducing CO2 emissions by 55,000 tonnes per annum. The author argues that for long-term low-carbon development, policymakers should move beyond the simple distribution of finished goods toward building local manufacturing capabilities and implementing robust performance standards to prevent the market from being flooded with low-quality imports.

The document identifies three primary barriers to green investment in developing countries: risk gaps (policy, technology, financial, and sovereign), viability gaps (access to finance and high costs), and knowledge gaps. It argues that while sufficient global capital exists, public policy and finance must be better targeted to unlock it. The briefing provides case studies on fiscal policy adjustments in Indonesia to promote sustainable land use, the use of public-private partnerships and government guarantees to develop geothermal power in Kenya, and various innovative instruments developed through the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance, such as Energy Savings Insurance and FX hedging facilities.

Kiri EV, founded in 2020 by Chris Maara, develops electric motorcycles and tuk-tuks tailored for African roads, aiming to reduce fuel and operational costs by 40% to 60%. The company overcame early challenges including unsuitable imports from India and China, a lack of skilled local talent, and regulatory gaps in Kenya where EVs were sometimes classified as toys. Funding was secured through personal savings, grants from the Siemens Foundation and the Kenya Climate Innovation Center, and support from develoPPP Ventures and DEG Impulse. Kiri EV focuses on youth empowerment, recruiting fresh graduates and T-VET students to bridge the skills gap and providing training to 1,600 individuals. The founder advocates for industry-friendly regulations, increased local African investment, and structural protections for local entrepreneurs against foreign competition.

The 'Three Ps' framework (Principles, Policies and laws, and Practicalities) outlines a community-centric approach to the Just Energy Transition in Africa. It argues that for a transition to be truly 'just,' it must move beyond simple decarbonization to address historical injustices, ensure energy democracy, and protect the land and human rights of local communities. The guide emphasizes the necessity of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), the implementation of community-owned renewable energy (CORE) models, and the provision of climate finance in the form of grants rather than loans to avoid further debt for Global South countries.

FSD Africa defines 'sustainable futures' as a framework ensuring current interventions do not adversely affect future generations or other groups, emphasizing a 'just transition' and the preservation of five types of capital: financial, manufactured, human, social, and natural. The organization assesses its projects through two lenses: the impact of interventions on these capitals and the dependency of project success on a stable enabling environment. To measure progress, FSD Africa utilizes a mix of country-level macro indicators (such as the Gender Inequity Index and Corruption Perception Index), social impact indicators, and market system change metrics, specifically tracking 'Green finance mobilised'. Practical examples of this approach include facilitating over £100m in Green Bonds in Nigeria and £35.3million for green student accommodation in Kenya.

The document analyzes Nigeria's transport sector, which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels and accounts for 24% of national GHG emissions. It evaluates current policies, emerging green initiatives like the P-CNGI and Lagos E-Mobility Project, and provides recommendations for integrating climate action into national transport planning, drawing on lessons from Ethiopia and Kenya.

The paper examines the transformation of German-African energy relations, moving from a focus on energy poverty and development aid to a complex mix of energy diplomacy, strategic resource interests, and hydrogen technology. It highlights a tension between 'green objectives' (renewables) and 'fossilist objectives' (LNG imports), while warning against 'energy colonialism' in large-scale projects. The author advocates for a transition toward 'energy justice' and a value-chain approach to hydrogen to ensure equitable benefits for African nations.

The document examines how COVID-19 transitioned from a health crisis to a systemic human development crisis in Africa, highlighting the severe economic contraction faced by energy exporters and tourism-dependent nations. It notes that while developed economies initially bore a higher infection burden, the economic downturn is universal, potentially triggering debt crises and defaults. However, the report suggests the pandemic could accelerate digitisation and a transition toward a sustainable economy powered by renewable energy.

Africa's nitrogen fertilizer consumption is 5.5x below the global average, leaving 50 million small family farmers at a disadvantage due to high costs and price volatility of imported 'gray' fertilizers. The report argues that Distributed Green Ammonia (DGA) production—which is modular, smaller, and compatible with intermittent renewable energy—can provide a cheaper, more resilient local supply. It highlights emerging technologies such as novel Haber-Bosch systems, plasma catalysis, chemical looping, and direct electrochemical conversion. A commercial modular plant by TalusAg in Naivasha, Kenya, is cited as a proof of concept producing fertilizer over 50% cheaper than imports. Scaling these solutions requires cheap clean electricity, demand aggregation through partners like One Acre Fund, and access to local currency debt to mitigate currency volatility.

The paper analyzes the shift in German-African energy relations from a focus on development aid to a complex mix of energy diplomacy, foreign policy, and technical cooperation. It highlights a tension between Germany's goals for a green transition (including hydrogen partnerships) and its strategic interests in diversifying fossil fuel imports. The author critiques 'energy colonialism' and the financialization of projects, recommending that future cooperation be grounded in 'energy justice' and a value-chain approach to ensure local benefits and social standards.

The report outlines the strategic positions of African nations and multilateral structures at COP28, emphasizing the Nairobi Declaration and the AU's Climate Change and Resilient Strategy and Action Plan. It details the leadership of specific countries in areas such as green hydrogen (Morocco, Kenya), critical minerals (Namibia), and forest restoration (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Republic of Congo), while analyzing the influence of negotiating blocs like the G77 and China, BASIC, and the LDC group in securing climate finance and adaptation support.

The report examines the land-use intensity of various renewable energy sources and proposes dual-land-use systems—such as agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics—to mitigate land degradation and enhance biodiversity and food security. It emphasizes the need for cross-sectoral policy coordination, inclusive governance, and targeted finance to ensure the energy transition does not compromise land health or local livelihoods.