Energy
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Aligning SDG 7 with NDCs
Aligning SDG 7 with NDCs 1600 900 Jamie

Powering Climate Action: Aligning Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

On the 21st of August 2025, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) together with the Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access Project (GGE-EA), funded with UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform (TEA), and the African Association for Rural Electrification (CLUB-ER), co-convened a webinar entitled ‘Powering Climate Action: Aligning Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)’.

Energy access remains a major development challenge in Africa, efforts to expand access often operate in isolation from climate goals, missing key opportunities for alignment and financing. The webinar explored how SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) aligns with the goals of the Paris Agreement, and how these frameworks could be leveraged to drive the deployment of clean energy solutions. It unpacked the linkages between SDG 7 and climate action, highlighting the role of renewable energy in reducing emissions, and examining how countries can better align clean energy initiatives with national climate targets.  

The first presentation was done by Minky Groenewald from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Regional Collaboration Centers (RCC) for East & Southern Africa (EASA). She provided a clear introduction to the Paris Agreement and its role in global climate governance, emphasisng the shift toward country-led commitments through COP negotiations. She explained the importance of NDCs and Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) as tools for setting and achieving climate mitigation targets, highlighting how these frameworks enable countries to align with global goals, attract climate finance, and promote sustainable development. Crucially, she underscored the need to integrate energy access into NDCs and LT-LEDS, especially in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, by prioritising renewable energy, clean cooking solutions, and inclusive strategies that support a just transition and equitable growth.  

This was followed by a country experience presentation conducted by Esther Wang’ombe, Director Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, from Kenya. Wang’ombe offered a comprehensive overview of Kenya’s energy access goals, emphasising the efforts to expand reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy services to underserved communities, with clear targets aimed at achieving universal access. She then outlined the nation’s climate ambitions and NDCs, detailing mitigation and adaptation strategies designed to meet international climate commitments while fostering resilience. Finally, the presentation explored the alignment between SDG 7 and climate objectives, illustrating how integrated policy frameworks and cross-sectoral implementation approaches are being used to advance both agendas simultaneously, ensuring inclusive development and environmental sustainability. 

Aimee Tredoux, Project Manager & Research Assistant at SouthSouthNorth (SSN), delivered an engaging presentation on Climate Finance as a Catalyst for Climate Action. She began by defining climate finance and its critical role in enabling low-carbon, climate-resilient development. She highlighted the persistent climate finance gap, underscoring the disparity between available funding and the scale of investment needed to meet global climate goals. The presentation explored the synergies between illustrating how aligned financial flows can accelerate progress on both climate and energy access fronts. Aimee unpacked various financing mechanisms and traced the movement of climate-related funds, using case studies from South Africa and Nigeria to ground the discussion in real-world examples. She addressed practical challenges such as access barriers, institutional capacity, and policy coherence, before concluding with actionable next steps and key takeaways, emphasising the urgency of mobilising finance to unlock transformative climate action.  

To view the recording of the webinar and presentations please use the links down below: 

Webinar Presentation
Webinar Recording

The Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access project has been funded with UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.  
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Insights from SADC Energy Week & the 6th International Off-Grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC)
Insights from SADC Energy Week & the 6th International Off-Grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC) 2380 1416 Jamie

Powering the Future: Insights from SADC Energy Week & the 6th International Off-Grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC)

The much-anticipated 2024 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Sustainable Energy Week (SADC-SEW) was held in Gaborone, Botswana from the 24th – 28th February 2025. The theme of this year’s SADC-SEW was centred around “Accelerating Sustainable Energy Solutions for an Energy Secure SADC Region” aiming to catalyse the adoption of sustainable energy practices across the region. The conference focused on highlighting key opportunities in the renewable energy, energy efficiency sectors and programmes along the energy value chain and fostered collaboration and innovation in the energy sector. 

The five-day event brought together key stakeholders such as high-level international, regional and national officials, as well as representatives from public and private sectors to address the pressing energy challenges faced by the SADC region, as well as, to highlight successful energy initiatives within the region.  

In parallel to SADC-SEW, the Botswana government convened the sixth International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (IOREC).The conference brought together officials, experts and practitioners from different regions of the world to discuss how off-grid renewables can aid the achievement of  Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) whilst supporting other sustainable development climate goals. The theme of this year’s conference was focused on “Translating commitments to actions: off-grid renewables for socioeconomic development and climate action”. During the conference, discussions were centred around enabling policies, financing schemes, innovative business models and technology applications for scaling up off-grid renewable energy.   

During the IOREC conference the Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access (GGE-EA) project co-hosted a side event with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and Rocky Mountain Institute’s (RMI) African Mini-Grid Programme (AMP). The event, titled “Mini-Grids as Infrastructure: Barriers, Opportunities, and Lessons Learnt,” explored key challenges and opportunities in the sector. 

Photo: Speakers during the panel discussion

The side session featured a panel discussion with speakers from both the public and private sectors. The panellists shared their perspectives on current energy usage and access in rural areas, as well as the measures in place to expand energy availability. During the discussion, they emphasised the need to consider not only energy access itself but also its impact on infrastructure and the opportunities it can create for these communities. 

Mr. Gillian-Alexandre, CEO of ENGIE Energy Access, highlighted the need for strategic measures to support off-grid energy solutions. He emphasised the challenges of setting electricity tariffs in rural areas and the importance of raising awareness about clustering projects to attract greater investment. 

He explained that setting excessively high tariffs in rural areas could make electricity unaffordable, leading to underutilization. To address this, he suggested a balanced approach, such as establishing a fund that subsidizes rural electricity tariffs using revenue from urban areas. 

Additionally, Gillian-Alexandre stressed the need for project clustering to attract commercial investment and increase private-sector involvement. This approach not only reduces potential risks but also makes projects more appealing to a wider range of stakeholders. 

Photo: CLUB-ER & RMI’s AMP members during the side session

The second speaker, Mr. Ayodeji Ojo, Senior Associate for the African Energy Programme at RMI, highlighted the importance of well-defined, clear, and consistent policies for effective implementation. He also highlighted the critical need for strong public-private coordination to drive successful energy initiatives. 

The session concluded with closing remarks from Kelly Linus Chanda, CEO of the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) in Zambia. She stressed that to secure $9.5 million in private sector investment, the government must be more responsive to the needs of private investors. This responsiveness, she explained, is essential for achieving the goals associated with the funding. 

Photo: GGEEA Project team (AfCAP & CLUB-ER) &  RMI and AMP representatives

Key takeaways from the discussions magnified the importance of balancing affordability and investment to expand energy access in rural areas, as well as the necessity of clustering projects to attract private-sector engagement. Additionally, the dialogue reinforced the need for clear, consistent policies to ensure the successful implementation of off-grid energy initiatives. 

The Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access project has been funded by UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform; however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies. 
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Mobilising PUE technologies & finance to catalyse mini-grid development 
Mobilising PUE technologies & finance to catalyse mini-grid development  800 400 Jamie

WEBINAR:  Mobilising PUE technologies & finance to catalyse mini-grid development

To accelerate the Productive Use of Energy (PUE) in mini-grid development across Africa, it is essential to deploy scalable technologies and innovative financing mechanisms tailored to local contexts. PUE not only stimulates economic growth in rural communities but also strengthens the bankability of mini-grid projects. Yet, developers and utilities often neglect the energy needs of end-users in their financial planning. 

Integrating advanced, productivity-enhancing technologies, particularly in vital sectors like agriculture, is key to ensuring the long-term sustainability of mini-grids. At the same time, mobilising finance for PUE must become a central priority. Innovative financial models are needed to embed PUE into mini-grid business strategies and make transformative technologies accessible to end-users. 

Achieving this vision demands strong collaboration between public and private stakeholders, alongside active support from development funders.

In this spirit, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP), the Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access Project (GGE-EA), and the African Association for Rural Electrification (CLUB-ER) recently concluded their webinar series, “Techno-economic and Business Model Foundations for Productive Use of Energy and Mini-grids in Africa”.  

The final webinar, “Mobilising PUE Technologies and Finance to Drive Mini-grid Expansion”, emphasised the pivotal role of financing in scaling energy solutions. It highlighted successful examples of technology and finance mobilisation, offering replicable models for deployment across Africa. 

For those who wish to visit the live presentations, you can access the recording here: Mobilising PUE technologies and finance to catalyse mini-grid development 

Webinar Presentations

For those who wish to revisit the previous webinars please find the recordings below:  

  1. Webinar 1: Analysing the potential to unlock Energy-Agriculture synergies  
  1. Webinar 2: Building a business case for productive use of energy in mini grid development and operations 

The Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access project has been funded by UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.  
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Improved Cookstoves (ICS) & Climate Finance Webinar
Improved Cookstoves (ICS) & Climate Finance Webinar 1362 774 Jamie

ICS and Climate Finance: Synergising Efforts for Sustainable Development

The global shift toward sustainable development and climate resilience has highlighted the link between energy, health, and the environment. Improved Cook Stoves (ICS) are key to reducing household air pollution, reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and providing economic benefits to economies. Climate finance—funds from developed nations and other sources—supports developing countries in reducing emissions and adapting to climate change. Integrating climate finance mechanisms is crucial to scaling ICS adoption and transitioning to cleaner energy. By providing financial support and investing in capacity-building, research and development, sustainable and locally driven solutions for clean cooking can be developed and aid in the reduction of GHG emissions and combat climate change.

Given this, on the 30th of October 2024, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded GIZ programme “Promotion of Climate-Friendly Cooking: Kenya and Senegal” co-hosted and resumed the webinar series on “Promoting ICS for reaching NDC targets”. The third webinar entitled “ICS and Climate Finance: Synergising Efforts for Sustainable Development” provided insights to the climate finance landscape and opportunities for clean cooking projects and explain how setting NDC targets can result into climate financing.

This webinar explored the role of climate finance in promoting ICS. Participants learnt about various climate financing mechanisms, the synergies between NDCs targets and climate financing. Best practices and success stories and innovative strategies to encourage collaboration among stakeholders were shared.

To view the recording of the webinar and presentations please use the links down below:

Presentation
Webinar Recording – French
Webinar Recording – English

Resources shared during the webinar:

  1. Investment criteria indicators | Green Climate Fund
  2. Climate–friendly cooking: demonstrating CO2 emission reductions
  3. Readiness and preparatory support | Green Climate Fund
  4. Targets | Climate Action Tracker
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Business Foundations For PUE & Mini-grids In Africa
Business Foundations For PUE & Mini-grids In Africa 1565 880 Jamie

Techno-economic and Business Model Foundations for Productive Use of Energy and Mini-grids in Africa 

Webinar 2: Building a business case for productive use of energy (PUE) in mini-grid development and operations

On the 16 October 2024, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) in partnership with the African Association for Rural Electrification (CLUB-ER) under the Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access (GGE-EA) project, convened the second webinar of the three-part series: “Techno-economic and Business Model Foundations for Productive Use of Energy and Mini-grids in Africa”. The second webinar focused on “Building a business case for Productive Use of Energy (PUE) in mini-grid development and operations”.

The aim of this webinar was to provide an overview of how to utilise datasets to develop business cases for Productive Use of Energy (PUE).  During the session we explored key case studies and learnings for how to effectively develop delivery models and business models for integrating PUE into mini-grid projects to support more impactful and sustainable energy access.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provided valuable insights into PUE delivery models, business models, and the integration of these models into rural mini-grids drawing examples from the Africa Mini-grid Program. During the session, Africa Mini-grid Developers Association (AMDA) provided their perspectives and experiences on business cases for 5 different types of energy usage. The presentation unpacked the challenges such as the lack of financing and equipment which these businesses experience.

To view the recording of the webinar and presentations please use the links down below:

Webinar Recording
Presentations

The next webinar in the series will be focused on Mobilising PUE technologies and finance to catalyse mini-grid development.  

This activity was funded by Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access (GGEEA) project funded with UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access programme.
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Regenerative Agrivoltaics in Africa for Improved Livelihoods & Climate Resilience
Regenerative Agrivoltaics in Africa for Improved Livelihoods & Climate Resilience 1600 720 Jamie

Regenerative Agrivoltaics in Africa for Improved Livelihoods, Climate Resilience, and Agricultural Decarbonization webinar

On the 10th of October 2024, the African Climate Action Partnership in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) co-convened a webinar entitled “Regenerative Agrivoltaics in Africa for Improved Livelihoods, Climate Resilience, and Agricultural Decarbonization”. The webinar showcased case studies of agrivoltaics systems in  Africa, highlighted best practices and trade-offs, and explored potential applications and research areas in Africa to improve livelihoods, adapt to climate change, and support national Nationally Determined Contribution’s (NDCs) and local low-carbon sustainable development strategies.

The webinar began with a brief introduction to agrivoltaics and an overview of the benefits, challenges and insights on the different configurative agrivoltaics. During the session, numerous benefits from agrivoltaics usage in Africa were explained and how the various business models were used to improve rural communities water irrigation systems and cold storage for crop yields.

The webinar continued by providing a few case studies of the effectiveness of agrivoltaics on food, energy and water. The first case study focused on community-based solutions for food, energy and water resilience. It outlined how solar energy can provide basic energy usage whilst simultaneously providing great crop yields and better working environments for community members. The second case study gave an overview of the impacts of agrivoltaics on food production, energy generation and water conservation in East Africa. The implementation of a configurative agrivoltaics can support farmers by minmising the need for irrigation as it provides crops with shade which aids in the growth of crops. This indicates crops provided greater yields with less water and energy needed.

Furthermore, these case studies showcased how agrivoltaics can support livelihoods, maintain and uplift rural community’s economy. Moving onto the second last segment of the webinar shared the opportunities and co-benefits of decarbonizing agriculture with regenerative agrivoltaics. Points on greenhouse gas mitigation, water conservation, soil health improvement and biodiversity conservation are providing long impact improvement to climate change risks.

The final segment of the webinar focused on how to map biophysical features to depict where it is most suitable for crops to be yielded East Africa. A suitability analysis is a tool used to assess and analyse if a space is beneficial for agrivoltaics in East Africa. The tool illustrated best areas to produce agrivoltaics yielded crops as well as how agrivoltaics could assist with areas under the risk towards climate change factors. 

If you would like to view the webinar recording and read through PowerPoint presentation, please follow the links below:

Presentation
Webinar Recording
Webinar Resource (RE:Harvesting the Sun)
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Analysing the potential to unlock Energy-Agriculture Synergies
Analysing the potential to unlock Energy-Agriculture Synergies 6912 3456 Jamie

Webinar 1: Analysing the potential to unlock Energy-Agriculture synergies

On the 1st of July 2024 the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) and the African association for Rural Electrification (CLUB-ER) under the Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access (GGE-EA) project launched a new webinar series. The three-part webinar series entitled Techno-Economic and Business Model Foundation on Productive use of Energy and Mini-grids in Africa will unpack how productive use of energy (PUE) can be utilised beyond its basic household needs to empower agricultural use and support business, the agribusiness sector, on a larger scale. 

The webinar series kicked-off with the first webinar on “Analysing the potential to unlock Energy-Agriculture Synergies“. It began with an introduction to the GGEEA project, outlining the work being done in the renewable energy space. In addition, an overview of analytic approaches to assess the potential for renewable energy potential and agricultural value chains was given. The webinar drew on the tools and methodology of the Clean and Advanced Technologies for Sustainable Landscapes (CTSL) project, as well as, analytic approach and tools delivered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). During the webinar we explored the geo-spatial modelling to map PUE potentials for agricultural development.  

To view the recording of the webinar and presentations please use the links down below.

Webinar Recording
Webinar Presentations

The data sharing and web tools on how to monitor energy usage to cut down on costs on energy usage that were shared during the webinar are as follows: 

REopt 
REexplorer 

Following the webinar, NREL shared some examples of University Partnerships of demonstration farms. These are mostly focused on production and farming, but many are also starting to pilot electricity technologies for learning for educational purposes and research for the sector. NREL frequently collaborates with University partners to set up these types of projects.

Examples of University partnerships for demonstration farms shared by NREL:

Papao Demonstration Farm 
APNRF Uganda Rice Project 

The next webinar in the series will be focused on building a business case for productive use of energy in mini-grid development and operations.

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Exploring models for public-private collaboration in clean energy access
Exploring models for public-private collaboration in clean energy access 2560 1707 aflp

Exploring models for public-private collaboration in clean energy access

On the 8th September 2023, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) together with Camco, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access (GGEEA) and African Association for Rural Electrification (CLUB-ER) hosted an official side session entitled “Exploring models for public-private collaboration in clean energy access” during Africa Climate Week. This session explored the key enabling mechanisms that facilitate mini-grid deployment as well as focusing on the challenges and successes experienced by both the private and public sector in aligning priorities and actions.

Steven Payma (RREA Liberia) kicking off the official AfCAP side session at Africa Climate Week 2023

The first part of the session focused on how the public sector is working towards increasing energy access in Africa , the acceleration of the deployment of mini-grids and the current challenges and opportunities that African countries face when it comes to electrifying rural areas using Kenya and Liberia as examples.  The panel discussion kicked off with Steven Payma from the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency in Liberia (RREA). Payma explained that REA in Liberia has attracted their private sector to invest into the public by enabling policy and regulation environment partnerships in the public-private sector for clean energy access in Liberia.  Payma, indicated that Liberia’s National Electrification Strategy targets are set to achieve universal access to energy by 2030. So far, 30% of Liberia’s population in urban areas have access to electricity and only 8% of rural areas have access to electricity.  Payma explained that Liberia has both solicited and unsolicited projects running with the involvement of the private sector.  He noted that it is key to involve the private sector to attract investment in order to increase energy access and create an enabling policy and regulatory environment. A key message coming out from his discussion was that the national energy utility needs to be unbundled and the sector needs to open up to independent power producers. Such public-private collaborations would support clean , universal energy access.

Eng. Maxwell Ngala (REREC, Kenya)  during the AfCAP official side session at Africa Climate Week 2023

The second speaker was Eng. Maxwell Ngala from the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation of Kenya  (REREC). Ngala was tasked with explaining the current challenges to electrifying rural areas in Kenya and what the opportunities are for mini-grids in aiding the achievement of this target.  Ngala explained that REREC has a pilot project running in the area of Kenya, called Wajiha. This project has rolled-out 35 mini-grids through mission projects. Ngala indicated that the main challenges faced are technical, institutional and financial. When it comes to planning and the deployment of mini-grids, it’s important to understand the available technologies and to determine which are the most suitable for the context to meet the needs of the local community, Ngala explained.

Ieva Indriunaite (Camco) speaking during AfCAP’s official side session at Africa Climate Week 2023

The discussion shifted towards the private sector. This portion of the panel discussion focused on exploring options for improved collaboration, specifically on how the private sector can act as an implementing partner in realising governments’ NDC targets.  Ieva Indriunaite from Camco kicked off this part of discussion by explaining the challenges Camco experienced in funding viable mini-grid projects.

Indriunaite explained that when it comes to the gaps in energy access and viability for climate finance the key challenge is limited access to funding which makes scaling a challenge for the continent. Indriunaite expressed that inorder to enable the large-scale deployment of mini-grids, it requires blended finance. Attracting private sector funding requires regulatory frameworks that are clear, transparent and implemented in a timely manner to de-risk financing.  A key message from Indriunaite, is that governments should view mini-grid developers as partners, not as competitors. The private sector can mobilise solutions quickly and these solutions can be integrated into national grids and taken over by the public sector at a later stage.

The next speaker was Aaron Leopold from EnerGrow. Leopold shared some of his experiences of what enables effective collaboration with the public sector. He was in agreement with Indriunaite’s statement to not only involve the private sector in the later stages of the national plan for mini-grid deployment. Leopold explained there is a need for collaboration between the public and private sector at the start of the design process.  He indicated that Energrow works to accelerate electrification by looking at the demand side. The organisation looks at how to improve energy demand in rural communities so that mini-grid companies can improve their tariff. A key takeaway message from Leopold was that there is a need to find creative ways to collaborate in the public-private partnerships to support mini-grids, for example, micro-financing and engaging with consumers to understand what they need in their localised contexts.

Aaron Leopold (EnerGrow)  during the AfCAP official side session at Africa Climate Week 2023

Our last speaker for the panel discussion was Suleiman Babamanu from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Babamanu shared his insights on how the RMI aimed to support the transformation of energy systems in Africa and what steps they are taking to enable greater private sector investment. He noted that it is possible to enable greater private sector investment by linking energy access to economic development which remains a challenge for Nigeria. Babamanu explained that RMI does collaboration through understanding the context of the country. For example,  Nigeria works on 2 main pillars; 1) Scaling and distributing energy resources, and 2) Deploying efficient demands for productive use. Babamanu indicated that the African Mini-grid Programme (AMP) aims to ensure that government and private developers are working together to create an enabling environment to ensure the transformation of energy systems and greater private sector investment through applying cost reduction techniques and innovative businesses.

Suleiman Babmanu (RMI) ending off the AfCAP official side session at Africa Climate Week 2023

In closing,  the panellists had an opportunity to give their final reflections on how we can align the priorities of the public and private sector when it comes to energy access. Ngala shared his thoughts and expressed that it is important for the private and public sectors not to work in silos. Indriunaite explained that the private sector lacks accessibility to planning and national planning documents. She felt that it should not be seen as a competition between the private and public sector as both sectors have a common goal of providing energy access to all.  Ngala, agreed with Indriunaite on the lack of access to information and data and stated that local data needs to be generated and accessible to both public and private users to enable planning for mini-grids in Africa.

AfCAP aims to continue engagements around creating enabling environments for mini-grid deployment through the Africa Mini-Grid Community of Practice (AMG-CoP) and the Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access (GGEEA) project. If you would like more information on these activities please contact us on info@africanclimateactionpartnership.org

This activity was co-funded by AfCAP and GGEEA. GGEEA is funded with UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access programme.

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