Climate Smart Energy Solutions

Across the world, in 2022 around 685 million people1 still lack access to electricity, 80% of whom in Sub-Saharan Africa. Up to 2.1 billion people still have no access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, relying instead on traditional biomass sources such as firewood and charcoal or fossil fuels such as coal, which have harmful impacts on health and drive climate change. Poorer households often have the least access to energy sources and are particularly vulnerable to energy poverty and its negative social, environmental and economic impacts. Lowering fossil and traditional biomass fuels consumption and enabling access to reliable and clean energy sources are critical preconditions to other environmental and socioeconomic changes, such as decrease of air pollution and respiratory diseases, and increase of per capita GDP, gender equality and education. Energy access needs to be at the forefront of efforts to achieve sustainable economic development and climate resilience. PIN has long lasting experience enabling access to sustainable energy markets. We support access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy services across a range of different contexts, as well as reduction of energy inputs used by applying more efficient methods and technologies. PIN’s energy programming is aimed at supporting both climate change adaptation and mitigation. We see this as one of the key measures in achieving a climate-resilient and green development. Off-grid renewable energy solutions such as solar and biogas, improving energyefficiency to reduce household costs, or low carbon and clean energy technologies for cooking are some of the solutions offered by leveraging market-based approaches. Context specific strategies are utilized which engage public and private actors, take advantage of emerging technologies and innovations, and promote new business models which are inclusive of the poor.