Not a pipe dream – simply the best choice
Renewable energy creates access to clean energy without destroying the environment, particularly for marginalized people living in remote areas. When created sustainably, it helps to alleviate poverty, improves living conditions and propels economic development.
Our context
Extracting and consuming fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal makes a considerable contribution to climate change and pollution around the world. Although rich countries are responsible for historic emissions and much of the consequent climate change, emerging economies such as India and China now rival their emissions. And while many people are already investing in producing their own renewable energy, for example through solar energy or biogas, this positive example for change has not yet attracted sufficient investments by governments and large companies.
Worldwide, more than a billion people do not have access to affordable, reliable and clean energy. There must be much more investment in decentralized renewable energy if we are to ensure that all people have access to sufficient and sustainable energy sources.
Worldwide, more than a billion people do not have access to affordable, reliable and clean energy.
Our aim
We know that a shift towards renewable energy, especially for marginalized communities, is key to tackling climate change and to shifting towards more inclusive, green economies. So we want to ensure millions of men and women in rural and poor communities embrace smart, affordable and clean technologies ‑ and actually use them ‑ in the next few years.
We aim for both national governments and international institutions to adopt the necessary policies and programs to make energy systems green and more inclusive.
But we also realize that job and income generation are effective means of helping people adapt to the impacts of climate change. Hivos wants to see thousands of starting entrepreneurs, especially women, apply business models that provide green and socially inclusive energy products and services to rural and marginalized urban communities. These are the groups most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Our approach
We help build resilience to climate change and create green economies by investing in the technical and business skills of early-stage energy entrepreneurs so they become “green entrepreneurs.” We also promote the use of inclusive finance streams and empower women and men by increasing their energy access options, thus boosting their income. Finally, with energy mainly being used for cooking in many parts of the world, while three billion people lack access to clean cooking methods, we promote clean energy solutions like biogas for clean cooking.
On a larger level, Hivos participates in multi-stakeholder initiatives that bring civil society organizations, governments, financial institutions and entrepreneurs (especially women) together to spur economic development and job creation with renewable energy services. At the same time, we engage with all these actors to improve policies and to come up with new forms of financing to scale up successful renewable energy solutions.
Our contribution
This thematic area contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) and Goal 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).
