Perspective: Mission 300 needs delivery mechanisms that match

Martijn Veen, Global Head of Energy

During turbulent times, as bilateral funding for development cooperation and energy access declines, it was refreshing to participate in the SEforALL Global Forum last week. The renewed commitment to achieving universal energy access was inspiring to witness – new pledges being made, a recognition of past successes, and an engagement in discussions about the steps needed to reach the goals towards 2030.

The SEforALL Global Forum built on the momentum generated by the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Tanzania earlier this year. The Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, endorsed at the summit by thirty African Heads of State, is a key milestone in addressing the energy gap in Africa, where more than 600 million people live without electricity and a majority still cook on firewood and charcoal. The Declaration was unanimously adopted at the end of the Summit, with 47 countries signing, and was endorsed at the African Union Assembly in February. A first batch of 12 countries (and more to come) unveiled their National Energy Compacts, detailing ambitions and actions to increase energy access, inclusive of investments in distributed renewable energy and clean cooking, with an aim to leave no-one behind. It is unprecedented to see this level of political buy-in and push for partnerships to achieve universal energy access.

With 2030 getting close and the ambitions high, there is an urgent need for proven delivery mechanisms that are able to leverage the investments needed to deliver impact at scale. Tailored instruments are needed to derisk commercial investment and support the private sector to engage and scale up in new markets. At the same time, stable regulatory conditions need to be in place incentivising private sector development and the implementation of sustainable business models. It also requires a solid understanding of consumer needs, capacity to pay, as well as the development of end-user financing mechanisms and approaches to stimulate the uptake of clean cooking and distributed renewable energy solutions.

An example of such a delivery mechanism that really brings together this integrated approach to deliver impact at scale, was awarded the Changemaker Award for Africa during the Energy Heroes Award ceremony at the SEforALL Forum.

BRILHO, together with the Government of Mozambique, the private sector, investors and other partners, succeeded in delivering energy access for more than three million people over the past few years. Since its launch in 2019, the programme funded by the governments of the United Kingdom and Sweden and implemented by SNV, worked closely together with the Government of Mozambique to develop the country’s first off-grid energy regulatory framework, approved by National Decree, which paved the way to leverage commercial finance and accelerate the energy transition.

The award is a testament to the importance of systemic, integrated market-based approaches addressing the demand side and supply side and enabling environmental conditions at the same time. BRILHO worked with more than 20 companies, mobilising £41.7 million in private sector investment, offering tailored financial incentives to scale the provision of energy products and services to all provinces of Mozambique. It avoided 790,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to global climate action, and created more than 2,400 jobs, fostering entrepreneurship and strengthening local energy market development across the country.

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, there is an opportunity to build on our collective experience and team up to deliver faster. SNV alone has energy access programming on-going in 18 countries, with teams and partners on-the-ground in these countries. The BRILHO approach itself was the result of many years of piloting and validating different approaches in neighbouring countries, learning from experience in programmes like Energising Development (EnDev) and Innovations Against Poverty (IAP), combining instruments and improving them along the way.

The SEforAll Forum reaffirmed that there is now a significant opportunity for us to keep learning, collaborating, and pushing for deeper impact – and to be successful, we must continue working alongside partners to help move Mission 300 forward.

Delivery mechanisms like these are ready to be scaled up and replicated in other countries while contextualising approaches to the needs of each country. Markets across the globe are in different stages of development and will require tailored approaches. Adaptive management and flexibility will be critical in optimising performance and achieving the level of systems transformation needed to achieve universal energy access.

The ambition is there, the tools are emerging, and the partnerships are growing. To turn momentum into meaningful change, we must stay focused on scaling what works, while staying agile enough to respond to diverse market needs. Mission 300 is within reach, but only if we continue to act with urgency, commitment, openness, and shared purpose.