Shine Power to the People Webinar #2
2024-10-30 15:00 - 17:00 (Africa/Nairobi) | virtual
Women-led, community-driven renewable energy access improves livelihoods, wellbeing, and climate resilience while bolstering women’s leadership.

The Shine Collab invites you to the second installment of their Power to the People Webinar Series: How Community-Led, Decentralized Renewable Energy Enables Gender and Climate Justice Solutions on Wednesday, 30 October at 3-5pm CAT | 1-3pm GMT | 9-11am EDT.
Centering power and rights as a vital transition consideration, this framework asks ‘whose interests matter in a transition?” and “what are we transitioning from and to?” Equally important, what is the role of communities and how does energy fit into strategies to build women’s power and community wellbeing? What exactly is the link between decentralized, democratized energy access and climate justice and resilience? What are the different approaches and what is the evidence?
Building on its previous webinar, “A Gender Just Energy Transition and Why It Matters”, this Shine Collab webinar will explore these questions through examples, perspectives and the latest research from financiers, leading researchers, practitioners and advocates.
Featured Speakers & Agenda:
Mela Chiponda, Director, the Shine Collab, will share insights into what a gender just energy transition would mean at the site of critical mineral extraction.
Sonia Kwami, Head of Campaigning and Organizing, 350.org, will share why 350.org has refocused its’ vital climate campaigning on decentralized renewable energy and what that means across the world.
Olasimbo Sojinrin, Chief Operating Officer, Solar Sister, will describe how their decades long support to grassroots women energy entrepreneurs has facilitated women’s empowerment and climate resilience.
Virginia Sibanda, CEO, VIRL Microfinance, will draw from her experience financing agricultural inputs and solar energy products in Zimbabwe, sharing insights on what other social and financial interventions are needed to enable climate and development solutions.
Kevin Johnston, Senior Researcher, IIED, will share recent research making the case that community-driven, bottom up approaches to energy access are essential to achieving climate adaptation and resilience.
Moderated by Christine Eibs Singer, Senior Advisor, SHINE Collab

GOGLA Webinar: Implementing PURE Demand side subsidy
2024-11-05 14:00 - 15:15 (Europe/Amsterdam)
GOGLA invites you to attend their upcoming webinar End User Subsidy Lab: Implementing PURE DSS on the 5th of November 2024. The full concept note is available to read here.

PURE markets are still nascent, with limited subsidy program experience. Yet, these programs play a crucial role in market development, expanding off-grid solutions to more people. Join GOGLA for the second webinar in the PURE End-User Subsidy (EUS) Lab series, where they'll explore direct interventionist approaches appropriate for nascent and emerging PURE markets.
A panel of experts will share success stories and lessons learned from Demand side subsidy programs through case studies in Malawi and Uganda while also examining technologies like solar PV irrigation and solar PV refrigeration.
Speakers:
Carlos Sordo, Senior Project Manager at GOGLA
Maya Khonje-Stewart - Founder of Maeve Project
Fred Tuhairwe - Program Manager, Productive Use of Energy, UECCC
Peace Kansiime - IMEU program, SNV

GOGLA/ESMAP joint webinar: Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report (MTR)
2024-12-03 16:00 - 17:00 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Joint GOGLA/ESMAP webinar on the key takeaways from the Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report (MTR). The webinar will also introduce new tools to strengthen the understanding of the sector, including an innovative microsite and AI chatbot. As part of the webinar, they will host a panel discussion on the challenges, opportunities, and advancements in the OGS sector.
Presented by Andrea Arricale, Energy Specialist Consultant at the World Bank and moderated by Sarah Malm, Executive Director at GOGLA.
Speakers:
• Fanny Missfeldt-Ringius, Practice Manager at ESMAP - Energy Sector Management Assistance Program
• Raihan Elahi, Lead Energy Specialist at the World Bank
• Patrick Walsh, Co-Founder & CEO at Sun King

Virtual launch: "Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition in the SADC Region"
2024-12-05 09:00 - 22:00 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Following the postponement of the SADC Sustainable Energy Week, SACREE has now decided to hold an online event to celebrate the launch of the new project, "Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition in the SADC Region."

The webinar will take place on Thursday, December 5th at 9-10AM Central Africa Time (CAT); 8-9 AM Central European Time (CET).

The event will feature keynote speakers from ADA, SACREEE, and GWNET as well as a special address by H.E. Ambassador Romana Königsbrun. The discussion will be moderated by GWNET Senior Advisor and Co-founder, Irene Giner-Reichl. In addition to presenting the new project dedicated to empowering SADC women in the region’s energy transition, the event shall also introduce the Energising Women to Advance the Energy Transition in the SADC Region Mentorship Programme. The call for applications for the mentorship programme officially open following the event.

Climate Finance in Action: Lessons learnt from approved projects
2025-01-23 16:30 - 18:00 (Africa/Johannesburg)
In this LinkedIn Live event, Grant Ballard-Tremeer will explore the intricacies of successful climate projects and uncover valuable lessons, together with special guest Luisa Freitas!
Here's what you can expect:
* Project Analysis: We'll analyse the project SAP044
"Empowering Women Groups to Build Resilience to Climate Impacts in the Province of Cunene in South West Angola (CREW Angola)". Luisa, who worked on this project will shed light on the development process, and project design.
* Lessons Learned: Together we'll explore key takeaways and best practices, and identify valuable insights for professionals in climate finance, sustainable development, and related fields.
* Interactive Q&A: We'll dedicate time to answer your queries and engage in a lively discussion.
Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and contribute to the global fight against climate change.
This project includes a component on solar irrigation.

WEBINAR Learning from innovative businesses in the sustainable cooling sector
2025-01-28 12:00 - 13:30 (Africa/Johannesburg)
As global temperatures rise and the impacts of climate change become increasingly pronounced, the need for sustainable cooling products has never been more critical, especially for the most vulnerable and energy-limited communities.
Sustainable cold chain solutions can transform farming and business sectors by boosting productivity, creating jobs, and driving economic development. By making sustainable cooling more accessible and affordable, cooling technologies offer a promising pathway to addressing climate challenges while supporting key sectors in off-grid and weak-grid areas.
Productivity and efficiency
Effective cold chains play a vital role in the reduction food spoilage and waste, ensuring that more produce reaches the market in good condition, which increases the overall yield and profitability for farmers and businesses. The development and maintenance of cold chain infrastructure has the potential to create job opportunities, ranging from construction and maintenance to logistics and management. By reducing losses and improving the quality of perishable goods, cold chains enhance the competitiveness of local products in both domestic and international markets, leading to increased trade and investment.
Quality of life
The impact of cooling technologies on quality of life and health is also significant, as they prevent the growth of pathogens in food and medicines, reducing disease transmission, and improving overall health. Additionally, they help maintain the efficacy of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, ensuring that essential medicines remain effective.
This webinar will provide an overview of the role of sustainable cooling products and solutions, exploring challenges around uptake and how innovation is helping to address these barriers. The panel will feature speakers from innovation companies who feature in the latest Energy Catalyst report - ‘Learning from innovative businesses in the sustainable cooling sector’ and expert organisations.
Expert panel:
Veronica Nkooyio, Senior Associate, CLASP
Simon Ighofose AMIChemE Meng, Co-founder CEO, PyroGenesys
Jordan Silverman, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Inclusive Energy
Dr Khoa Le, Researcher, University of Oxford
Doug West, Chief Marketing Officer, Hubl Logistics Ltd
Ceri Jones, Chief Commercial Officer, SureChill
Moderator: Mercy Rose, Head of Energy Research and Innovation, Mercy Corps Energy 4 Impact

Webinar by GDC: Selling refrigerators for productive use
2025-03-04 14:00 - 15:00 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Discover best practices for selling refrigerators for produce use

In this webinar you’ll learn about the challenges and opportunities of adding refrigerators to the product mix of a Last Mile Distributor. The key business operations that need be developed in relation to this will be discussed, including identifying customers, sales and marketing, and after-sales services.
Plus, you’ll hear from three last mile distributors who are currently selling refrigerators and what they have learnt from their experiences. Breakout groups in the second part of the webinar will give participants time to talk directly with the speakers.
This webinar will be particularly beneficial to last mile distributors that are considering adding refrigeration to their product offering or looking to scale their existing operations with refrigerators. The webinar is free and open to all – simply register using the link below.

Speakers

Ambrose Mbuvi, Impact Manager, Bopinc (moderator)
Timothy Musaazi, Business Development Manager, POPO
Safiya Aliyu, General Manager, Sosai Renewable Energies Company
Claudine Uwineza, Sales and Marketing Coordinator, Munyax Eco Ltd

Agenda
1. Introduction

2. Panel discussion:

Challenges and opportunities when selling refrigerators for productive use
7 Key business operations to consider
Identifying customers (Munyaz Eco)
Sales agent cheat sheet (Sosai Renewable Energies)
After-sales support (POPO)

3. Breakout discussions:
Which of the seven business model adaptations do participants consider most difficult for this product category and why?

Group 1: For distributors who are new to this technology and at the research stage (led by Munyax Eco and Sosai Renewable Energies)
Group 2: For distributors that are currently selling refrigerators and want to scale their operations (led by POPO)

AECE2-ESMAP webinar on Energy for Jobs
2025-05-07 15:00 - 16:30 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Join this webinar hosted by the World Bank’s Kenya Country Office and ESMAP on opportunities for creation of sustainable jobs in Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE) . They will explore the opportunities and challenges in accelerating access to energy, expanding economic opportunities and creating sustainable jobs in the agriculture and livestock sectors.

This webinar brings together agriculture and energy practitioners to explore how to unlock transformation in the Agri-food systems. Agriculture accounts for 56 percent of total employment in Eastern and Southern Africa (AFE). Improving productivity in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, and supporting approaches that allow smallholder farmers, livestock producers, and fish producers to move up the value chains is critical. However, the lack of reliable energy access in these rural areas presents a major barrier to economic activity and job creation, and to the expansion of benefits to smallholder farmers. In these rural areas, accelerated access to energy needed to achieve economic growth and job creation can only happen through distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions, such as solar home systems, micro-grids, and mini-grids.
During this webinar, you will learn firsthand from practitioners about distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions, how DRE facilitates higher productivity in agriculture and livestock value chains, and how it enables sustainable job creation. We will hear about experiences to accelerate the expansion of access to energy in AFE, South Asia and beyond. We will discuss what has worked, what has not, and how successful approaches can be replicated and scaled up.
The event will be chaired by Qimiao Fan, Division Director for Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, and Uganda at the World Bank. The presentation will be given by Dana Rysankova, Lead Energy Specialist at the World Bank. Closing remarks will be delivered by Fanny Missfeldt-Ringius, Practice Manager at ESMAP, World Bank. The panelists include:
- Kasozí Tondo James, Principal Engineer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda
- Amanullah Alamzai, Senior Agriculture Economist at the World Bank
- Bas Hetterschied, Manager Partnerships at Wageningen University & Research (WUR)

Webinar: Building gender-inclusive PURE business models
2025-05-14 13:00 - 14:30 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Women are essential yet often invisible drivers of economic activity across developing regions, comprising 40% of the global agricultural workforce and 58% of Africa's self-employed population. Despite their significant contributions, women face persistent barriers in accessing and benefiting from Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) technologies.
Join GOGLA for an insightful webinar to discover how innovative companies are transforming their business models to better serve women's energy needs while building sustainable businesses.
In this webinar, you'll understand why women represent only one-third of PURE technology end-users despite their economic significance, along with the transformative impact when this gap is addressed. We'll explore how customer personas serve as powerful tools for developing gender-smart business models by mapping women's unique needs, constraints, and aspirations across different segments—from subsistence farmers to growth-oriented entrepreneurs. This user-centered approach helps companies identify critical pain points and opportunities throughout the customer journey, informing everything from product design to marketing strategies and support services.
Drawing on existing literature and real-world examples of gender-smart approaches that work, including Oorja's "Farming as a Service" and Agsol's women-friendly solar mills designed for lightweight operation and small batch processing, this webinar will present a framework for creating gender-smart businesses across the entire customer journey. The speakers will also discuss ecosystem support by exploring policy recommendations and partnerships needed to scale these approaches.This webinar offers practical insights for anyone interested in closing the gender gap in energy access while tapping into a significant underserved market.

Speakers

Nisha Singh
Senior Gender and Financial Inclusion Specialist·Distill Inclusion

Willeke Westra
Partnerships Manager·Agsol

Sejal Agarwal
Impact Manager·Oorja Solutions

Brenda Marbaniang
Policy Manager·GOGLA

Webinar: Pre-launch of the UNIDO PURE Growth Fund
2025-05-14 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Vienna)
Energy powers every link of the agri-food value chain — from irrigation and harvesting to processing, storage and transport. By accelerating the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) across these multiple value chains, we can transform food systems in the Global South, unlocking low-emission development pathways, improving livelihoods, increasing incomes and building resilience to the impacts climate change.
To drive this transformation, the PURE Growth Fund will launch in Tanzania in May 2025. The fund will support clean energy SMEs and agribusinesses to scale up through a multi-dimensional approach combining incentive capital, technical assistance and fostering an enabling environment for PURE technologies to achieve greater integration within food systems.
We invite you to join REEEP and guest speakers from GOGLA and the Tanzania Horticulture Association (TAHA) for our pre-launch Webinar featuring:

an overview of the PURE Growth Fund and Q&A
insight on how expanding renewable energy in agriculture can strengthen agri-food value chains and benefit local populations
the need for programmes and initiatives at the energy-agriculture nexus to support SMEs to foster sustainable market development

Launch of the Renewables 2025 Global Status Report
2025-06-24 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Paris)
Launch of the REN21 Renewables 2025 Global Status Report: Global Overview.
Join REN21 to explore high-level trends on the status of renewables within today’s fossil fuel-dominated energy system — and how they intersect with global challenges like climate change, development goals, and shifting geopolitics.

Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025
2025-06-25 14:00 - 16:00 (Africa/Johannesburg)
How many people around the world today still lack access to clean energy? And how many people still rely on dirty fossil fuels for cooking, risking their health in consequence? Additionally, how much international funds have been flowing to the developing countries in support of their clean energy development?
The answers to these questions are related to the targets set forth in the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030.
Join the virtual briefing to learn more about the latest data that will be revealed in the new Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025.
While progress has been made, it is marked by wide regional disparities, underscoring the urgency for more impact-driven financing support from the international community to developing countries.
Key trends ahead of the data release include:
- Access to electricity has increased, but progress is uneven across the world.
- Progress is lagging on universal access to clean cooking.
- Renewable energy continued to grow. But installed renewable capacity per capita shows geographic disparities.
- Energy intensity declined but the energy efficiency rate needs major improvement.
- International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy increased compared to previous years.
- The report is a product of close collaboration among the five SDG 7 custodian agencies.
Please check the agencies’ websites and social media accounts on 25 June for the full report:
- International Energy Agency (IEA): www.iea.org
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): www.irena.org
- United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD): https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite
- World Bank: https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/
- World Health Organization (WHO): www.who.int
The report will also be presented to decision-makers at a special launch event on 16 July 2025 at 1:15pm EDT at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York, open to registered HLPF participants and anyone with a United Nations ground pass, and livestreamed at webtv.un.org.

Webinar: Last Mile Distribution - State of the sector 2025
2025-09-18 13:00 - 14:30 (Africa/Johannesburg)
Join the Global Distributors Collective (GDC) for the global launch of the Last Mile Distribution (LMD): State of the sector 2025 report!
This session will unpack fresh data on business trends in the LMD sector, product reach, and customer impact. It will also explore key challenges and opportunities faced by GDC members, as well as recommendations for stakeholders looking to work more closely with distributors moving forwards.
This is an interactive session featuring a presentation from the GDC team as well as firsthand insights from GDC members and sector experts. After the plenary session concludes (at the 60-minute mark) we'll disperse into optional, thematic breakout group discussions to engage informally on topics such as access to finance, productive uses of energy, inclusive business models, and more.
The GDC Last Mile Distribution: State of the sector 2025 is funded with UK aid from the UK government, via the Transforming Energy Access platform.

Webinar - The path to universal energy access in an era of shrinking aid
2025-10-08 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Amsterdam)
Achieving universal energy access looks more challenging than ever. Faced with geopolitical and domestic pressures, traditional donor countries, including the United States, the UK, France, and Germany have slashed their aid budgets and redirected their focus to defence and deficit reduction.
What does this mean for the 600-plus million people who remain without electricity in Africa?
The answers are complex. African governments and private sector representatives are seeking to reduce reliance on foreign aid, emphasising home-grown solutions to further electrification as a key step to improve the lives of Africans. Additionally. whilst aid from western nations is declining, there are signs that countries from across the Middle East and Asia are stepping up to bridge the gap, raising questions about the political influence they may seek in return.
If you find these issues fascinating, join the panel of experts to exchange knowledge and chart the way forward for rural electrification and universal energy access in Africa.
Main themes in this webinar:

Find out how governments across Africa are adapting to achieve universal energy access on their own terms
Understand the role of renewable energy and decentralised models in bolstering electrification and economic development across the continent
Learn more about commercially sustainable models that seek to accelerate the rate of electrification whilst reducing reliance on aid and subsidies.

Anita Otubu

Senior Director
UEF at SEforALL

Olamide Niyi-Afuye

Chief Executive Officer
AMDA

Webinar - IEA Financing electricity access in Africa
2025-11-24 16:00 - 17:15 (Europe/Paris)
Access to electricity is a cornerstone of economic development, poverty reduction and social equity. However, almost 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity today, with progress falling far behind the targets set by both African governments and the international community.
In a new report, Financing Electricity Access in Africa, the IEA provides in-depth analysis of the spending required to close this gap. Based on first-of-its-kind tracking of public and private investment flows, it outlines the financial measures needed to achieve universal access.
This online event will present the key findings of the report, followed by a panel discussion on key challenges and potential solutions. The discussion will feature insights from a range of stakeholders working to expand electricity access across the continent. This will be followed by an interactive Q&A session.

Webinar: Lessons on subsidy design for expanding energy access in humanitarian and displacement settings
2025-12-11 16:00 - 17:15 (Africa/Johannesburg)
The Global Platform for Action (GPA) and the End-User Subsidy (EUS) Lab, with support from NORCAP, have developed a new report, “Leveraging Subsidies to Achieve SDG 7 in Humanitarian Emergency and Displacement Settings,” which analyses in depth 5 case studies across 5 countries. The upcoming webinar will present high-level findings and real-world learnings from Uganda and Mozambique showcasing effective subsidy models for crisis and displacement contexts.
