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Rain-fed agriculture is a fundamental pillar of the Ethiopian economy. In 2022, agriculture employed about 80% percent of the country’s workforce and contributed nearly 38% to gross domestic product (GDP).¹ However, persistent droughts have posed significant challenges to farmers’ livelihoods and reduced food yields.

Off-grid irrigation as a solution

Solar water pumps are a sustainable, off-grid solution to improve small-scale irrigation, strengthen community resilience, and support sustainable economic growth. Powered by the sun, solar water pumps also reduce the use of fossil fuels, so they are less harmful to the climate. Rekik Bekele is the founder and CEO of Green Scene Energy, a thriving solar appliance distributor. Green Scene recently received business support through CLASP’s Productive Use Financing Facility to increase its supply of affordable solar water pumps.

Founded by Rekik Bekele in 2016, Green Scene Energy provides affordable, high-quality solar energy products in off-grid areas of Ethiopia. Green Scene began by specializing in solar home lighting systems, later expanding its portfolio to include solar mini-grid, commercial and industrial solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) solutions for off-grid projects.

In 2022, in response to the growing need for irrigation pumping in rural areas across Ethiopia, Green Scene began distributing solar-powered water pumps. To date, the company has successfully positioned itself as a market leader in the provision of affordable solar water pumping systems.

Financial support catalyzing progress

Despite a growing demand for solar water pumps, the substantial upfront capital required exposes significant challenges. According to Rekik, CLASP’s Productive Use Financing Facility has been instrumental in allowing Green Scene to continue selling solar water pumps in 2023. “We had been seeking investment for some time; by the end of 2022, we were only importing small numbers of pumps at a time, using existing sales revenue,” observed Rekik.

“Green Scene’s expanded capacity to make larger, more efficient orders, is allowing us to reach many more end users. Response to the introduction of the pumps is incredibly positive. The farmers are pleased with the improvements.”

Appliances with a transformative potential

Efficient productive use appliances (PUAs), like solar water pumps, refrigerators, and milling machines, have transformative effects on local communities, small businesses, and the environment. However, despite their potential for income generation, PUA sales remain remarkably low in emerging markets due to their relatively high upfront costs and a lack of access to finance. CLASP’s innovative financing facility addresses these challenges by helping distribution companies like Green Scene sell their products at lower prices.

Multifaceted support

The Facility’s support to Green Scene is multifaceted. Subsidies to lower product prices are easing import constraints, while increased performance testing verifies product quality. A capacity-building grant is also helping with a variety of one-off costs and purchases associated with introducing new product lines.

“The funding has assisted Green Scene in selling over 50 solar water pumps,” adds Rekik. “We expect to sell at least another 250 during the upcoming months.”

According to Rekik, demand is leading Green Scene away from the sole retail of solar lighting, toward a greater focus on solar-powered productive-use appliances (PUAs). She attributes this strategic transition to the considerable success achieved with solar water pumps and a recognition of the tremendous potential within the PUA market.

Assisting customers to access finance

In addition to expanding and diversifying its portfolio, Green Scene Energy has also leveraged the Facility’s support to unlock consumer financing for solar water pumps. Rekik and her colleagues have been working closely with an Ethiopian bank to design the bank’s first-ever consumer loan product for solar water pumps.

“Previously, the Bank had provided loans for solar lighting to consumers through Micro-Finance Institutions (MFI),” explains Rekik. “However, solar water pumps have become more expensive and technologically complex. For the first time, the MFIs are now offering collateral-free loans for solar water pumps.”

According to Rekik, CLASP’s financing has been critical for Green Scene because it is in a scale-up stage. They have been able to use the funding to gain confidence and trust in their business, which has in turn facilitated the securing of additional private financing.

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About The Productive Use Financing Facility

CLASP’s Productive Use Financing Facility, is supported by The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). It has provided financing to 24 companies in six countries, to enable the distribution of over 13,000 productive-use appliances, directly impacting more than 58,000 households.

Around the world, women make up only 32% of the renewable energy workforce, in India this figure is just 11%.  To speak to this topic, CLASP hosted an event in New Delhi, to shine a light on the strategic benefit of increasing equity and inclusion in India’s energy sector. The first-of-its-kind event, titled “Equity Surge: Powering Inclusion in India’s Energy Sector”, brought together respected leaders and experts to delve into the various facets of gender inclusion and its impact on India’s energy transition.

The first discussion, moderated by Neha Dhingra, Senior Manager at CLASP, shed light on the evolving landscape of India’s energy sector and the pivotal role women play within it. Speakers, including Ruchika Drall from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ramila Vyas from People Education & Development Organization, Mandira Kalra Kalaan from Purpose, and Leher Sethi from the Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs, Delhi, provided valuable insights into women’s participation, their role as community leaders and decision-makers, and the need for gender-responsive policies.

The first discussion, moderated by Neha Dhingra, Senior Manager at CLASP, shed light on the evolving landscape of India’s energy sector and the pivotal role women play within it. Speakers, including Ruchika Drall from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ramila Vyas from People Education & Development Organization, Mandira Kalra Kalaan from Purpose, and Leher Sethi from the Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs, Delhi, provided valuable insights into women’s participation, their role as community leaders and decision-makers, and the need for gender-responsive policies.

The speakers noted that women are not just underrepresented in the energy sector but also disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change. The need for mainstreaming gender and fostering a gender-neutral framework was emphasized to break stereotypes and achieve gender balance in the workforce.

The solutions include enabling women’s access to finance and community engagement, as well as fostering leadership among women in the energy sector. The importance of monetizing unpaid household care work by women and communicating gender-responsive policies effectively were also underscored as critical steps toward achieving equity and inclusion.

According to India’s Council on Energy, Environment, and Water, if women’s participation in the energy sector is increased to 30%, it could create up to 3.2 million additional jobs by 2025. This CLASP event served as a crucial platform for fostering dialogue, learning and collaboration to encourage a more inclusive and equitable energy sector in India. CLASP continues to steer efforts and collective action globally with the vision of a just and inclusive energy transition for all.

Appliances Supporting Life-Saving Health Facilities

The Rhino Camp is a refugee settlement camp in Northern Uganda. Within the camp is the Ofua Health Center 3, a solar-powered medical facility with just two doctors attending to a population of over 45,000 people. Dr. Gideon Anguerini highlights a pressing challenge: the center’s reliance on a single, energy-inefficient fridge unsuitable for solar power. The health center aims to purchase an efficient solar-powered fridge from POPO Africa, an appliance distributor based in Uganda. With the fridge, the health center’s services will be expanded, its energy costs significantly lowered and it can treat more patients.

Delivering Change through Solar Solutions

From the outset, POPO Africa’s vision aimed at enhancing maternal health by ensuring that clinics in refugee camps had reliable solar lighting powered by solar battery packs. This expanded, as the company moved into leasing the battery packs to the wider community.

POPO’s solar batteries are a lifeline for community businesses, enabling them to operate after dark, offer phone charging services, and more. With 54 distribution points across five districts, POPO’s impact is widespread, directly employing 75 people and indirectly supporting many more through their distribution network. POPO Africa also places a strong emphasis on women’s economic empowerment, boasting a workforce that is 70% female.

Recognizing the critical need for cooling services POPO aimed to revolutionize the off-grid cold chain service in Northern Uganda. The only barrier to this was capital constraints. POPO could not pursue the cold chain opportunity without external support. With funding from CLASP’s Productive Use Financing Facility, POPO was able to start selling solar-powered refrigerators, that will benefit healthcare facilities and empower local businesses.

Transformative, Impactful Financing

Efficient productive-use appliances (PUAs) like solar-powered refrigerators, pumps, and milling machines can have transformative effects on local communities, small businesses, and the environment. However, despite their potential for income generation, PUA sales remain remarkably low in emerging markets due to their relatively high upfront costs and a lack of access to finance. CLASP set up the Productive Use Financing Facility to address these challenges by helping distribution companies like POPO Africa sell their products at lower prices.

Overcoming Capital Constraints

With CLASP’s Facility’s procurement subsidies and capacity-building grant, POPO is working to sell approximately 140 refrigerators within a year. They have made that transformative step into the cold chain market and are now extending affordable, off-grid cooling to their customers, like the Ofua Health Center.

With each solar-powered battery and refrigerator, POPO is helping to build a future where energy is accessible, businesses thrive, and healthcare advances, even in the most remote corners of the world.

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About The Productive Use Financing Facility

CLASP’s Productive Use Financing Facility, is supported by The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). It has provided financing to 24 companies in six countries, to enable the distribution of over 13,000 productive-use appliances, directly impacting more than 58,000 households.

CLASP is running an industrial accelerator program in Pakistan to spur innovation and improve appliance efficiency. The program leverages international production and design experts to collaborate with local industry manufacturers to enhance the energy efficiency of water heaters and motors.  Improved energy efficiency will reduce demand on the national power grid, reduce energy costs for consumers, and produce less climate emissions.

This Industry Accelerator has two main components: strengthen capacity for testing labs and provide technical support for manufacturers to improve their products to prepare for the upcoming regulations.

The Need for Reliable Testing Laboratories

In Pakistan’s appliance and equipment manufacturing sector, reliable, independent appliance test laboratories are starting to emerge. Test labs support manufacturers in assessing efficiency levels of their appliances, and their presence is crucial to accelerating efficiency, innovation and quality. They will also be essential in measuring the performance of regulated products for compliance once Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and labeling regulations are rolled out.

Strengthening Lab Capacity Through Partnerships with Private Sector

Recognizing the need for both industry-based and independent test laboratories that are able to provide reliable and accurate test results, CLASP facilitated public-private partnerships with major air conditioner and motor manufacturers in Pakistan. CLASP also collaborated major manufacturers to support the capacity building of existing labs such as Centre for Energy Research & Development, Pakistan (CERAD). The training included upskilling the lab technicians’ proficiency in protocols, test methodologies, and enhancing verification process to prove that testing is reliable.

Learning from International Best Practice

CLASP partnered with motor testing expert from Turkish National Standards Institute (TSE) who are working in Pakistan and remotely to help strengthen the capacity of three motors labs at the Information Technology University (ITU), the Gujranwala Institute of Future Technology (GIFT) and CERAD. TSE have provided advice not only on lab equipment set up, but have undertaken extensive testing alongside the Pakistani technical staff to ensure their ability to test products and analyze results according to the IEC testing standards.

To gain insights on producing more efficient water heaters, a delegation of Pakistani manufacturers visited China’s renowned testing lab, the China Household Electric Appliance Research Institute (CHEARI) in Beijing. The manufacturers had an opportunity to enhance their knowledge of test lab equipment, methodologies and processes and learn insights in designing more efficient water heaters. When efficient water heaters are produced in Pakistan they will reduce the fossil fuel demand, strain on national grid, lower emissions and lessen monthly power bills for consumers.

Strengthening the Motor Industry

CLASP also invited motor experts from EMOSAD in Türkiye to visit local counterparts in Pakistan to share insights on how the country transformed from producing low-efficiency motors to building globally competitive, energy-efficient models. Following initial assessment of manufacturer production facilities, the experts have been preparing tailored design and production improvement recommendations for each participant considering their existing capabilities and objectives. The overall goal is to enable all participating manufacturers to have the capacity to produce motors of at least IE1 efficiency levels.

Industry Support Yield Benefits for Manufacturers, Consumers and the Climate

Around the world, manufacturers are recognizing the benefits of producing appliances and equipment that adhere to global standards in energy-efficiency that are also crucial to climate action and sustainable development. The presence of reliable, independent appliance test laboratories and technical assistance to participating manufacturers are the first steps towards building thriving motor and water heater industries in Pakistan. This will benefit the climate, the economy and consumers.

CLASP would like to thank the following companies who are a key part of the Pakistan Industry Accelerator program: AC and Motor Test Laboratories at CERAD, ITU and GIFT; the Punjab Energy Department (PEECA); Haier, ABB, Dawlence; the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR); the Turkish National Standards Institute (TSE); the Turkish Motor Manufacturer’s Association (EMOSAD); the Pakistan Pumps and Motor Manufacturers Association (PPEMMA); the China Household Electric Appliance Research Institute (CHEARI); and the participating manufacturers Canon, Super Asia, Waves, Golden Fuji, Fisher, Golden Dynamics, El-Khas, Sunrise and Shahzad Pump.

Washington DC, 16 November 2023 – New analysis from CLASP shows that the appliances sector has a staggeringly large climate impact, accounting for 39.3% of all energy-related CO2 emissions — roughly equivalent to the combined emissions of China, Europe, and Brazil in 2020. If current trends continue, appliance emissions will overshoot the International Energy Agency’s 2050 net zero targets by at least 9 gigatons.

The report, “Net Zero Heroes: Scaling Efficient Appliances for Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience,” also reveals profound inequities in access to appliances, leaving billions of people more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. For example, at least 1.2 billion people lack access to air conditioners and fans, making it difficult to cope with rising temperatures.

Fortunately, the appliances sector offers a time-tested solution for dramatically reducing emissions while bringing life-changing services to more people: energy efficiency.

CLASP provides a roadmap for realizing the sector’s mitigation and adaptation potential by rapidly increasing the efficiency of 10 key appliances: the Net Zero Heroes. This group is comprised of air conditioners, comfort fans, electric cookers, electric motors, heat pump space heaters, heat pump water heaters, LED lighting, refrigerator-freezers, solar water pumps, and televisions.

Dramatically reducing the energy consumption of the Net Zero Heroes would bring far-reaching benefits. In addition to avoiding emissions, thoughtful appliance efficiency policies contribute to end-use electrification and grid decarbonization. Efficient appliances are also less expensive to purchase and operate, making them more attainable for people in low- and middle-income countries and communities.

The report urges governments and manufacturers to supercharge the efficiency of the Net Zero Heroes within the next few years. It provides targets for each appliance and estimates the emissions reductions and resilience benefits associated with reaching them. It also describes proven policy and financing mechanisms for achieving these goals within the ambitious timeline required.

Compared to many climate solutions, appliance energy efficiency is low-cost and easy to deploy, making it a particularly vital tool for governments seeking to meet their Paris Agreement commitments. Efficiency pushes can deliver results relatively quickly by leveraging existing technologies and supply chains while harmonizing with existing policies.

For more information about “Net Zero Heroes: Scaling Efficient Appliances for Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience,” please contact:

Corinne Schneider

Chief Communications Officer

CLASP

cschneider[at]clasp.ngo

+1-202-375-9814

About CLASP:

CLASP is an international nonprofit dedicated to promoting appliance efficiency and energy access, working with governments, industry, and communities to advance policies and markets towards the highest-quality, lowest resource-intensive appliances, for the benefit of people and the planet.

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Driven by the sustainable growth of the market for solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) in Kenya, valued at approximately USD 30 million, the sector is offering expanding job opportunities. In Kenya alone, the SPIS sector is projected to create approximately 7,000 to 10,000 direct jobs by 2027. These well-paying and impactful positions can offer employment to rural youth who often face challenges accessing education, employment, or training.

Efficiency for Access, in collaboration with Dalberg, is committed to equipping these young individuals with the essential hard and soft skills to excel in the SPIS sector. Given that opportunities in this sector often demand specialized skills that are in short supply among youth, we are introducing a pilot program that will provide SPIS training to young adults post-high school. This specialized training not only meets the needs of underemployed youth but also addresses the growing demand for skilled labor as the solar irrigation sector continues to expand.

Through the successful implementation of this program, Efficiency for Access’ and Dalberg’s aim is to establish a blueprint and proof of concept that can be replicated in other regions and in the broader realm of green jobs, particularly within the productive-use renewable energy (PURE) sector.

Learn more about Efficiency for Access’ pilot concept and how you can be a part of this initiative.

If interested in collaborating, please contact:

• Sam Grant, Senior Director, Clean Energy Access, CLASP, sgrant@clasp.ngo
• Charlie Habershon, Associate Partner, Dalberg, Charlie.Habershon@dalberg.com

Download the Unlocking Green Jobs for Rural Youth in Solar Irrigation presentation to learn more.

About Efficiency for Access

Efficiency for Access is a global coalition working to promote high-performing, energy-efficient appliances that enable access to clean energy for the world’s poorest people. It is a catalyst for change, accelerating the growth of off-grid appliance markets to boost incomes, reduce carbon emissions, improve quality of life, and support sustainable development. The Efficiency for Access Coalition is coordinated jointly by CLASP,  an international not-for-profit appliance energy efficiency and market development specialist organization, and UK’s Energy Saving Trust, which specializes in energy efficiency product verification, data and insight, advice, and research.

In the lead up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 30 November – 12 December, CLASP is launching #NetZeroHeroes – a celebration of the people and appliance heroes that are critical in reaching global Net Zero targets and promoting resilience in an already warming world.

Appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators, electric motors, and lighting collectively have a major climate impact. They are responsible for a staggering 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions globally, according to CLASP’s forthcoming report ‘Net Zero Heroes: Scaling Efficient Appliances for Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience.’ CLASP’s research shows how rolling out affordable, energy efficient alternatives is key to mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis and achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Through a series of reports, videos and articles highlighting stories of leadership and expert perspectives from across the sector, #NetZeroHeroes will amplify the urgent and immediate need to deploy efficient appliances at speed and scale to protect people and the planet.

The campaign will culminate in CLASP’s groundbreaking publication, “Net Zero Heroes: Scaling efficient appliances for climate change mitigation, adaptation & resilience” – launching the week before COP28 and available on CLASP’s website.

This research will highlight the transformative potential of efficient appliances by:

• Quantifying appliances’ ability to achieve the emissions reductions needed to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement;
• Indicating where we should scale our efforts this decade for maximum impact;
• Analyzing gaps in access to appliances and recommending where scale-up would better enable communities to adapt in a warming world;
• Providing a roadmap of solutions that governments, investors and other stakeholders can implement today to get on track to net zero emissions and an inclusive energy transition.

Stay tuned and follow #NetZeroHeroes on social media. This page will serve as a homebase for all campaign materials and will be updated regularly.

If you are interested in getting involved with the campaign, reach out to Lexi Ross at aross@clasp.ngo.

18 Small and medium-sized companies selling productive use appliances (PUAs) were selected by the Productive Use Financing Facility to receive procurement subsidies and capacity-building grants.

PUAs are energy-efficient, income-generating appliances like refrigerators, walk-in cold rooms, electric cookers, solar water pumps and milling machines. Despite their transformative potential for local communities, small businesses and the environment, PUA sales are extremely low in emerging markets due to affordability and access to finance.

CLASP and Nithio want to change this. They set up the Facility, with support from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), to make PUAs more affordable to consumers and companies. In this funding round, CLASP received over 80 applications from companies across Central, East and West Africa, representing a range of PUA technologies. Solar water pumps were the most common technology, followed by refrigerators and fans.

Subsidies with a transformative impact

The 18 companies selected will use their funding to sell a combined amount of 12,135 PUAs that will introduce life-changing productive use technology to over 500,000 people. The successful companies target both households and small businesses, with the PUA providing a transformative community-level impact by enabling customers to generate more income, save time, and improve their quality of life.

 “We are excited to support such a wide range of early movers and leaders in the productive use market,” commented Jeff Sottlemyer, CLASP program lead for the Facility. “We look forward to seeing the impact of this support on the lives of their customers and the communities they live and work in.”

Many applicants laid out strategies to specifically market appliances to women, showcasing the sector’s recognition of equitable uptake of PUA. BrightLife, a Ugandan refrigerator distributor, incentivizes sales agents to reach targets of at least 50% women shop owners and farmers for sales of refrigeration products. The companies also have a strong representation of women on their payroll. For example, women comprise more than 70% of the Ugandan-based and owned company POPO Africa’s workforce, while ALLTIMEFRESH in Nigeria is owned and predominately run by women.

“We anticipate the Facility will help early movers reduce unit costs, improving access to affordable, high-quality appliances,” noted Makena Ireri, Director at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet “Unit cost reduction is a necessary step in demonstrating commercially sustainable PUA businesses that can attract private investment and propel market growth.”

The goal of the Productive Use Financing Facility is to support companies with the potential to scale quickly, and this round prioritized companies that are ready to sell. Already sales are underway at many of these companies, with the others expected to commence within the next month.

Following a rigorous evaluation, CLASP selected the following 18 companies:

Subscribe to our newsletter for more updates on the Facility.

About The Productive Use Financing Facility

CLASP’s Productive Use Financing Facility, is supported by The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP).

In September 2022, Rio de Janeiro’s Sustainable Favela Network (SFN) and Favelas Unified Dashboard published the report “Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas: Community Researchers Gather Data Revealing Inequalities and Calling for Action.”

The publication was the culmination of an intensive 6-month research course “Researching and Monitoring Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas,” engaging two youth and one leader from each of 15 favelas in Rio de Janeiro (45 people in total) to learn the entire arc of research, from why it’s important for their communities, to the development of useful indicators, all the way through how to report and advocate using data produced. As one of seven modules, participants generated “data by and for the favelas.”

CLASP collaborated with Catalytic Communities (CatComm), an NGO that has supported favela community organizers since 2000 and which facilitates the Sustainable Favela Network and Favelas Unified Dashboard. We contributed expertise on energy efficiency, leading intro to energy efficiency and policy sessions and helping community organizers develop indicators used in the survey. In the courses, we emphasized the connection between energy efficiency and electric bills, and how data are used in policymaking processes.

The Energy Needs of Underserved Favelas

Favelas are informal communities that emerge from an unmet need for affordable housing. Although a common English translation is “slums,” this term carries a negative connotation that fails to honor the unique historical consolidation and cultural context of favelas in Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, most favelas are over 50 years old and some 24% of the population lives in these communities.

The course was created for youth in the favelas to better understand the importance of data — including how to collect, analyze, understand, and use it to communicate community needs. Community members collecting data of use to them and using it for advocacy represents an effort to remedy the underrepresentation of low-income populations in policymaking processes.

We spoke with Kayo Moura, a graduate student completing his second degree in Statistics, who led many of the course sessions centered on data and analysis for the reports. Kayo also served as the local leader for the Jacarezinho favela in the survey, drawing from his work with LabJaca, one of the 15 community organizations involved with the course, focused on “research, training, and production of data and narratives about favelas and peripheries.”

Kayo was raised across the Guanabara Bay in Niterói by a single mother who always encouraged him to study hard — so he did, earning a scholarship to the private Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) of Rio de Janeiro. After living in different places in and around favelas, interacting with PUC’s surrounding neighborhood with a high population of wealthy and white students, was eye-opening.

This commitment led Kayo to the research course, designed to help youth better understand the extent of the injustices they have experienced in their respective communities and the role they can play in addressing them. “It is people with similar problems, or perhaps with different ones, sharing their experiences and lessons learned that strengthens and enhances everybody’s work. That is what happened during the course.”

Energy Efficiency Improves Energy And Water Access

Reducing energy demand is especially crucial now — climate change has diminished the reliability of Brazil’s hydroelectric power, and combined with turbulent economic conditions, more households are struggling with high energy burdens. When households cannot afford electric bills, they resort to siphoning electricity from the grid, known locally as using a “gato.”

“A resident turned to me and said that she had no reason to lie; she has a ‘gato’ because she doesn’t even have money for the basics in her house, let alone paying for electricity and water. But I told her that electricity and water are basics for human beings… that we deserve and need to survive.”

— Domênica Ferreira (Morro dos Macacos)

Utilities can decline to service areas with “gatos” or Areas with Severe Operational Restrictions (ASRO), which some favelas are categorized as due to the presence of armed criminal groups. During the data collection, Rio experienced the second deadliest operation in its history in Vila Cruzeiro, only surpassed by the operations in Jacarezinho just one year earlier. These conditions are an additional barrier preventing residents in the favela from accessing basic services.

“One of the problems here is the cost of energy to supply water. To have water requires a lot of energy.”

Juliana Cesário
Cosmorama/Mesquita

This research has shown that collaboration is needed to design programs that provide meaningful benefits to underserved populations. As experts on their own needs and living conditions, residents play a critical role in designing both relevant surveys, and the solutions necessary for successful policy action.

Interested in learning more?

• Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas report (English)
• Insights into Energy Efficiency in the Favelas
• Research Is Also ‘By Us for Us!’ Leaders and Youth From 15 Favelas Prepare to Launch ‘Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas’ Report
• Comprehensive report (in Portuguese)
• 43 min documentary on the research course
• 5 min report launch video