- bp, Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies have announced a commitment to invest in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (UN SDG7), which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Despite ongoing efforts, progress towards universal energy access has stalled, particularly amidst recent macroeconomic shocks and rising energy prices. In 2022, the number of people without access to electricity globally increased by around 10 million to 685 million. Additionally, approximately 2.1 billion people, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, lack access to clean cooking facilities, disproportionately impacting women and girls who often bear the brunt of domestic responsibilities.
With $500 million of committed capital, the joint investment seeks to support promising, high-impact projects, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, aiming to help millions of people in underserved communities gain access to electricity and improved cooking conditions. Their shared intent is for the committed capital to be invested in a broad range of solutions, including solar home systems, mini/metro grids, clean cooking solutions, and enabling technologies (such as e-mobility, energy storage and management solutions). Over the coming years this has the potential to support UN SDG 7 while also generating co-benefits like job creation and improved health outcomes.
A global private equity firm with a strong track record in impact investing, has been selected to manage the joint investment. Their expertise will support the investments being strategically directed to create both social impact and financial returns, while engaging with governments, international organizations, financial institutions, the private sector, civil society, and philanthropies. This includes sharing learnings, providing technical assistance, and addressing market barriers.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
