Making clean energy transitions more inclusive: Evidence, knowledge gaps and policy options in low-income economies

Access to efficient and reliable renewable energy can provide significant climate, development and equity benefits. Transitions to clean energy are compatible with sustainable economic development and women’s economic empowerment. However, in the absence of adequate policies, such transitions may reinforce existing inequalities.

Initiated by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Gender Equality in a Low-Carbon World (GLOW) programme supports projects in different countries to investigate how women’s economic empowerment can be integrated into low-carbon, climate-resilient transitions.

This policy brief was co-authored by IDRC, Duke University, and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) ahead of the Think20 (T20) Summit in India. The brief summarises the evidence that supports, and the knowledge gaps that hinder, clean and inclusive energy transitions. It concludes that alongside addressing finance gaps and implementation barriers, tackling systemic socioeconomic inequalities is critical for inclusive clean energy transitions.

The report highlights that the G20 is well positioned to facilitate the sharing of innovative practices that can positively impact the lives of vulnerable populations experiencing these transitions.

Recommendations for the G20

Finance: A renewed effort is needed to finance energy transitions while ensuring this does not crowd out adaptation finance. This effort should connect international financial resources from public, private and philanthropic sources in innovative ways to scale up low-carbon technologies and business models.
Implementation: In many contexts, policies and innovation are key to achieving NDC and energy-access targets. The G20 is well positioned to promote lesson learning on policy innovations, and to replicate and extend existing good practices. These include the use of financial instruments and strategies for channelling investments to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including women-owned SMEs.
Integrating equity: Renewed attention must be given to improving energy access for the world’s poorest, and it must go beyond fulfilling only basic needs. Investments and policies for renewable energy and energy efficiency in low-income countries should be intentionally designed for the empowerment of marginalised groups across energy value chains, including women. There is a specific policy role for engendering more equitable social norms and supporting skills training for women, as well as gender-responsive programmes in communities and schools.
Priorities for research and learning: Context plays an important role in the success of energy transition initiatives. The G20 can promote policy-orientated learning through the establishment and support of a permanent platform to coordinate opportunities to invest in evidence generation. This would promote green transitions, help define the concept of ‘just transitions’ locally, and facilitate lesson sharing and cross-sectoral action.

Authors: Arjan de Haan, Mairi Dupar, Marc Jeuland, Jonathan Phillips, Monica Marcela Jaime Torres, Bhim Adhikari, Flaubert Mbiekop

Making clean energy transtitions more inclusive: Evidence, knowledge gaps and policy options in low-income economies
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Making clean energy transtitions more inclusive: Evidence, knowledge gaps and policy options in low-income economies

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Mairi Dupar

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