The “Cooling the Planet: Jobs in Energy Efficiency & Cold Chain Solutions” webinar will be the first in a series of joint webinars hosted by SEforALL and Shortlist Futures and will explore opportunities in energy access and energy efficiency, looking at careers in sub-sectors like cold storage, cooling technologies, and sustainable agriculture. Tailored to young African jobseekers, this event will provide sector-specific labour market insights and practical career guidance, connecting youth with the skills, networks, and resources needed to seize opportunities in Africa’s expanding green economy.

The IEC Global Impact Fund (the Fund) is dedicated to turning the value of IEC work in electrical, electronic, and ICT (information and communication technologies) standards and conformity assessment into tangible benefits for the communities that need them most. By supporting projects that showcase the real-world impact of international standards, the Fund helps bridge the gap between technical excellence and community well-being.

The second IEC Global Impact Fund project will focus on accelerating access to clean cooking solutions through an SME-led initiative in Asia. According to the World Health Organization, nearly a third of the global population still relies on solid fuels such as wood, charcoal, and animal dung for cooking, posing significant health and environmental risks. 

Although clean e-cooking solutions such as electric pressure cookers, hot plates, infrared or induction hobs, and other appliances, are becoming more popular as clean cooking alternatives, many countries still encounter challenges such as limited energy access.

This webinar will explore the role of international standards and conformity assessment in overcoming these challenges, ensuring that clean cooking solutions are safe, reliable, and widely accessible. 

Developing local value chains for renewable energy and electric vehicle technologies is becoming a key policy priority across the Global South. Alongside energy transition and green growth strategies, this shift represents an opportunity to reduce import dependency, build local industries by leveraging existing capacities and resources, and create jobs across the entire value chain. Achieving these goals requires a comprehensive industrial policy framework, incorporating long-term strategic planning, supply- and demand-side incentives, and interventions focused on education, training, trade, technology transfer, logistics, and complementary infrastructure development.

Kenya is taking measures to accelerate the energy transition, leveraging its vast renewable energy resources and strong policy frameworks to drive sustainable economic growth. In 2023, the country adopted its Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP), developed in partnership with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), outlining the investments needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The ETIP projects a 20-fold increase in power demand by 2050, which highlights a critical importance of local value addition to ensure the country’s population is well-positioned to harness additional economic benefits brought by the net zero transition.

The Draft National Energy Policy 2025-2034 lays a strong emphasis on establishing an enabling environment to spur local manufacturing hubs for renewable energy technologies and ancillary components with backward linkages to critical minerals to reduce import reliance. The Draft National E-mobility Policy also recognizes the need for achieving higher shares of local content in the e-mobility value chain leveraging on a vibrant domestic e-mobility sector that is aiming to drive local value chain development for various applications, including two-/three-wheelers and buses. Kenya’s participation in regional trade agreements and global supply chains further enhances its opportunities for value addition and export-led industrialization.

Against this backdrop, SEforALL has developed the Kenya Green Manufacturing Policy and Investment Guide, a comprehensive resource consolidating information on existing policies and incentives for green manufacturers in solar PV manufacturing, EV assembly, and lithium-ion battery production. The guide also highlights emerging areas where targeted interventions are needed to further localize value chains, drive industrial growth, and maximize economic spillover effects.

This fifth webinar in the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative South-South Virtual Policy Dialogue Series will explore Kenya’s opportunity in building local value chains for solar PV, batteries and electric vehicles. Convening representatives from government, industry, financing institutions, and development partners, the discussion will focus on showcasing key investment priorities in the sector, identifying policy actions needed to support the local value chains, as well as addressing measures to bridge the financing and skills gap.

Guiding questions

1. What are the key opportunities in Kenya’s renewable energy and electric vehicle manufacturing sector?
2. How competitive is Kenya’s green manufacturing sector in comparison to other regional and global players, and what industrial policy measures are needed to strengthen local and regional supply chains?
3. What are the main asks from the international and local private sector in terms of policy support, incentives, and infrastructure to accelerate green manufacturing in Kenya?
4. What specific financial mechanisms or incentives could be introduced or expanded to advance Kenya’s green manufacturing sector?
5. What role do regional cooperation and trade agreements play in supporting Kenya’s ambition to become a premier destination for green manufacturing?

Agenda

12.30 – 12.45 High-level opening remarks

• Ali Mohamed, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Kenya
• George Ouma Nyongayo, Assistant Director Renewable Energy, State Department for Energy, Kenya

12.45 – 12.50 Scene-Setting presentation and soft launch of the Kenya Green Manufacturing Policy and Investment Guide

12.50 – 14.00 Interventions and discussion

Facilitator: Victor Gathogo, East Africa Lead, Global Energy Transition Initiative, ClimateWorks Foundation

Electric Mobility:

• Hans van Toor, Chair – Electric Mobility Subsector, Kenya Association of Manufacturers / Strategy and Innovation Manager, Roam
• Marian Muthui, Head of Manufacturing, BasiGo
• Michael Muchiri, Senior Principal Superintending Engineer, Ministry of Roads and Transport, Kenya

Solar PV and battery value chains:

• Diana Masika, Senior Renewable Energy Officer, Ministry of Energy, Kenya
• Ngotho Gathu, Director, Canto Systems Limited
• Paul Wambugu, Investment Manager, KenGen

Ecosystem Development:

• Robert Njoroge, Technical Advisor, GIZ Kenya
• Shuvai Madanhire, Chief Human Resources Officer, Spiro

Audience Q&A

Developing domestic renewable energy manufacturing is becoming a key policy priority across the Global South. Alongside energy transition and green growth strategies, this shift represents an opportunity to reduce import dependency, build local industries by leveraging existing capacities and resources, and create jobs across the entire value chain. Achieving these goals requires a comprehensive industrial policy framework, incorporating long-term strategic planning, supply- and demand-side incentives, and interventions focused on education, training, trade, technology transfer, logistics, and complementary infrastructure development.

South Africa has pioneered efforts to build domestic renewable energy manufacturing capabilities deploying a range of industrial policy tools alongside its renewable energy procurement programme to attract global OEMs and build a local ecosystem of suppliers and service providers. More recently, the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) is being developed to reinvigorate the country’s renewable energy manufacturing sector with a focus on green industrialisation and job creation, leveraging existing production capacities, natural resources and regional cooperation opportunities. The country’s nearly USD 100 billion Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JETP) for 2023-2027 further strengthens these efforts, aimed at fostering a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economy.

Capitalizing on the full range of opportunities offered by green industrialization will require South Africa to attract and mobilize substantial domestic and international investment in the renewable energy manufacturing sector, while addressing a range of demand- and supply-side bottlenecks. It is well-positioned to pursue regional supply chains that leverage countries’ complementary production capacities and mineral resources to unlock greater value on the continent through upstream linkages.

South Africa’s drive to bolster its green value chains has been supported by a combination of public and private sector initiatives. InvestSA, South Africa’s leading investment promotion agency under the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition, plays a pivotal role in attracting, generating, and retaining investments in the country. By partnering with South Africa’s nine regions, InvestSA aligns investment needs with the country's diverse business opportunities.

Organized in partnership with InvestSA and the DTIC, this fourth webinar in the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative South-South Virtual Policy Dialogue Series will deep-dive into South Africa as an investment destination for renewable energy manufacturing showcasing opportunities, policy and institutional landscape and competitiveness assessments. The webinar will  convene representatives from government, industry, financing institutions and development partners to identify key actions needed to translate South Africa’s visions into investments, including on infrastructure development, trade policy and incentive design, investment mobilization and demand creation policies. The webinar will also showcase the opportunity for South Africa’s upcoming G20 Presidency to place centre-stage the green industrialization agenda and present a pathway for the Global South looking to concurrently advance climate action, energy transition and industrialization.

Guiding questions

1. What are the key opportunities in South Africa's renewable energy and e-mobility manufacturing sector and how is the government looking to attract investments?
2. How competitive is local manufacturing in South Africa and what measures can government take to facilitate the development of local and regional supply chains?
3. What are the main asks from the international and local private sector in terms of policy support, incentives, and infrastructure to accelerate renewable energy manufacturing?
4. What specific financial mechanisms or incentives could be developed to advance South Africa’s renewable energy manufacturing sector? How can climate financing and just transition programmes effectively support such efforts?
5. How can South Africa’s renewable energy value chains be better integrated into regional and global supply chains, and what trade policies and financial tools are necessary to enable this?
6. How can South Africa’s G20 Presidency catalyze investments, partnerships and cooperation necessary for green value chain development in the Global South?

Agenda

12.30 – 12.45 High-level opening remarks 

Stefano Marguccio, Deputy CEO, Sustainable Energy for All 

Yunus Hoosen, Acting Deputy Director General, Investment & Spatial Industrial Development Branch, Department of Trade, Industry & Competition, South Africa (Invited) 

12.45 – 12.55 Scene-Setting presentation

Annelize van der Merwe, Director: Investment Promotion (Green Economy), Department of Trade, Industry & Competition, South Africa 

12.55 – 14.00 Moderated panel discussion 

Moderator: Gaylor Montmasson-Clair, Director & Co-Founder, Southern Transitions

Panellists:

Andrew McPherson, Investor & Business Advisor, Balancell 

Annelize van der Merwe, Director: Investment Promotion (Green Economy), Department of Trade, Industry Competition, South Africa 

Beth Dealtry, Head: Policy and Regulatory Affairs, NAACAM 

Hans Van Toor, Strategy and Innovation Manager, ROAM 

Kugan Thaver, Head: Machinery, Equipment and Electronics, The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa 

Tabi Tabi, Founder & CEO, Granville Energy 

Audience Q&A 

Are you ready to embrace the future of building insights?

We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming webinar, "The AI-Driven Future of Mapping," taking place on Friday, January 17th at 13:00 CET, 15:00 EAT, 17:30 IST, and 07:00 ET. This event will feature the Open Building Insights (OBI) Tool - an innovative, openly accessible cloud-based platform.

Why Attend?

• Revolutionary Technology: Discover how OBI harnesses open spatial data and cutting-edge AI to deliver building-level insights.
• Transformative Impact: Learn how OBI is set to enhance urban and rural planning in developing regions, promoting smarter and more sustainable development.
• Empower Decision-Makers: Explore a dynamic suite of features designed to equip planners and policymakers with knowledge on key building characteristics, sustainable energy opportunities, and impactful interventions.

About the Collaboration:

This innovative initiative is a collaboration between Sustainable Energy for All, the IBM Sustainability Accelerator Program, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and Open Energy Maps. Together, we aim to empower the energy and infrastructure planning community with the tools and insights to drive sustainable change and improve lives.

Join Us on This Exciting Journey!

Learn more about the AI models behind OBI and see how it can transform your approach to planning and development.

Register Now to secure your spot and stay ahead in the AI-driven landscape of building insights.

We look forward to welcoming you to this event!

This webinar is part of the new Empowering African Youth in Energy Transition Webinar Series.

Despite investment gaps, innovative financing can drive change. The webinar "Financing SDG 7  will explore challenges, opportunities, and strategies to mobilize capital, fostering inclusive and sustainable energy development. Join our final webinar to gain insights into overcoming investment barriers and advocating for sustainable energy within your community and professional field.

The Mini-Grids Partnership is excited to announce the release of the second edition of the State of the Global Mini-Grids Market Report.

State of the Global Mini-Grids Market Report 2020 rose awareness about mini-grids and was a benchmark that measured progress in the sector for decision-makers.

The State of the Global Mini-Grids Market Report 2024 serves as a comprehensive resource aiming to drive investment and inform decision-making in the sector. Utilising a bottom-up methodology, it provides up-to-date insights and forward-looking strategies for the sector’s sustainable scale-up, synthesising inputs from stakeholder interviews and extensive desk-based research.  

We would like to invite you to join us for a launch webinar on 14 August at 3:00 PM CEST where we will present the key findings from the report and hear from experts in the mini-grid sector.

Photo credit: Havenhill Synergy 

This webinar is part of the new Empowering African Youth in Energy Transition Webinar Series.

Africa’s energy transition hinges on local communities and gender mainstreaming. Despite significant challenges, these communities can spearhead renewable energy adoption. The webinar "Gender Mainstreaming SDG 7 and the Role of Local Communities in the Energy Transition" will explore best practices, challenges, and opportunities, aiming to foster inclusive and sustainable development.

Developing domestic renewable energy manufacturing is becoming a critical policy priority across the Global South. It is seen as a key strategy to reduce import dependency, build local industries, and maximize job creation, aligning with energy transition and green growth initiatives. Achieving this requires a comprehensive industrial policy framework that includes supply- and demand-side incentives, education and training, trade, technology transfer, logistics, and infrastructure development.  

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have emerged as effective tools to support the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies by offering attractive incentives and streamlined regulations. These designated areas offer attractive incentives and streamline regulations to attract investment and foster innovation in the renewable energy sector.  

Examples of SEZs in the Global South include Zambia and DRC's transboundary battery and electric vehicle zone, Indonesia's PV industrial park, and South Africa's Atlantis SEZ. Additionally, Nigeria has established the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions to oversee the creation of its first Green Industrial Zone, Evergreen City.

Organized in partnership with Project Evergreen, this third webinar in the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative (REMI) South-South Virtual Policy Dialogue Series will deep-dive into how Special Economic Zones are serving as an industrial policy tool to attract investments in renewable energy manufacturing. It will convene representatives from government, SEZ leadership, industry and financing institutions to identify key actions needed to translate visions into investments, including on infrastructure development, trade policy and incentive design, investment mobilization and demand creation policies.

This webinar is part of the new Empowering African Youth in Energy Transition Webinar Series.

Africa is moving toward sustainable energy, with a focus on renewables. Despite ample resources, full potential remains untapped. The webinar "Green Skills for the Future Workforce" aims to promote economic growth, energy security, and environmental sustainability by showcasing the diverse skills necessary in the clean energy sector while addressing unemployment challenges.