Renewable energy access boosts rural jobs in Africa

June 24, 2020

Carbon Trust

Our new partnership with the Carbon Trust will use renewable energy to create sustainable jobs, reduce poverty and empower women in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

The IKEA Foundation has granted the Carbon Trust €5 million to support the Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) Programme, which will be delivered jointly with Energy 4 Impact.

The programme, which is co-funded by UK Aid, will fund more than 20 collaborative projects and partnerships. These use a market-led approach to promote the productive use of energy – linking energy directly to activities that generate income.

More than energy

While a reliable and affordable energy supply is vital for people living in rural sub-Saharan Africa to power their homes and businesses, energy access alone is not enough to transform economies.

Rural energy programmes need to consider the social and economic context for each local area and build partnerships that give people access to finance, technology and markets.

PREO promotes direct collaboration between energy users and power suppliers. In doing so, it will help realise the potential of energy access to improve livelihoods and boost economic growth. Overall, it plans to create 3,500 jobs, empower 1,000 women and benefit more than 11,000 rural households.

Afford a better life

Jolanda van Ginkel, the IKEA Foundation’s Programme Manager for Renewable Energy, says: “The PREO programme gives organisations working on energy for productive use the support to scale up by focussing on what people in rural communities really need.

“By working together effectively, we want to make renewable energy accessible more quickly to many communities. This will reduce carbon emissions and enable people living in poverty to afford a better life.”

The funding from IKEA Foundation will supplement €5.9 million that has been provided by UK Aid. By attracting additional co-funding, PREO aims to deliver a project portfolio with a total value of more than €20 million. 

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Carbon Trust
https://www.carbontrust.com/en-eu

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This year reminded us that progress on climate action isn’t a straight line and that the way we move forward matters. 🌍 As climate extremes intensified and uncertainty grew, we saw the importance of working together — with trust, openness and shared purpose. For the IKEA Foundation, being on the way in 2025 has meant moving forward together: 🤝 With our partners, who are doing the work — working alongside communities, testing new approaches, learning what works and pushing for change where it’s needed most. Their leadership, commitment and courage are what turn ambition into action. 👥 With our team, learning, adapting and shaping a new strategic direction — focused on enabling impact, strengthening partnerships and keeping people at the heart of climate action. 🌱 With our ambassadors and changemakers, who share trusted knowledge, challenge misinformation and help people make sense of complexity with clarity and hope. As we look ahead — deepening partnerships and scaling impact — we carry our founder’s reminder with us: happiness, and real change, are found in the journey. #IKEAfoundation
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🌍 Africa’s youth are driving powerful climate solutions — and #WinnieWambui is one of them. At #HarcourtAgriEcoFarm, she’s turning organic waste into high-value products using black soldier flies, creating cleaner communities and new opportunities for young people. ♻️🪰 With support from our partner, @icipe — a leader in insect-based solutions across #Africa — Winnie gained specialised training that strengthened her path into circular innovation and climate-smart waste management. She’s helping inspire more youth to turn waste into opportunity. Swipe to learn more ➡️ #IKEAfoundation #YouthInClimate #ClimateSolutions
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