CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION 

• Reducing GHG emissions: EEGF invests in companies in Sub Saharan Africa offering renewable energy (typically, solar powered) solutions to meet the electricity needs of households and businesses. This contributes to climate change mitigation by helping to displace fossil fuel based energy sources, such as diesel or kerosene. 

WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT 

• Promoting gender & climate smart investing: As an investor into the access to energy sector, EEGF aims to intentionally target women end beneficiaries and women entrepreneurs as consumers of electricity. As women are typically responsible for the household energy supply and often face discrimination to obtain electricity connections, the Fund’s portfolio companies will address the root cause disproportionally impacting women. In addition, one of the pillars of EEGF’s gender lens investment strategy is to support portfolio companies through the technical assistance facility to improve their gender practices to make them more gender inclusive. As an employer, EEGF has high gender equality standards and 50% female employee workforce. 

MARKET DEVELOPMENT

• Strengthening local SMEs and increasing employment: Further to the positive economic impact driven by access to electricity, EEGF estimates that it will create over a thousand jobs in the access to energy value chain, including in the least developed countries (LDCs). Furthermore, these companies are expected to reach several millions of beneficiaries through a variety of products such as, for example, solar powered small retail appliances (e.g. phone chargers, fridges, fans), improving livelihoods and generating additional income for local communities