GFA SUPPORTS CALL FOR ACTION BY ALLIANCE FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION

The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) is a network of policy makers, private and public stakeholders to foster the development of decentralized renewable energy solutions (DRE) in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In a Call for Action issuedby ARE on 16 April, 2020 a roadmap is recommended for the decentralized renewable energy sector to survive and flourish in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

ARE urges the international community, namely governments, funders and philanthropes, to create a Global DRE Relief Fund, fast-track existing procurement and funding procedures for DRE projects, and pool resources for a rural electrification stimulus plan to achieve related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, recognize the DRE sector as an ‘essential service’ and to step up technical assistance for DRE companies.

GFA supports this Call for Action as it is timely, relevant and impact-oriented. GFA has a long-standing history of success in implementing energy sector projects, particularly as related to rural electrification and energy sector reform.

The GFA experience covers projects on behalf of EU, GIZ, KfW and other institutional clients in, for example, Bangladesh, Cote ‘Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Indonesia, the Caribbean, Morocco, India. In addition, GFA is a partner of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4all) consultancy contracts for West and Central as well as East and Southern Africa. SE4all works with leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive action toward achievement of SDG7, which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030.