Fragility and energy poverty are closely interlinked.

Fragility hampers development, including improvements in energy access. In turn, a lack of development creates structural conditions for the persistence of instability and conflict. Fragility not only condemns people to extreme poverty, it affects the rest of the world – driving mass migration, terrorism, and trafficking. Energy access is a key element in peace building, and helping countries escape fragility makes us all safer.

Scaling energy access in fragile contexts is more urgent – and attainable – than ever before.

COVID-19 has triggered an unprecedented economic shock for these countries, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. But we have an opportunity to make a quantum leap by expanding clean, affordable energy access to fuel economic recovery and enhance stability.

Significant cost reductions and quality improvements in distributed renewable energy technologies, such as solar mini-grids and other off-grid solutions, mean that we now have a convergence in what is good for the climate, what is needed to unlock economic growth in fragile states, and what is technologically feasible.

To work in fragile contexts, energy solutions must be resilient in the face of conflict and uncertainty, and also be affordable and environmentally sustainable.

Distributed systems hold much potential as they are modular and disperse risk, making them less vulnerable to the single point of failure risks associated with large, centralised projects.

Many fragile states have significant renewable energy sources that are far from being fully exploited. Harnessing these resources would enable energy solutions that are better for the climate. However, financial commitments in off-grid
solutions in countries with the largest energy access gaps – of which several are fragile – remains a staggeringly low 1.1% of the total finance for electricity: only USD 460 million globally in 2018.

New commitments and partnerships can catalyse energy investments.

We commend initiatives such as the IRENA Sustainable Energy Marketplace and Peace Renewable Energy Credits, and partnerships such as Sustainable Energy for All, IRENA/ADFD Project Facility, and the Green and Equitable Recovery Call to Action. We call on them and others to pay special attention to expanding energy access in fragile contexts.

The private sector and aid agencies, supported by development finance institutions (DFIs), should work closely with governments of fragile states to design financing mechanisms, regulatory frameworks, and business models that can be deployed at scale to support investment in renewable energy.