Project overview

This project builds upon experiences from the UNDP Green Villages initiative implemented in Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic during the last two years. The project goal is to offer a comprehensive strategy to scale-up private sector engagement in energy access by improving the risk-return profile of private investment in energy access products and services.

Objective

The key objective of the project is to expand energy access and provide reliable, affordable and sustainable energy products and services for the rural population of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic who are facing energy poverty, through promoting scalable, private sector-led business models and derisking their investment, by offering a comprehensive strategy to scale-up private sector engagement in energy access thru improvement of the risk-return profile of private investment in energy access products and services.

Components

The project will focus on introducing new technologies and energy services in selected villages through the following three interlinked components:

1. Enabling policy framework and capacity development for green energy SMEs, 
2. Improved access to finance and piloted business models for green energy SMEs and energy service users, and 
3. Improved access to sustainable energy services in remote rural areas – on a household, public buildings and village level. 

Projected Impact

The project directly contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets:

SDG 1 on Poverty, target 1.4 (equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance);

SDG 4 on Quality Education, target 4.4 (substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship);

SDG 5 on Gender Equality, target 5.4 (recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate);

SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy, all targets;

SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, target 8.3 (Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services);

Throughout the project, and particularly during the consultations with energy sectors in both countries, participation of women’s networks and gender equality experts will be ensured in order to inform policy planning.

The project will also support knowledge and experience transfer among the two beneficiary countries as well as within the wider region. It will also help all ECIS countries bring new ideas on sustainable energy and low carbon and climate resilient solutions.

Beneficiaries

Pilot households, pilot public buildings, private sector, micro-credit institutions