Launched on the first International Day of Clean Energy and developed under UNDP's Climate Aggregation Platform, this report series seeks to demystify financial aggregation and raise awareness about its potential to enable investments in Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) in East Africa and help address the energy access financing gap.  

The broader East African region, home to millions benefiting from DRE solutions, still faces challenges in universal energy access. The series explores the nuances of each market and offers strategic insights for advancing financial aggregation in the DRE sector. It aims to advance our understanding of the key precursors of financial aggregation and the readiness of different sub-sectors (off-grid solar, mini-grids, captive power, e-mobility) in the region, shedding light on the barriers that persist and the opportunities that exist in the market, and providing actionable recommendations to help unlock financial aggregation’s potential.  

Part one of the report series examines the potential of financial aggregation for Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) in East Africa. Drawing on extensive research and over 50 interviews, it serves as a reference for policymakers, investors, and stakeholders interested in innovative financial solutions to solve the SDG7 financing gap and offers recommendations to unlock the potential market and achieve scalability.

UNDP’s Climate Aggregation Platform is a flagship initiative of the Sustainable Energy Hub and Climate Hub to support the structuring and deployment of innovative business models and financial mechanisms to accelerate energy access and a just energy transition. To read the country-specific reports in this series please visit Financial Aggregation for Distributed Renewable Energy in Rwanda and Financial Aggregation for Distributed Renewable Energy in Uganda.