Today, 685 million people around the world still lack access to modern electricity. Many use toxic kerosene lamps to light their homes. Others are locked into the use of inefficient and polluting diesel and petrol generators that release harmful emissions. Off-grid solar solutions, such as solar light, power, irrigation and cooling systems provide first time electricity access for hundreds of millions of people, and often displace the use of fossil fuel alternatives. Where off-grid solar companies can obtain carbon credits for these emissions reductions it can have a valuable impact on access to clean modern energy. Yet many off-grid companies struggle to access carbon markets, and those that have are eager to increase collaboration with carbon market actors.

With this context, and as Innovate 4 Climate opens in Berlin to discuss the latest in climate finance, several GOGLA Members and other distributed solar companies have joined forces to launch a Call to Action (CTA) to carbon actors. The CTA urges them to help the off-grid industry better engage with the Voluntary Carbon Market and unlock carbon finance to accelerate access to modern electricity.  It identifies 3 key areas of action:

1. Development of efficiencies in the registration and certification process
2. Research to support high-integrity emission reduction methodologies and baselines
3. Use of digital monitoring and verification technologies

GOGLA is also working with its Members and partners to develop tools and actions that can help to support streamlining efforts, profile integrity and quantify the emissions reduction potential of the off-grid industry. It is further developing a Resilience and Adaptation Framework to better profile the ways that off-grid technologies are helping climate vulnerable communities to cope with extreme weather impacts. 

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about these activities, connect with our Members or work with us to enhance access to carbon finance. 

Carbon and climate finance are also key topics on the agenda in the upcoming Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo 2024 (Nairobi, 8-10 October). Join the Forum to meet the industry and take part in the discussion first hand!