Understanding the Clean Energy Transition with Community-Driven DRE Projects in Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa

Climate change impacts have accelerated and amplified over the last decades. Extreme weather, natural disasters, economic collapses, food and water insecurity, are all symptoms of this crisis. Similarly, 759 million people currently lack access to electricity, while another 2.8 billion still suffer from unreliable electricity services. With the goals of the Paris Agreement seemingly challenging to achieve by 2030, new approaches to the clean energy transition are required.

This publication explores the potential of community-driven decentralised renewable energy (DRE) projects to address the climate crisis, provide access to electricity and contribute to socio-economic development in communities.

The case studies featured in this publication highlight the main benefits of the community-driven DRE projects in Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa, and some of the notable barriers faced in such projects.