LocationsMeet Coralie Kowalski and follow her journey from an aspiring engineer to a driving force for sustainable energy and gender equity at UNDP.
Powering Change: Engineering Sustainable Energy Solutions with UNDP
January 7, 2026
Commissioning of a hybrid solar system at Kibumbu District Hospital under the Smart Facilities for Health project, improving reliable energy access for healthcare services, including the handover of keys to the technical container. Kibumbu, Burundi, 2025.
Photo: UNDP Burundi
Powering Change: Engineering Sustainable Energy Solutions with UNDP
I became an engineer to help solve problems that matter, and to build a career focused on one of humanity’s defining challenges: the climate crisis. Climate change always felt like the defining challenge of my generation, as it intensifies many issues, from poverty to habitat loss, and I wanted to be part of the collective effort to tackle it.
This led me to study environmental engineering. I was especially drawn to the analytical side of sustainability: interpreting data, conducting impact assessments, and using life cycle analysis to support better decisions. During my studies and early internships, including work in the Philippines examining the environmental impacts of tourism, one pattern became increasingly clear across sectors: energy was consistently a major driver of emissions and pollution.
That realization became a turning point. I redirected my focus through internships and research, from supporting bioenergy initiatives with coffee farmers in Indonesia to developing GIS applications for energy planning. I later completed my master’s thesis at the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, focusing on geospatial analysis for district energy planning in developing countries.
Step by step, this path led me to UNDP.
A Remote Start, A Powerful Team of Women
I joined UNDP during the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning my role remotely with the UNDP ITM Green Energy Team. From the outset, I was impressed by a predominantly female group of engineers from across the world, leading complex technical work. For a female engineering graduate, this was both rare and deeply motivating.
Several of these colleagues later became my supervisors and mentors, playing an important role in shaping my early professional journey within UNDP.
I started as a support engineer, then moved into a consultancy role, and now work as an analyst. Five years later, I remain part of the Green Energy Team, contributing to solar energy, energy efficiency, and e-mobility initiatives across UN facilities and UNDP programmes worldwide.
Coralie delivering end-user training to health facility staff in Burundi as part of the Smart Facilities for Health project, strengthening operation and maintenance for the long-term sustainability of solar hybrid systems. Bujumbura, Burundi, 2025.
Photo: UNDP Burundi
Energy from Birth to Death
I have had the opportunity to travel on missions to several countries and see how UNDP’s work translates into real-world outcomes.
One particularly impactful experience took place in Burundi, where I was assessing hospitals for solar installations. The national grid is highly unreliable, with frequent and prolonged power outages. Diesel fuel is scarce and expensive, often leaving hospital generators idle during blackouts and forcing doctors and patients to operate quite literally in the dark.
At one hospital, a C-section was underway when the power went out. A doctor rushed out of the operating room shouting in Kirundi. I could not understand the words, but the urgency was unmistakable. The outage had interrupted the surgery, putting both the mother and the newborn at risk.
Later, while inspecting the hospital morgue, staff explained that when someone dies, the family must pay for fuel to run the generator to keep the body refrigerated. If they cannot afford it, the morgue simply does not operate. That moment stayed with me. It made me realize how deeply energy underpins every stage of life, from birth to death. Access to energy is not just about powering appliances or lighting rooms; it is fundamental to dignity, safety, and survival.
Coralie installing IoT monitoring sensors alongside hospital electricians during energy audits in district hospitals under the Smart Facilities for Health project. Kabezi, Burundi, 2024.
Photo: UNDP Burundi
Local Solutions, Global Impact
Through the Greening Moonshot initiative, UNDP has pledged to halve its operational carbon emissions by 2030. My team contributes to this objective by supporting Country Offices in transitioning to renewable and energy-efficient energy systems, thereby reducing their operational carbon footprint.
We design and deploy solar solutions, improve energy efficiency, and support e-mobility initiatives, while ensuring long-term operation, maintenance, and local capacity-building. We do not simply install systems and move on. We monitor performance daily, train staff locally, and work with vendors to strengthen in-country expertise. Sustainability extends beyond technology; it is grounded in people, skills, and lasting behavioural change.
In Haiti, we supported the installation of a solar and battery backup system to power the server room of UNDP’s main office, ensuring continuous operation during grid shutdowns and instability so colleagues could continue their work during crises. In Samoa, we supported the deployment of electric vessels and vehicles as part of national efforts to decarbonize land and maritime transport. In Zambia, we installed a solar system at the UN House which became all the more relevant as power outages increased, after drought conditions reduced hydropower generation. In Namibia, we supported the introduction of the country’s first electric vehicles and the installation of a grid-connected solar system at the UN House, enabling net metering and reducing electricity costs.
Each country has its own energy story, and every solution must be tailored to its specific context.
Since joining UNDP, I have supported more than 25 UN offices worldwide in their transition to solar energy. Since their implementation, these projects have generated annual savings of over USD 580,000 in UNDP operational costs by reducing reliance on grid electricity and diesel fuel. They also avoid more than 1,500 tonnes of CO₂e emissions each year, equivalent to the amount absorbed by approximately 25,000 trees over a decade, or the annual emissions of around 320 passenger vehicles.
Beyond these figures, the systems have served as national reference points, demonstrating that renewable energy solutions are both feasible and effective, even in challenging operating environments. I am one of 24 engineers within the Green Energy Team, which offers a sense of the collective scale and impact of our work.
Coralie translating between English and French during a stakeholder engagement meeting with the Sultan of Aïr as part of the Decarbonising Humanitarian Energy (DHE) initiative in Niger. Agadez, Niger, 2023.
Photo: PNUD Niger
Advice to Future Engineers
UNDP has supported my professional growth through a strong culture of continuous learning, enabling me to earn certifications in solar system design, project management, public procurement, and IoT monitoring. Along the way, I have learned that effective engineering goes well beyond technical expertise. It also requires clear communication, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and a grounded understanding of real-world constraints.
Every six months, the Green Energy Team welcomes new interns, and I have had the opportunity to support and mentor several of them. Guiding others at the start of their careers has been a full-circle experience, one that continues to teach me as much as it allows me to contribute to the next generation of green energy engineers.
If I were speaking to a room full of engineering students, my advice would be to keep an open mind. Do not confine yourself to traditional technical roles. Engineering can create impact far beyond commercial environments. Invest in soft skills, learn new languages, and develop the ability to understand and adapt to different contexts. These are essential tools in an engineer’s toolbox, just as important as technical expertise.
During fieldwork, I have often been told that I “do a man’s job.” While often intended as a compliment, such remarks reflect the biases women continue to face in technical fields. I have also observed that competent and purposeful work can help challenge these assumptions, demonstrating that women are fully capable of effectively leading complex engineering projects.
Coralie conducting scoping activities with UNDP Nigeria to identify suitable solar solutions for marketplaces across the country. Kano, Nigeria, 2024.
Photo: UNDP Nigeria
"During fieldwork, I have often been told that I ‘do a man’s job.’ While often intended as a compliment, such remarks reflect the biases women continue to face in technical fields. I have also observed that competent and purposeful work can help challenge these assumptions, demonstrating that women are fully capable of effectively leading complex engineering projects.”Coralie Kowalski
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