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Sustainable Energy
Energy for Growth in Africa Initiative
Accelerating investment-ready clean energy projects across Africa
Overview and objective
Energy for Growth in Africa is an initiative proposed by the Government of Italy and implemented by UNDP. The initiative was endorsed by the G7 leaders at the Apulia summit in 2024 with partners from across the African continent. The initiative supports promising clean energy projects in Africa to overcome the barriers that prevent them from reaching investment and implementation.
Implemented through UNDP Rome Centre, Energy for Growth works with project developers, governments, financiers, and technical partners to strengthen project preparation, mobilize investment, and expand access to sustainable energy solutions across the continent.
Why Energy for Growth Exists
Across Africa, many clean energy projects fail to reach financial close not because of a lack of potential, but because critical gaps remain unresolved during project preparation. Projects may lack updated feasibility studies, clear financial structures, environmental and social assessments, grid integration studies, regulatory approvals, or sufficient commercial readiness to meet investor expectations.
In other cases, developers may have technically viable projects but limited access to the networks, advisory support, or transaction expertise needed to navigate complex financing processes. At the same time, development finance institutions and private investors continue to seek investable clean energy opportunities capable of delivering both financial and development impact.
Energy for Growth is a project preparation facility that was established to help bridge this gap by supporting projects in becoming investment-ready while strengthening the broader ecosystem connecting projects, technical expertise, and climate finance.
How the initiatives work
Energy for Growth operates through a structured pipeline approach that combines project origination, technical assessment, advisory support, and investment facilitation.
Projects are identified through Energy for Growth’s in Country Focal Points and UNDP Country office networks, national stakeholders, open calls for Expressions of Interest, and engagement with private sector developers. Once identified, projects undergo a multi-phase review process designed to assess both their readiness and the areas where targeted support can help unlock financing.
The initiative evaluates projects across multiple dimensions, including financial viability, technical feasibility, governance, environmental and social standards, development impact, and alignment with national priorities.
This approach allows the initiative to identify projects that are already close to investment readiness, as well as projects that require targeted support to strengthen specific gaps to make them bankable before engaging with financiers.
Supporting Projects Across Multiple Sectors
Energy for Growth supports a diversified clean energy pipeline across a broad range of technologies and business models. The initiative works with utility-scale renewable energy projects such as solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and battery energy storage systems, as well as distributed and decentralized energy solutions including mini-grids and solar home systems.
In parallel, the initiative also supports emerging sectors that are increasingly important for Africa’s energy transition and economic development, including clean cooking and e-mobility solutions. This diversified portfolio reflects the different energy realities across partner countries while enabling the initiative to support projects with strong potential for development impact, scalability, and climate resilience.
A Focus on Development Impact
Energy for Growth is designed not only to mobilize investment, but also to support projects capable of delivering measurable development outcomes.
The initiative is designed to accelerate access to electricity, enhance renewable energy deployment, contribute to job creation, accelerate productive use of energy and social economic transformation of households enhance climate resilience, and support broader sustainable development priorities.
Environmental, social, and governance considerations are integrated throughout the initiative’s approach, including alignment with international standards such as the IFC Performance Standards and UNDP Social and Environmental Standards.
Gender equality and social inclusion are also embedded within the evaluation process, recognizing the importance of ensuring that energy transitions generate inclusive and equitable benefits across communities.
Where we work
The initiative currently operates across ten African partner countries: Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Zambia.
Through UNDP Country Offices and dedicated focal points, Energy for Growth works closely with local stakeholders, governments, utilities, project developers, and financial institutions to support country-led clean energy transitions and strengthen national project pipelines.
Strategic Partnerships
Energy for Growth collaborates with a broad network of international partners and financing institutions, including the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), the Italian Climate Fund, the European Investment Bank, G7 partners and other partners.
The initiative also seeks alignment with wider international frameworks such as the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative, Mission300 and the Rome Process, helping to strengthen coordination between development priorities and international climate finance efforts.
Looking ahead
Energy for Growth is designed as a scalable platform capable of expanding across the continent over time. By strengthening project preparation, facilitating partnerships, and mobilizing climate finance, the initiative aims to support inclusive energy transitions that contribute to sustainable economic growth across Africa.
