31 October 2023 – Norway, represented by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) has joined the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), Danish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA Denmark), the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFA Finland), the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland (MFA Iceland), the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) as a donor to the Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund (EEP Africa) raising combined commitments to the Fund to EUR 88.6 million.
Norway is the first new donor to join in 2023, committing NOK 140 million (approximately EUR 11.8 million) over the next four years. This is the second commitment to the fund this year, following Finland’s recommitment of EUR 9.5 million in February 2023.
We at NDF are delighted to welcome Norway to EEP Africa. This is the fourth Member Country of the Nordic Development Fund to join EEP Africa, and their contribution reaffirms that the work EEP Africa does continues to be aligned with our purpose as an institution.
- Karin Isaksson, Managing Director, NDF
This new commitment follows the recent Investment Committee meeting in Helsinki, where EUR 13.6 million was committed to 32 new grantees. The next call for proposals is anticipated to launch in February 2023.
Investments in renewable energy solutions in Africa provide lights for children doing homework after dark, while creating job opportunities allowing families to fend for themselves without putting more pressure on our climate. The energy transition is fundamental for sustainable development and private investments are crucial for scaling up. I am proud that Norway and the Nordic countries through the Nordic Development Fund and EEP Africa, are supporting this agenda by investing in locally led development of solutions for tomorrow.
- Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Minister of International Development, Norway
EEP Africa, hosted and managed by NDF, provides early-stage catalytic grants and repayable grants to innovative clean energy projects, technologies and business models in 15 countries across Southern and Eastern Africa. Project financing is supplemented by technical support, investment facilitation and knowledge sharing.
Since 2010, EEP Africa has channelled more than EUR 59 million to more than 270 pioneering projects leveraging innovative clean energy technologies and energy access business models to transform lives and livelihoods with particular focus on the very poor. EEP Africa grantees have improved energy access for more than 5.7 million people, provided more than 11,600 new jobs, and reduced or avoided 1.8 million tCO2e emissions.
For more information, please visit www.eepafrica.org or get in touch at info@eepafrica.org.
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)
Norway is represented by Norad – the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation – an agency under the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Together with their partners and on behalf of Norway, Norad strives for a greener future in a world without poverty. Human rights must be respected, and no one left behind. By way of knowledge and cooperation, they ensure that the funds of Norwegian development aid contribute to sustainable global development.
Nordic Development Fund (NDF)
The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) is both Fund Manager and funding partner for EEP Africa, and led the relaunch of EEP Africa as a multi-donor trust fund in 2018. Headquartered in Helsinki, NDF provides flexible, catalytic financing for climate change mitigation and adaptation in lower income and countries in fragile situations with focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. NDF is the joint Nordic climate and development finance institution established by the governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
To read more about all of EEP Africa’s donors, please find them on our webpage.