£8m awarded to LEIA to boost energy access in Global South
18 December 2023
Efficiency for Access is pleased to announce that £8m of support has been awarded to its Low Energy Inclusive Appliances (LEIA) programme to help improve energy access to those most in need.
The support is part of a £40m extension to the Transforming Energy Access platform, announced by UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak at COP28 in Dubai.
The significant scale-up of the LEIA programme will directly contribute to the UK’s commitment to the COP28 Global Cooling Pledge. The support is expected to improve clean energy access for 3 million people in the Global South who will benefit from a range of more efficient and affordable household, community, and light-commercial electrical appliances and solar-powered technologies, including cooling and refrigeration.
It is estimated this additional funding will result in a reduction of approx. 500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of over 100,000 people in the UK, along with leveraging £120 million of private and public sector funding for further efficient appliance R&D and scale-up (mobilising nearly 16 times the UK investment of £8m) and supporting the creation of long-term jobs in the efficiency appliances sector.
Emilie Carmichael, Head of International at Energy Saving Trust said, “This additional support for the Low Energy Inclusive Appliances programme will enable us to expand the work we are doing and ensure a long-term impact, providing access, improving livelihoods and enabling communities to build resilience and adapt to the effects of climate change, whilst also ensuring a sustainable future for the planet. Around 675 million people live without access to electricity globally with the majority living in rural areas. Off-grid solar solutions are expected to be the most cost effective and feasible solution for 41% households between 2020 and 2030.”
The LEIA programme was launched in 2018 and is Efficiency for Access’ flagship initiative. The programme is funded by UK aid, from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform and the IKEA Foundation.