PURE Growth – Developing Markets for Productive Use of Renewable Energy in Agricultural Value Chains (REEEP, Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, UNIDO)

Productive use of renewable energy (PURE) offers the opportunity to lock in low GHG emission development pathways for rural areas of countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, improving lives and livelihoods and building resilience to future threats such as the current triple energy, food and finance shock. Standing in the way of scaling up PURE in agri-food are challenges for actors at all levels: scant knowledge of the possibilities on most sides, nascent or early-stage markets for distribution and a lack of local financing solutions. The business environment in developing countries is often volatile, with a lack of coherence in policy, and market information for business plan development is uncertain or unavailable.

Based on 20 years of experience in clean energy market development, REEEP has designed a comprehensive response to these barriers – PURE Growth programme, which brings multi-pronged support to catalyse sustainable markets for renewable energy use in agricultural value chains. The programme is funded by Austria and will be launched at this event by the Austrian Federal Minister for Climate Action Leonore Gewessler and REEEP CEO Eva Kelly. A panel discussion will provide further insights into the needs and opportunities of PURE markets from green finance, energy policy and entrepreneurial perspectives.