Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Accepted
Community energy progress depends on fostering local innovation and robust capacity building
Conclusion
Sustained progress in community energy depends on fostering local innovation and building robust capacity at multiple levels, from grassroots technical skills to manufacturing ecosystems. (Conclusion, Paragraph 81)
Government Response Summary
The FCDO agrees with the conclusion and highlights existing programmes like TEA, Chevening Scholarships, and open-source training that already foster innovation and build capacity in energy access. They commit to continuing to embed lessons learned from evaluations into policy and programme delivery.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Government Response: Agree 63. The FCDO agrees with this and remains committed to using its convening power to bring together communities, innovators, and institutions to co-design solutions that deliver improved energy access. As part of the UK’s four development shifts, we will focus on moving from ‘International Intervention to Local Leadership’, working increasingly with local partners including civil society. The TEA programme supports African (and wider southern) energy access innovation, capacity and leadership including through master’s courses, job placements, and in-work leadership training (including the Future Females course for female leaders). 2,000 Africans have already benefitted from leadership training in energy access businesses and 1,000 young Africans from job placements. 64. The FCDO also co-funds 30 TEA Chevening Scholarships to study at clean energy master’s courses in the UK (20 have so far completed their studies). The scholars are from sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, and gain access to world class UK University education, as well as a TEA mentor and opportunities to connect with other TEA researchers, and tailored career support. The TEA platform finishes its second phase in March 2027, but a business case extension is being prepared for consideration in the first half of 2026, with a view to extending the programme to at least 2030 (the SDG7 target date). 65. The Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) programme hosts a regular series of ‘summer schools’, inviting young academics, policymakers and stakeholders to attend intensive training courses in the use of open-source energy systems planning tools, with mentoring opportunities. To date more than 800 participants from developing countries have been trained in these tools, with more than a third of participants being women. 66. The UK has also been contributing to community-led energy access through our evaluation and learning. FCDO ODA Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) evidence suggests that longer-term and more effective energy access intervention outcomes requires support to locally-led action and equitable partnerships between north and south. An example this demonstrated via the outcomes of the Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP)7 which highlighted how locally owned systems improved access to electricity in health clinics and villages and assessed the socioeconomic benefits over time. Moving forward, in our policy and programme delivery, we will continue to embed lessons learnt, including on how to better work with local partnerships.