By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AMID daunting climate change challenges, a firm, Ecobora, has introduced and implementing a Cooking-as-a-Service model and installing solar-powered cooking boilers in schools to replace firewood.

Inter Ethiopia Solutions, enhancing access to renewable energy while refurbishing discarded electronic equipment.

Resilience, Growth and Livelihoods:
This phase of PREO funding aligns with a broader mission to foster climate resilience, economic development, and job creation in sub-Saharan Africa.

By taking strategic risks on innovative companies, PREO not only scales impactful initiatives but enables businesses to leverage clean energy technologies, improve livelihoods, and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

The Carbon Trust is a global climate consultancy driven by the mission to accelerate the move to a decarbonised future, which they have been climate pioneers for over 20 years, partnering with businesses, governments and financial institutions to drive positive climate action.

PREO is a demand-led productive use of renewable energy (PURE) programme improving the livelihoods of communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific Island Countries through partnerships, knowledge sharing and innovation.

Meanwhile, the Programme Manager, IKEA Foundation, Richa Goyal, said: “With this latest round, PREO reaffirms its role as the only dedicated platform for testing business models that focus on productive use of renewable energy.

“The selected innovations have the potential to transform sectors by delivering first time clean energy access to businesses and institutions.”

Also, the PREO Programme Lead at the Carbon Trust, Rhiannon Turner, added that, “We are excited to announce the latest line-up of new companies to be supported over the next phase of PREO.

“As demonstrated by the breadth of sectors and technologies represented there is an enormous opportunity to prove the viability of business models that will help drive income creation and improve livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa.”

PREO is supported by the IKEA Foundation and UKaid via the Transforming Energy Access platform, delivered by the Carbon Trust and Mercy Corps Energy 4 Impact.

Since 2019, the programme has made significant contributions to advancing productive use of renewable energy, and its latest report ‘Powering Prosperity: The socio-economic benefits of the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) in Africa’ highlights the impact of these interventions.