This handbook is designed to be a user-friendly guide rather than a technical compendium or comprehensive collection of relevant legislation. The focus is on national legislation, but the report encompasses national constitutional provisions, regulations and state and local laws. Emphasis is placed on policy adaptation to local country needs and conditions.

This report identifies the value of renewable energy feed-in-tariffs (REFiTs) in six African countries where this policy tool has been implemented. Given the success of REFiT policies in several countries around the world, the report draws broad lessons from case study analysis of the challenges encountered by these African countries in terms of low electrification rates, social, political and economic challenges, and issues in procuring finance. The report recommends steps countries can take to develop successful and context-specific REFiT programs.

The case studies in this book identify the drivers behind the introduction of renewable energy feed-in tariffs. The authors present and discuss the particular policy design developed in each country, and they analyse both supportive and obstructive factors for a successful policy implementation.

This report identifies and reviews credit-enhancement schemes provided by multilateral development banks and international financial institutions. Using case studies for analysis, it provides a basic notion of the challenges faced by various participants in obtaining and assigning financing for both infrastructure and green projects.

This report describes how 2015 was a watershed year for international development, with global leaders meeting to adopt a new set of sustainable development goals, as well as the financing framework that underpins those goals. With energy being the link that connects the global poverty agenda and climate change, this report explores the links between energy, poverty and climate change, while also documenting the risks that would come with a business-as-usual approach.

This report explains how the need for lighting products in places like Africa remains critical, as a large portion of households still have no access to electrical services. The report argues there is strong evidence of the significant benefits of even low levels of electricity access, such as its impact on the effective length of working days, education, safety and access to information. The report offers strategic advice to policymakers within governments and regulatory agencies to accelerate the penetration of efficient off-grid lighting products.

This report describes the relationship between biofuels and food security. It addresses how biofuel production and the policies used to support its development can relate—both positively and negatively—with each of the four dimensions of food security: availability, access, utilization (nutrition) and stability.

This presentation describes the solutions to sustainable private capital for small-scale distributed energy access that are central to achieving universal energy access targets. It discusses the distributed energy access supply chain with a focus on the financing needs and challenges for the small and medium enterprises in the sector.

This report describes how (1) voluntary sustainability standards have grown rapidly in number and importance in global commodity markets over the past decade and (2) the growth is occurring in parallel with growing recognition of the importance of economic drivers in implementing sustainable development. The report highlights systems and market trends across 16 important standards initiatives operating across 10 key commodity sectors.

This report describes renewable energy best practices from projects around the world. Case studies in the report show the strong involvement of diverse international stakeholders—including the public sector and donors—that have recognized both the need for and the potential of renewable energy business evolution in developing countries and emerging markets.