The Maldives faces significant challenges in transitioning to renewable energy, particularly due to its dependency on imported fossil fuels and limited space for renewable infrastructure. While the country has made strides in integrating solar power, it continues to explore alternative renewable sources like wind, ocean energy, and floating solar projects to diversify its energy portfolio. However, these efforts are hampered by a lack of human, financial, and technical resources.

Background: 

Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa's Sahelian belt, faces severe environmental challenges. Erratic rainfall and increasing extreme weather events drive degradation and desertification, depleting timber resources. Unsustainable harvesting exacerbates this, especially impacting rural communities reliant on forest products for cooking.

Background

Addressing deforestation, forest degradation, and the health impacts of biomass cooking is a priority of the Central African Republic. This issue is reflected in national planning documents, such as the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which promote the use of improved cookstoves. However, despite the national emphasis on these issues, deforestation in CAR has continued at a steady pace. 

Background

Sahelia Solar, a Burkina Faso-based company, specializes in integrating solar photovoltaic systems to harness solar potential, reduce local energy costs, and combat climate change. By promoting solar energy in rural agro-industrial facilities through a "pay-as-you-go" model, Sahelia Solar has launched numerous projects in Burkina Faso. However, challenges in integrating energy for agricultural machinery and identifying specific energy needs have hindered progress.

Background

The Comoros recently joined the ranks of lower-middle-income countries, with the primary sector (agriculture, fishing, and livestock) comprising 46% of GDP and 57% of jobs, predominantly held by women. Despite a negative net emissions balance, the country has the potential to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the energy sector.