Decarbonizing Humanitarian Energy Multi-Partner Trust Fund 

ObjectivesFund scope

Electricity is imperative for humanitarian responses, including operations in cities (offices, logistics centres, warehouses, etc.) and displacement locales like refugee camps or integrated settlements (site offices, healthcare and education centres, water supply facilities, or accommodations). Conservative estimates from a survey undertaken by the GPA Coordination Unit suggest that six United Nations agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross operate 11,365 diesel and petrol generators in displacement settings, spending more than $100 million US dollars per year on fuel.

Running generators on fossil fuels results in 200,000 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions, which contribute deleterious climate change outcomes. However, associated costs of these and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is largely unmonitored. Implementing energy efficiency measures could rapidly, and significantly, reduce energy consumption while rolling out sustainable energy solutions—such as a decarbonized electricity supply—can lead to further reductions in costs to and for humanitarian responses.  

Guided by strategic and committed partnerships, the Decarbonizing Humanitarian Energy Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) facilitates a Centralized Clean Energy Service (CCES) that is designed to reduce energy consumption and costs for individual client organizations. Stakeholder action supports the straightforward involvement of the private sector to increase Fund investment capacity and coordinates multiple projects (“bundling”) to achieve economies of scale and unlock innovative financing mechanisms. In doing so, stakeholders open opportunities to imrove energy access to displaced and local/host communities in tandem with producing a suite of evidence-based communications materials that promote lower carbon operations. Centralizing aggregation also reveals possibilities for integrating new financing mechanisms that support the transition to sustainable energy solutions or improved energy access for everyone.

Fund results are sought through six “package” areas:  

1. Coordination and Strategic Project Development
2. Evidence and Technical Assistance
3. Greening Humanitarian Energy Infrastructure 
4. Leveraging Finance
5. Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Sharing
6. Research on Enabling Community Access   

In doing so, outcomes are projected to significantly reduce GHG emissions and are aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13, and also contribute to institutional sustainability commitments made under the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, United Nations Greening the Blue, and nationally determined contributions of programme countries, as per the Paris Agreement. 

Theory of change

In launching the CCES the Decarbonizing Humanitarian Energy MPTF consortium will facilitate a broad, global transformation of existing energy infrastructure in fragile settings towards more sustainable sources of energy.   To do this Fund partners provide technical assistance and promote sustainable delivery models that involve the private sector in installing, maintaining and operating energy infrastructure in emergency and humanitarian contexts while continually evaluating opportunities to extend electricity access to conflict and crisis-affected communities.  

Anticipated results are reductions in GHG emissions, cost savings, employment opportunities, improved essential service delivery and capacity strengthening at local and global levels. CCES projects are designed to reduce energy consumption and costs for client organizations (such as humanitarian, government, or community partners that manage diesel gensets in humanitarian contexts), simplify involvement for the private sector to increase investments, bundle projects to achieve economies of scale and unlock innovative financing mechanisms, and secure financing while leveraging private sector presence to enable wider community energy access.   

Action and investments not only deliver on the goals of the Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings, but also propose a new global framework for achieving SDG 7 in displacement contexts (GPA Framework document). 

Governance

Steering Committee  

Members of the Committee offer strategic guidance on the strategic direction of the Fund. Responsibilities include but are not limited to approving operational and strategic guidelines, administrative function, and roll-out of activities; signing off on the Fund risk management strategy and regularly reviewing risk monitoring; approving proposals submitted for funding, as well as the Fund budget and workplan; deciding on allocation of funds; reviewing Fund status, and commissioning regular independent evaluations on the overall performance.    

Advisory Board  

Comprised of international experts on energy access in displacement settings, Board members advise on Fund implementation measures and provide technical feedback. Themes covered by the Board include technical developments, delivery models, financing solutions, monitoring, communications, knowledge management, and best practices.    

Secretariat  

The Secretariat is responsible for coordination of Fund activities. Responsibilities include making recommendations to the Steering Committee on strategic priorities, along with programmatic and financial allocations; providing planning, logistical and operational support; serving as the central point of contact for the Fund and liaising with consortium partners and other stakeholders; offering technical support to all partners; taking the lead on drafting core operational, administrative, programmatic, and communication documents; developing resource mobilizations plans, and monitoring all projects under the Fund.     Independent External Evaluator  This evaluator supports the entire program with data-based evidence and works in close collaboration with the research and science working group.    

Administrative Agent  

Recipient Organizations receive funds through the Administrative Agent, the MPTF Office. The Administrative Agent is responsible for the receipt, administration and management of contributions from donors, disbursement of funds to Recipient Organizations, and consolidation and dissemination of progress reports to donors.    

Projects

Decarbonizing Humanitarian Energy Multi-Partner Trust Fund

Decarbonizing Humanitarian Energy Multi-Partner Trust Fund is currently supporting count_projects ongoing projectscount_globalInterregional and count_countries country-specific. This table shows the most recently approved ongoing projects.

All project financial information can be found in the Financials section, including delivery analysis by organization, theme and project; project financial status by country and by theme.

Decarbonizing Humanitarian Energy Multi-Partner Trust Fund

Results

To achieve results DHE stakeholders facilitate work across six “package” areas.

ContactsPoints of contact