Sustainable Delivery Models for Achieving SDG7: Lessons from an Energy Services Social Enterprise in Malawi

Abstract

Energy services social enterprises are emerging as a sustainable response to the challenges of achieving SDG 7, but detailed case study insight is lacking to inform the sector. Malawi has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world, with a rural electrification rate of only 4%. This paper highlights lessons from an energy service social enterprise in Malawi, using a case study framework to outline key achievements and challenges faced. The learning is used to form recommendations on increasing the impact, growth and sustainability of energy service social enterprises, both for grassroots practitioners as well as policy and investment decision makers. It has been found that energy service social enterprises need to develop robust strategies for sustainability through fostering cross sectoral linkages, investing in capacity building and awareness raising, collaborating through research partnerships, budgeting and resource planning conservatively, tracking social impact to inform business strategy, seeking innovation in business planning, and utilising smart subsidies. The case study analysis presented is intended to inform other social enterprises offering energy services, and to progress the rural electrification sector to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7.

The contribution of sustainable and clean energy to the strengthening of energy security

“…As shown in Table 1, unlike the division-which is present in the existing literature-between the function of provision of stability and high effectiveness of the energy system (Chutcheva et al, 2022;Ragulina et al, 2022) and the function of environmental protection (Kukushkina et al, 2022;Vorozheykina, 2022;Yankovskaya et al, 2022), this paper proposes addressing these functions in a comprehensive manner. Unlike Eales et al (2020), Rybak et al (2021), andVillavicencio Calzadilla andMauger (2018), we determined a weakness of hypothesis H1. Using the example of the case experience of the countries of BRICS, we did not discover the negative consequences of the development of clean energy with regard to the accessibility and sufficiency of energy in the society and the economy.…”

“…RQ1: What is the contribution of sustainable and clean energy to the provision of affordability and sufficiency of energy? Eales et al (2020), Rybak et al (2021), andVillavicencio Calzadilla andMauger (2018) provide legitimate concerns regarding the transfer to clean energy, reducing the affordability of energy in the economy. This allows formulating hypothesis H1: sustainable and clean energy has a negative impact on the stability and effectiveness of the energy system.…”