THE FUTURE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN AFRICA - YARIV COHEN

If you want to find the future of clean energy, where should you look? 

This week’s guest is here to tell us that tomorrow’s climate revolution is already here – and it’s Africa that is pointing the way.  

It’s not a question of billions in government support, ethical consumerism, or benevolent foreign aid. This is clean technology and innovation blazing a trail as the best possible solution for energy markets in the Global South, thriving on their own merits – and leapfrogging older, western models in the process.  

This episode we have the pleasure of hearing from serial entrepreneur, impact investor and global clean energy expert Yariv Cohen. As founder of Ignite Power, Yariv has brought distributed solar electricity to 2.5 million homes across sub-Saharan Africa. 

It’s a fascinating story of innovation, problem-solving, and empowerment – and turns a lot of Western cleantech assumptions upside-down. For anyone who believes in the power of green energy to change lives, this is a must-listen! 

• Becoming a climate internationalist 
• What drives distributed solar in Africa? 
• Solar without subsidies 
• Infrastructure, innovation and the leapfrog effect 
• Impact investing in the Global South 
• Can Africa’s entrepreneurs save the world? 
• The future of carbon markets – global or local? 
• How to find your climate career  

So today there is close to a billion people without access to power. So imagine a hut … two rooms in the middle of Africa, which is always dark. There's no floor and there's no light. And during the day, sometimes you get a little bit of light from the small windows, and during the night you burn kerosene to walk around, not to fall …

And then we come and we offer them light. We offer them a solar panel, a battery, three lights, mobile charger and a radio, and suddenly that house becomes a home. The kids come in. They're not all the time outside. They can work longer. The woman is safer in the house … And then there's the phone charging …

REFERENCES:

https://impactentrepreneur.com/author/yariv-cohen/

https://ae.linkedin.com/in/yarivc?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

https://uk.linkedin.com/company/ignite-power

https://powerupnow.org/portfolio/ignite-power/

Conversations on Climate is a podcast produced by United Renewables in association with the London Business School Energy Alumni Club. 

It brings together the best minds from academia and business, to offer their experience and expertise in the face of climate change –from game theorists to corporate diplomats, and oil industry veterans to micro-algae entrepreneurs. 

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We talk about how the scope of the challenge before us is beyond that of any one individual or any one solution. We listen to thinkers, researchers, policymakers, and business leaders. They discuss a diversity of ideas and solutions to global climate and environmental issues and why they matter.

Season 2 is presented by Chris Caldwell and produced by UNITED RENEWABLES in association with LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL, ALUMNI ENERGY CLUB.

 

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