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Across the humanitarian sector, the pressure to deliver life-saving assistance is colliding with two urgent realities: the impacts of climate change and increasingly constrained funding. Organizations are being challenged to deliver more, faster, and with reduced resources, often in some of the world’s most remote and fragile environments. One of the most significant and timely shifts addressing this issue is the transition from diesel-dependent energy systems toward clean, reliable, and financially sustainable solar power solutions.
For UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, energy is a vital necessity for protection, service delivery, community and staff safety. Operations are required to operate 24/7, often in remote, off-grid areas distant from reliable infrastructure. Traditionally, diesel generators have been used to bridge this gap; however, they come with significant disadvantages such as fluctuating fuel costs, logistical complexities, environmental impact, and long-term financial inefficiency.
A smarter energy approach for humanitarian assistance
The Green Financing Facility (GFF) has been developed with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the IKEA Foundation. This model transforms how investments in energy are used. Instead of one-time, capital-heavy procurement, the same donor funds can be recycled across multiple sites through a centrally managed leasing facility—delivering more solar systems for the same level of funding, with better oversight, accountability, and sustainability.
At its core, the approach delivers a full-service solarization package through in-house experts, covering feasibility, design, procurement, and long-term operation and maintenance. A five-year internal leasing mechanism removes the need for large upfront capital, spreads costs over time, and guarantees performance throughout the system lifecycle—addressing a key aid-sector challenge by advancing sustainability without diverting scarce operational funds from frontline delivery.
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