Sustainable Energy led Climate Action Program (SELCAP) calls for an approach that prioritises the need of vulnerable populations who are currently at the centre of the two greatest challenges that humankind is facing today — poverty and climate. It advocates for a need-based approach which prioritises minimising the current and future transaction costs of said communities. SELCAP does so by developing an array of solutions that empower the poor to adapt to climate change while also setting on a new trajectory of optimised development by transitioning to sustainable energy and mitigating future emissions. The 20 solutions identified through primary grassroot research, driven by sustainable energy have been proven on the field and should be replicated urgently. The solution designs showcased also bring about two key approaches:
Both of these aspects push for re-design of technologies, delivery models, financing and community-based institutions. It allows for development of local innovators and enterprises in order to build systems that adapt quickly to localised climate and poverty challenges. The approach and solutions showcased in this document reinforce that decarbonization, climate resilience and poverty alleviation can be mutually reinforcing. Using the lens of Decentralised Renewable Energy, strategies for climate action and inclusive development can be delivered synergistically. But taking these solutions forward and building an enabling environment that allows for replication and scale up of these approaches will require incentivization of stakeholders to get away from business-as-usual practices and take bold steps.