Aid for community-led energy
International Development Committee
Closed
Inquiry
Energy lies at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Yet, the international community remains largely off track in meeting these commitments. According to the International Energy Agency, around 750 million people lack access to electricity, and more than 2 …
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16
Recommendations
16
Conclusions
1
Report
3
Oral sessions
3
Events
Activity timeline 8 events
22 Jan
2026
2026
14 Nov
2025
2025
Report published
16 Sep
2025
2025
Oral evidence
16 Sep
2025
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
24 Jun
2025
2025
Oral evidence
24 Jun
2025
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
10 Jun
2025
2025
Oral evidence
10 Jun
2025
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
16 Sep 2025
View on parliament.uk
Aid for community-led energy
Chris Taylor · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Steven Hunt · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
The Rt Hon. the Baroness Chapman of Darlington · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
24 Jun 2025
View on parliament.uk
Aid for community-led energy
Dr Kate Steel · Nithio
Dr Melita Lazell · University of Portsmouth
Juliette Keeley · Shell Foundation
Mr David Nicholson · Mercy Corps
Ms Emilie Carmichael · Energy Saving Trust
Professor Ed Brown · Loughborough University
10 Jun 2025
View on parliament.uk
Aid for community-led energy
Dr Alycia Leonard · University of Oxford
Nedjip Tozun · D.light
Sarah Roberts · Practical Action
William Kamkwamba · Moving Windmills Project
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8th Report - Empowering Development: Energy Access for Communiti… | HC 849 | 14 Nov 2025 | 32 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
10 results
6
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
FCDO and BII's implicit emphasis on community-led energy lacks genuine local consideration.
The emphasis put by the FCDO and British International Investment (BII) on community-led energy is often implicit. The key concern is not the absence of the label, but whether localised energy systems are truly considered as a viable option and …
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Government Response
The government partially agrees, highlighting existing programs (TEA, MECS) and a completed study that embed localisation and inclusion principles, and detailing BII's community engagement, but states an inability to make firm commitments beyond confirmed FY25/26 budgets while committing to bear the recommendation in mind for future allocations.
10
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Require inclusive community participation, recognising marginalised groups, as a condition for UK energy funding
The Government should make inclusive community participation across all stages of design, governance, and implementation a condition of UK funding for energy access. This should involve recognising and resourcing communities, particularly marginalised groups, as decision-makers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 45)
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Government Response
The FCDO agrees, stating that current guidance already requires partners to demonstrate engagement with local stakeholders and they actively promote inclusive community participation. A 2025 study on locally-led action will inform future programming to ensure community voices are central to project design and delivery, indicating a commitment to strengthen these requirements further.
14
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Support women's leadership and central role in community energy projects
The FCDO should ensure women are central to community energy projects by supporting their leadership, and designing interventions around their needs, so they act as agents of change rather than just beneficiaries. It should report on the extent to which …
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Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating it already promotes gender equality and women's leadership through existing policies and programmes. However, it cannot commit to reporting on the implementation of GEDSI guidance note recommendations by June 2026, citing a lack of established mechanism and future resourcing needs.
20
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Require energy access projects to assess trade-offs and risks in funding bids
The Government should require all energy access projects to include a clear assessment of trade-offs in funding bids, alongside a plan for monitoring impacts and communicating risks to stakeholders. (Recommendation, Paragraph 67)
Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating it will embed a concise "trade-offs and choices" section into existing energy access bids and require a proportionate risk-communication plan within existing guidance, rather than introducing a separate requirement. This aims to make current assessments more explicit while avoiding undue burdens.
22
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Explore synergies between global energy access and climate adaptation through collaborative research networks
The Government must explore the synergies between global energy access and climate adaptation more fully. This could be done by facilitating collaborative research networks internationally to strengthen the knowledge base. Relevant Government programmes should also collaborate to identify options for …
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Government Response
The government partially agrees, recognizing the interconnectedness and supporting collaborative research, and it agrees objectives could be better integrated. It commits to exploring upgrading governance and coordination across the climate finance portfolio, but notes resourcing decisions beyond FY25/26 are not yet taken.
24
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Increase investment in operationalising existing energy solutions and bridge R&D funding gaps
The Government should maintain its commitment to research and innovation while increasing investment in the operationalisation of existing, effective energy solutions. Funding mechanisms must bridge the gap between early- 35 stage R&D and market-ready technologies, providing opportunities for commercialisation and …
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Government Response
The FCDO partially agrees, noting its successful R&D portfolio and committing to mitigate risks of overreliance on innovation by balancing approaches and embedding local ownership. However, it states it cannot make firm commitments to increasing investment in operationalisation of existing solutions beyond FY25/26, only to bear it in mind for future allocations.
28
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Predictable support for UK-funded energy initiatives remains at risk
Without predictable support, both the quality and effectiveness of UK- funded energy access initiatives, as well as the expertise built up through years of engagement, are at risk. We recognise the importance of the new arrangements for ODA allocations in …
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Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating it aims to prioritise multi-year planning and greater programming predictability, subject to future budget allocations, to ensure stable delivery and long-term impact, including supporting projects through their full life cycle. However, they also recognise that full life cycle support isn't always possible due to various reasons.
29
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Commit to multi-year funding for energy projects, supporting their full life cycle
The Government should commit to multi-year funding structures that support projects across their full life cycle. This should include not only initial deployment but also ongoing maintenance, technical assistance, and governance support. The aim is to ensure that local communities …
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Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating it aims to prioritise multi-year planning and greater programming predictability, subject to future budget allocations, to ensure stable delivery and long-term impact, including supporting projects through their full life cycle. However, they acknowledge that projects cannot always be supported through their full life cycle.
31
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Embrace financial and strategic value of development work for market growth and domestic energy policy
The Government should embrace the financial and strategic value of its development work, both in generating viable market opportunities and in providing insights that can strengthen domestic energy policy and practice. (Conclusion, Paragraph 95)
Government Response
The government partially agrees, stating it already collaborates with DESNZ and shares lessons. It commits to deepening collaboration through enhanced governance, joint-delivery arrangements, tracking, and coordination, and has commissioned a study on UK secondary benefits to be completed by March 2026. However, it cannot commit to a formalised mechanism.
32
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
8th Report - Empowering Developmen…
Formalise a two-way learning mechanism between domestic and international energy initiatives by June 2026
The Government should formalise a mechanism for systematic two-way learning between domestic and international energy initiatives and formally identify ways UK businesses could grow their international footprint through community energy investments. It should be in place by June 2026 (Recommendation, …
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Government Response
The government partially agrees, committing to deepen collaboration and commissioning a study (due March 2026) to inform future programme design and strengthen mechanisms for two-way learning and UK business growth, but states it cannot commit to a *formalised mechanism* at this stage.