Identifying Inclusive Business Opportunities in the Energy Sector

Project context

1.6 billion people still lack access to electricity, 3 billion people use biomass for cooking and heating their homes and billions of people and businesses in the global South are affected by regular power cuts and rising fuel prices. At the same time technologies that enable energy access for low-income markets in developing countries while saving natural resources are available. What role can a big German utility play in bringing energy to the people?

Project objective

The projects aimed at identifying inclusive business opportunities for a large German utility in countries of the developing world and to define a strategic step-by-step approach including pilot projects in the course of the year 2011.

Project output

A team from the Emergia institute designed a scenario workshop that was carried out with a group of selected people from various units of the company. Starting from the expected population growth, energy demand and climate change by 2050, participants developed various roles for the company depending on extreme scenarios regarding the political and technological environment. From these scenarios, they derived concrete ideas for projects that can create future growth markets while contributing to poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability. The institute will also monitor the further development of the project.