At a #unfccc #cop29 side event on #climate #peace & #renewableenergy (RE), shared key #bangladesh perspectives: ✅while installed 🇧🇩renewable energy generation capacity (mostly #solar) is 970+ MW (4.5% of total capacity, 2022), covering 11% of population, mostly rural areas; ✅In past two decades, 5.0+ million rooftop solar units were installed, mostly in off-grid areas, more as a 'social revolution'. Beyond costs, ordinary people viewed RE as a tool to realise their aspirations, even transforming dominant (rural) social power structures; ✅even when solar PV cell cost was higher, poor households opted for roof-top solar, valuing 'social gains' as much as 'economic returns'. Quietly, availability of power liberated & empowered #women and #girls in their daily living. In farm fields, solar-powered irrigation pumps altered 'economics of farming' for millions of small|marginal #farmers; ✅Across manufacturing, rooftop solar in 2,000+ #apparel factories can change the game! Reliable, price-competitive and affordable options will be key. For instance: creative introduction of 'floating solar' across large common water bodies as wetlands occupy roughly 10% of 🇧🇩landmass! Also, tapping vast land in 🇧🇩tea estates is estimated to tap 6,000 MW RE! Time to tap faster, esp. in de-risking investments to marginal communities & making niche technologies | innovations flow to grassroots in global South. The world of impact investors better listen! @StimsonCenter @Clingendaelorg @PlanSecu @StanleyConnect for Peace @ODI_Global @IFC_org @WorldBank

youtube.com/@odi_global?si=l… At #unfccc #COP29Baku, with @Clingendaelorg and @StimsonCenter @PlanSecu @StanleyConnect ...joining as a panelist to share #Bangladesh perspectives on #renewable #energy... Tune in, now.