🌱 When 30–50% of perishable produce is lost before reaching consumers, farmers and micro-entrepreneurs lose income too. Better technology can help, but lasting scale depends on business models that are affordable for customers and commercially viable for suppliers. A new report from @ShellFoundation and @500GlobalVC, developed with support from the Transforming Energy Access (#TEA) platform through funding from the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (#FCDO), explores the most promising pathways to advance sustainable cooling and clean cooking in Kenya, Nigeria, and India. The findings highlight clear opportunities in first-mile cooling, helping protect agricultural incomes, and in clean cooking solutions that can strengthen margins for small food businesses. The focus is simple: back solutions that can raise incomes, lower emissions and scale sustainably. 🔗 Read the full report: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #CleanEnergy #ClimateFinance #Cooling #CleanCooking

🏍️ We’re pleased to welcome Yamaha Motor to the Africa Corporate Innovation Program. Delivered by Shell Foundation in partnership with Double Feather Partners, the programme helps connect Japanese corporates with African startups to test practical solutions in real-world markets. Through this collaboration, Yamaha Motor will work with selected startups and local partners across East Africa to explore new mobility services across three areas: electric mobility, mobility financing and mobility ecosystem operations. Supported by UK International Development through the RIDE programme, this work aims to generate evidence for scalable partnerships that can improve access to transport, logistics and economic opportunity while supporting lower-emission mobility. 🔗 Read the full press release to learn more: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #SustainableMobility #Innovation #Africa #ClimateFinance

📊 New trends. New signals. New opportunities. Our latest #MarketIntelligenceDigest explores some of the developments shaping inclusive energy transition markets across #Africa and #Asia, from evolving electric mobility policies and battery-swapping ecosystems to clean cooking finance, digital commerce infrastructure and changing agricultural value chains. This edition highlights: 🔹New policy momentum for electric mobility in South Africa, Morocco, Egypt and Kenya 🔹Growing investment and commercial progress in e-mobility and clean cooling markets 🔹The increasing importance of interoperability, localisation and after-sales services 🔹Emerging insights on farmer incomes, diversification and resilient agricultural value chains We also share key industry events taking place over the coming months, including the Africa Food Systems Forum, Climate Week NYC and Africa E-Mobility Week. Read the latest digest here: shellfoundation.org/market-i…

🌱 Africa’s next generation of agribusinesses does not need to be built from scratch. Family-owned agribusinesses across Africa have built trusted farmer networks, deep market knowledge and strong processing capabilities. Yet many still face barriers to reaching new markets and accessing long-term capital. That is why Shell Foundation has invested alongside Small Foundation in Unmarkets, in partnership with the UK Government through @FCDOGovUK. Unmarkets partners with established agribusinesses to build new businesses that combine local expertise with brand development, management capacity and long-term capital. Across its portfolio, Unmarkets aims to reach 200,000 smallholder farmers, at least 60% women, and increase farmer incomes by at least 20%. Stronger businesses. More reliable markets. More value for farmers. Find out more: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #SmallholderFarmers #Agribusiness #ImpactInvesting #Africa

🌾 @ShellFoundation Business Advisor Devi Murthy will be speaking at the AVPN Global Conference 2026 in New Delhi on 27 August. Devi will join the session Financing Farmer-Led Food Systems in South and Southeast Asia, exploring a persistent challenge: how to get more capital flowing to the small farms that underpin much of the region’s food supply. The discussion will look at the barriers holding investment back, where collaboration can help, and the growing opportunities to build more inclusive and investable food systems. 📍 New Delhi 📅 Thursday, 27 August | 2.30–3.45pm #ClimateFinance #SmallholderFarmers #FoodSystems

🌱 We're delighted to welcome @AnfaniEnergy to @ShellFoundation's portfolio. 🇳🇬 Across #Nigeria, millions of micro-entrepreneurs rely on expensive, unreliable power that limits business growth and profitability. Through this partnership, we are supporting Anfani to pilot a shared productive-use energy model that gives microenterprises, particularly women-led businesses, access to clean-energy-powered equipment through affordable pay-per-use, subscription and lease-to-own models. Together, we aim to demonstrate a scalable pathway to lower energy costs, increase productivity and incomes, and accelerate access to clean energy for underserved businesses. Learn more about Anfani and our partnership: shellfoundation.org/portfoli…

👩🏾‍🌾👨🏻‍⚕️ At Shell Foundation, we start with the customer, not the technology. Our work is built around three core groups: smallholder farmers, transporters and micro-entrepreneurs. Each faces different pressures, but the question is the same: can a clean energy solution help them earn more, reduce costs or run their business more reliably? That is why we talk about customers, not beneficiaries. Before we back a solution, we look at what matters in the real world: affordability, productivity, reliability and access to finance. Because even the most innovative technology will not scale if it does not make economic sense for the person using it. Across the segments we focus on, productive uses of clean energy can unlock 40–100% income uplift, depending on the customer and solution. For us, scale starts with solving a real economic problem. Find out more about how we work and the customers we serve: shellfoundation.org/people-w… #CleanEnergy #InclusiveGrowth #ClimateFinance #CatalyticCapital

💵 What happens when a promising #market is still considered too risky for commercial investors? That is where catalytic capital can make the difference: by taking on some of the early risk, it helps build the evidence commercial lenders need before they are ready to invest at scale. Shell Foundation uses grants, guarantees and first-loss capital to test new models and reduce that initial risk. When those models prove they work, banks and investors can enter the market with much larger amounts of capital. We have seen this in practice in India, where a $200,000 loan guarantee helped demonstrate that women micro-entrepreneurs could be reliable borrowers, with zero defaults. That evidence helped unlock more than $10 million in mainstream bank lending. The principle is simple: Shell Foundation does not aim to replace commercial finance. We take targeted early risk to help make markets investable, so commercial capital can follow and solutions can reach far greater scale. That is the multiplier effect shown here. #CatalyticCapital #BlendedFinance #ImpactInvesting #FinancialInclusion

After 17 years, Richard Gomes will be stepping down as our Chief Programme Officer this Autumn. Since 2009, Richard has played a key role in shaping the Foundation’s strategy, partnerships and approach to inclusive finance and market transformation – helping us scale solutions that have enhanced access to energy and mobility for >290 million people, created >930,000 jobs, avoided 73 million tonnes CO2 and leveraged $10.5 billion in follow-on investment. Thank you, Richard, for your tremendous contribution and for the judgement, integrity and values-based leadership you brought to our mission. We wish you every success in the next chapter of your leadership journey!

⚡ What does it take to convince commercial banks to finance first-time borrowers? For many low-income entrepreneurs in India, accessing finance for income-generating electric vehicles remained a major barrier. Not because the model didn't work, but because lenders still saw these borrowers as too risky. In 2023, Shell Foundation partnered with Mufin Green Finance to help change that. Through a targeted First Loan Default Guarantee (FLDG), the partnership helped reduce perceived risk and unlock mainstream banking capital for borrowers long excluded from the financial system. Since then, Mufin has grown into one of India's leading green finance institutions. 🔹 230,000+ borrowers reached 🔹 $387 million+ in cumulative disbursements 🔹 $162 million+ in assets under management 🔹 Financing electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and solar energy solutions across India This is what market building looks like, using catalytic capital to unlock commercial investment and expand access to clean, income-generating technologies. Read more: shellfoundation.org/case-stu… #MarketBuilding #FinancialInclusion #CleanMobility #India #CatalyticCapital

📷 Clean cooking is one of Africa’s biggest development opportunities. Millions of households still rely on wood, charcoal and other polluting fuels, impacting health, forests, emissions, and the lives of women and girls. Expanding access to clean cooking is not just an energy challenge: it’s an opportunity to improve livelihoods, strengthen public health and support sustainable growth. At Shell Foundation, we work with partners to help make clean cooking solutions more affordable, accessible and scalable across Africa. Swipe through to explore the key figures behind the challenge. 📷 Learn more about how we’re working to expand access to clean cooking solutions: shellfoundation.org/learning… #CleanCooking #Africa #EnergyAccess #InclusiveGrowth

🌱 Innovation only matters if it reaches the people who need it most. Across Kenya, climate-smart technologies are helping smallholder farmers reduce losses, increase productivity and strengthen their incomes. A recent feature by @RTIOfficiel showcases the people and partnerships behind this progress, from refrigerated milk containers that reduce post-harvest losses to solar-powered irrigation systems that help farmers grow more while reducing energy costs. As Juliette Keeley, Shell Foundation's Chief Impact Officer, explains, supporting enterprises like SunCulture is about making clean technologies more affordable and accessible so that more farmers can benefit from them. For years, Shell Foundation has worked alongside @SunCultureKenya to help reduce the cost of solar irrigation and expand access to solutions that improve livelihoods while lowering emissions. 🎥 Watch the full feature below. #SmallholderFarmers #ClimateInnovation #InclusiveGrowth #Kenya

📈 Better incomes for smallholder dairy farmers start with stronger value chains. Across Maharashtra, our partnership with Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI) and Govind Dairy is helping farmers improve milk quality, strengthen animal health and access more rewarding markets, enabling them to capture more value from every litre they produce. 🎥 Watch how this partnership is helping strengthen dairy farming in rural India. #SmallholderFarmers #InclusiveGrowth #FoodSystems #India

🥛 Every litre of milk has value. Too many farmers struggle to capture it. That's why Shell Foundation is partnering with Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI) and Govind Dairy to help smallholder dairy farmers in Maharashtra access premium markets, improve milk quality and increase their incomes. Across rural India, limited access to cooling infrastructure and formal markets often prevents smallholder dairy farmers from securing the best prices for their milk. By expanding village-level milk chilling, quality testing, and digital traceability, the partnership is helping farmers improve milk quality, strengthen market access, and capture more value from every litre they produce. This partnership reflects Shell Foundation's wider commitment to building inclusive, climate-smart agricultural value chains that enable smallholder farmers to raise their incomes while lowering emissions. 🔗 Read more: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #SmallholderFarmers #InclusiveGrowth #FoodSystems

⚡In emerging markets, scaling e-mobility is closely tied to the ecosystems that support clean mobility businesses to grow sustainably. Ghana’s latest EV charging market study is a useful reminder of this. While infrastructure remains a key constraint, the long-term viability of clean mobility markets is also shaped by financing conditions, utilisation rates and business models suited to local realities. This is why accelerating clean mobility requires a broader market-building lens. Supporting the transition is not only about expanding access to technology, but also about helping businesses address the structural constraints that can slow adoption or limit commercial viability. Through partnerships such as our work with @WeAreKofa and @AmpersandEnergy, supported by the UK Government via the @FCDOGovUK, Shell Foundation supports approaches designed around the realities of urban transport markets, with the aim of helping build the conditions for viable clean mobility ecosystems to emerge over time. #EMobility #EnergyTransition #InclusiveGrowth

🚛 As electric freight expands across India, ensuring drivers benefit from the transition will be critical to its long-term success. Our latest report with @SmartFreightCtr explores how more inclusive financing models can help unlock that opportunity. Drawing on insights from more than 1,500 freight drivers across 11 states, the study examines how electric vehicles are reshaping livelihoods and what it will take to improve incomes while accelerating freight decarbonisation. The findings show that drivers operating electric vehicles can earn around 25% more than in their previous occupations. They also highlight the importance of affordable finance, predictable demand and practical pathways to vehicle ownership in making electric freight accessible to more people. Building a cleaner freight sector means creating economic opportunities for the people who keep supply chains moving every day. Read the full report: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #ElectricMobility #InclusiveGrowth #SustainableTransport #India

🌍 What do today's global shocks reveal about where capital should flow? This was the central question discussed during a private dinner co-hosted by Shell Foundation and @500GlobalVC at London Climate Action Week. While economic, geopolitical and climate shocks continue to create uncertainty, the conversation highlighted an important point: they can also reveal where demand is strongest and where investment can have the greatest impact. 🔹 Electric mobility 🔹 Productive use of energy 🔹 Sustainable cooling 🔹 Climate-smart agriculture 🔹 Heat resilience Across these sectors, the message was consistent: many of the solutions already exist. The challenge is ensuring that capital, partnerships and policy can move quickly enough to help them scale. The discussion also reinforced that no single type of capital can do this alone. Philanthropy, public funding and commercial investment each have a role to play in reducing risk and unlocking growth. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a thoughtful discussion. #LCAW #ClimateFinance #InclusiveGrowth

🌡️ As extreme heat events become more frequent and intense, strengthening heat resilience is becoming an urgent priority. During @london_climate, Shell Foundation is pleased to co-host a private roundtable with K.M. Dastur & Company UK, bringing together leaders from across philanthropy, finance, technology, research and implementation to explore how collaboration can accelerate practical solutions to this growing challenge. The discussion will focus on identifying key gaps, opportunities for partnership and promising approaches that can help communities and businesses better adapt to rising temperatures while protecting health, productivity and livelihoods. By convening diverse perspectives under the Chatham House Rule, we hope to foster an open exchange of ideas and strengthen collective action around one of the defining climate risks of our time. Details here: shellfoundation.org/event/ro… #LCAW #HeatResilience #ClimateAdaptation #Partnerships

🌍Building income resilience takes more than investment. It takes partners willing to coordinate around what's already proven to work. As part of London Climate Action Week, Shell Foundation is pleased to co-host a private dinner with @500GlobalVC, bringing together leaders from across investment, philanthropy and entrepreneurship to explore how proven approaches can reach scale faster. Against a backdrop of growing economic and geopolitical uncertainty, discussions will focus on where evidence already exists, which business models are ready to grow, and how partnerships can help strengthen incomes and resilience for households and small businesses. We look forward to an open exchange of ideas and practical insights. #LCAW #ClimateFinance #InclusiveGrowth #Partnerships

👩🏾‍🍳 For many women running food businesses, every minute saved can mean another customer served. That is one of the key findings from our latest briefing paper on commercial eCooking in Kenya and Tanzania. Developed by the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Programme at @lborouniversity, the study forms part of a Results-Based Financing programme led by Shell Foundation, @OdysseyEnergyS and @CrossBoundary Advisory, and funded by the UK Foreign, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (@FCDOGovUK). Drawing on evidence from nearly 400 women-led businesses, it shows that induction cookstoves are being adopted first and foremost as productivity tools. Faster cooking translates into shorter waiting times, higher throughput and, in many cases, increased sales. The research also highlights an important lesson: successful adoption depends on more than the technology itself. PayGo financing, hands-on training and delivery models tailored to the realities of small businesses all play a critical role. At Shell Foundation, we believe that understanding how productive assets improve livelihoods is essential to designing solutions that can scale. Read the full briefing to explore what these findings mean for the future of productive uses of energy: shellfoundation.org/news/the… #CleanCooking #WomensEmpowerment #EnergyAccess #InclusiveGrowth

🌍 How do we turn public funding into scalable clean energy solutions? On the sidelines of London Climate Action Week, the Ayrton Forum brings together partners working to answer that question. Through its long-standing partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (@FCDOGovUK), Shell Foundation works within the @ayrton_fund as a delivery and co-funding partner, helping design, fund and implement initiatives such as Transforming Energy Access, TIME, CASEE and RIDE. By combining catalytic funding with venture support and market-building expertise, these initiatives help promising businesses scale solutions that expand access to clean energy while strengthening incomes and livelihoods. We look forward to sharing lessons learned and discussing how partnerships can translate innovation into lasting impact. #LondonClimateActionWeek #AyrtonForum #CleanEnergy #ClimateInnovation #Partnerships

🌍 What if Africa’s green transition became one of its biggest job creation opportunities? The new report Unlocking Africa’s Green Transition: Opportunities Towards a Green and Inclusive Workforce, published by FSD Africa, Shell Foundation and Shortlist, with support from the UK Government through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform, finds that Africa’s green transition could create up to 84 million jobs by 2050. But unlocking this potential will require more than investing in green technologies. It will require investing in the people behind them. The report finds that sectors such as clean cooking, distributed solar, waste recycling and electric mobility could create millions of livelihoods across the continent. Yet 86% of green jobs projected for 2030 are expected to be informal, highlighting the need to strengthen skills development and workforce systems. At Shell Foundation, we believe the green transition should not only lower emissions, but also raise incomes and create more resilient economic opportunities for underserved communities. We’re proud to have contributed to this research and hope it helps inform the policies, partnerships and investments needed to build a greener and more inclusive future for Africa. Read the full report: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #GreenJobs #Africa #CleanEnergy #InclusiveGrowth #ClimateAction

⚡ One of the biggest blind spots in the green transition? Energy access is measured through connections made, systems deployed, or households reached. Not the opportunity it creates for people. Across India, Kenya and Nigeria, millions of small businesses rely on energy to earn a living but access alone is not enough. When energy is used productively, it can drive meaningful economic opportunity for low-income entrepreneurs. We find that PUE technologies, from refrigeration and cooking to textiles and digital tools, are already boosting productivity and income. For example, microenterprises adopting these solutions often see measurable income gains, highlighting their potential to transform livelihoods at scale. However, adoption remains slower than it should be. Suppliers face persistent barriers, including high upfront costs, limited access to finance, fragmented markets, and low consumer awareness, all of which make it harder to reach the businesses that would benefit most. The report sets out a clear agenda for scaling impact: 🔹 Expanding access to tailored finance for both suppliers and end users. 🔹 Strengthening last-mile distribution and market linkages. 🔹 Investing in consumer awareness and business support. 🔹 Addressing structural and gender-specific barriers to adoption. Productive use of energy has a critical role to play in turning energy access into income growth particularly for women-led businesses, who represent a large share of this market 📄 Read the full report: shellfoundation.org/news/exp… #EnergyAccess #Africa #InclusiveGrowth #ProductiveUse #EnergyTransition #Entrepreneurship

🛵 Around 30 million people across Africa rely on two- and three-wheelers to earn a living. Today, fewer than 200,000 of those vehicles are electric. In partnership with @KineticgreenEV, we are launching a new initiative to pilot and adapt electric two- and three-wheelers for African markets. For many transporters, a vehicle is one of their most important productive assets. Expanding access to electric vehicles that are affordable, durable and suited to local operating conditions could help strengthen livelihoods while lowering emissions. Through multi-country pilots, we will test how electric vehicles perform in African markets and generate practical learning on the charging and service infrastructure needed to support adoption at scale. Supported by catalytic funding from Shell Foundation and the UK Government through @FCDOGovUK's RIDE programme and the @TEAEnergyAccess (TEA) platform, the initiative aims to generate evidence that can help inform the future of electric mobility across African transport systems. Read more: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #EMobility #Africa #Transport #InclusiveGrowth

🎙️ #WEBINAR | How can clean energy investments deliver stronger economic outcomes for women? On 4 June, Caribou, Value for Women and Shell Foundation will host a webinar exploring the growing evidence behind the gender-clean energy nexus and what it means for investment design. Drawing on a synthesis of 115 studies and new financial modelling across 15 clean energy assets, the session will examine how financing structures, local context and bundled support models can significantly shape outcomes for women. The discussion will also explore: - The links between clean energy and women’s livelihoods - The impact of combining energy access with finance, training and market access - Why the same asset can generate strong returns or net losses depending on financing terms and local realities - Five key factors shaping gender-responsive investment design The session will feature speakers from Gates Foundation, Acumen, SunCulture and Koolboks, followed by a live Q&A. 🗓️ 4 June 2026 ⏰ 2pm GMT / 9am EST 📍 Virtual webinar Register here: shellfoundation.org/event/we… #GenderLens #ClimateFinance #EnergyAccess

🌍 For philanthropy to drive systemic change at scale, it needs to take on roles outside its comfort zone. At the Philanthropy Asia Summit, our CEO Jonathan Berman joined The Philanthropic Agenda panel to discuss how philanthropy can help unlock larger pools of capital for inclusive impact. Philanthropy is well positioned to pilot and prove new approaches. But few organisations are structured to help those solutions reach scale. At Shell Foundation, this often means taking early risks that commercial actors cannot yet justify, helping to demonstrate viability, reduce uncertainty and build confidence in emerging markets. This approach has helped unlock financing across sectors where perceived risk remains a barrier. In India, for example, early catalytic support helped reduce barriers to financing electric two- and three-wheel vehicles at a time when lenders lacked repayment data and confidence in the market. 🎥 Watch Jonathan’s full intervention below. #Philanthropy #CatalyticCapital #InclusiveGrowth #SystemsChange

🌍 This week, Shell Foundation is at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, one of the continent’s leading gatherings bringing together business leaders, investors, policymakers and entrepreneurs to shape Africa’s economic future. As discussions focus on growth, competitiveness and private sector development, one question remains central: how do we help more high-potential ventures move beyond early traction and scale sustainably? For Shell Foundation, this is where practical conversations matter. Across African markets, promising businesses are already building solutions that respond to real challenges, from energy access to productivity and livelihoods. But scaling them requires more than innovation alone. It requires the right financing, stronger partnerships, and business models designed for the realities of the markets they serve. Looking forward to exchanging with founders, investors and ecosystem partners in Kigali on what it takes to turn promising ventures into scalable impact. #AfricaCEOForum #Entrepreneurship #Startups #ImpactInvesting #InclusiveEconomy

🛵 EV readiness across Africa doesn’t automatically translate into adoption. While several countries show strong fundamentals for electrification, cleaner power systems, clearer utility incentives, uptake remains limited, even in more advanced markets. At the same time, momentum is building elsewhere. Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda are emerging as innovation hubs, with EV startups testing new business models and supportive policies, particularly in the two-wheeler segment. Scale remains modest, but progress is accelerating. What this shows is simple: it’s not just about being “ready”. It’s about whether the market works in practice. Today, business models are hard to replicate, financing does not match what companies need, and systems are not well connected. As a result, the markets that look most ready are not always the ones scaling fastest. At Shell Foundation, we are working with partners to test what it takes to make these markets work in practice, and to scale what does. Find our latest report, “Bridging the missing middle: moving Africa’s e-mobility to scale”, which explores these challenges and where progress is emerging: shellfoundation.org/learning… #Emobility #Africa #ClimateFinance #EnergyAccess

📊 How do we move capital to where it’s needed most? At the Semafor World Economy Summit, Jonathan Berman, CEO of Shell Foundation, speaks with NYSE TV about why capital doesn’t always flow to the most impactful opportunities, particularly across Africa and South Asia. From information gaps to mispriced risk, these barriers continue to limit investment in high-impact markets. The discussion highlights the role of blended finance in addressing this, using different forms of capital to better align risk and return. This is exactly where Shell Foundation focuses: taking early risk to help build investable markets and enable capital to flow at scale. 🎥 Watch the full interview. #EmergingMarkets #ClimateFinance #SustainableFinance

📊In India, women run nearly 20% of all micro and small enterprises, yet most still face limited market access and outdated tools. To help bridge these gaps, Shell Foundation, the Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) and Amazon Saheli have launched a new initiative supporting women-led small businesses across the country. Through this partnership, women entrepreneurs will access new markets via Amazon’s Saheli programme, benefit from GAME’s local network, and adopt energy-efficient technologies that boost productivity, increase income and reduce post-harvest losses in energy deficient scenarios, all grounded in a place-based, ecosystem approach that strengthens the conditions in which these women entrepreneurs grow. By combining clean energy access with greater market reach, this collaboration aims to help women entrepreneurs scale sustainable, resilient businesses across India. Read more: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #ShellFoundation #CleanEnergy #Women #Sustainability #India

🌱 How can green finance reach low-income entrepreneurs at scale? Access to finance remains a key barrier for many nano-entrepreneurs. Even when technologies exist to improve productivity, reduce losses and diversify income, accessing them can be difficult, not because they are not relevant, but because they are often perceived as too risky to finance. This is how Shell Foundation is working to address this challenge. In India, alongside the Small Industries Development Bank of India (@sidbiofficial), a $3.1M risk-sharing facility has been launched to enable financial institutions to lend to low-income entrepreneurs with greater confidence. By reducing risk for lenders, the facility supports access to income-generating solutions while strengthening the case for financing these technologies more widely. This forms part of a broader effort to ensure that solutions which improve incomes can also be financed and scaled through existing market systems. For more information, read the full press release: shellfoundation.org/press-re… @FCDOGovUK #GreenFinance #Climate #InclusiveEconomy #India #Entrepreneurship

🌍 The challenge is not a lack of solutions for women, it’s making them work in reality. At the Skoll World Forum, one theme kept coming back: scaling impact is not just about innovation. Too often, solutions fail to scale because the conditions around them are not in place. Less than 2% of global climate finance is gender-responsive . And without financing models that reflect how women actually earn and manage cash, access to energy assets, and the income opportunities they enable, remains limited. The implication is clear: impact doesn’t scale on technology alone. It scales when solutions are designed around real economic lives, combining energy, financing, and market access in ways that work for women. Evidence from our 'Clean Energy as a Catalyst for Women’s Economic Empowerment' report shows that clean energy can increase incomes, productivity, and resilience for women, but only under the right conditions. 📄 Read our report: shellfoundation.org/news/adv… #SkollWF #EconomicInclusion #CleanEnergy #SystemsChange

🌍🇯🇵 Cross-border collaboration is often seen as an opportunity. In practice, it remains difficult to make it work. The Africa Corporate Innovation Program (ACIP), launched by Shell Foundation with Double Feather Partners and @NEC, is designed to connect Japanese corporates with African startups to test practical solutions in real market conditions, with support from @FCDOGovUK (FCDO) via RIDE programme. Through structured pilot projects, startups will work directly with corporate partners to localise technologies, validate business models and demonstrate clear pathways to scale. Initial work will focus on improving market access and productivity, from farm-to-market logistics and reduced post-harvest losses to last-mile transport, across countries including Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. At Shell Foundation, this is where catalytic capital matters most: reducing early-stage risk and helping partnerships move from pilot to scale. What remains to be seen is whether these models can consistently deliver at scale, and translate into long-term partnerships. This conversation will continue at the SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 Conference on April 28, during the “Africa–Japan Ventures Connect” session exploring how to turn cross-border collaboration into scalable, practical partnerships. 📄 Find the full press release here: shellfoundation.org/press-re… #ClimateFinance #Africa #Japan #Innovation #InclusiveGrowth

🔥 Extreme heat is no longer a future risk, it is already shaping how people work. With @Swiggy as a key partner, Shell Foundation is working to address this challenge in India, where food delivery drivers operate daily in increasingly extreme heat. With over 2.4 billion workers globally exposed to dangerous heat, Shell Foundation’s SPACES (Scaling Passive Affordable Cooling for Environmental Sustainability) program is on a mission to bring affordable, innovative passive cooling solutions to Bottom of the Pyramid communities. Shell Foundation CEO Jonathan Berman spent time in Delhi with Swiggy food delivery drivers, listening directly to their experiences of working in extreme heat. No reports, no intermediaries, just real conversations with people facing heat stress every day. These insights are already shaping how the technology is refined, from comfort and usability to cost and durability. Because solutions will only scale if they work in the realities of those who rely on them. This pilot work, including passive cooling jackets developed with @Swiggy, is part of a broader collaboration with @Trane_Tech and @IntellecapTweet, focused on making passive cooling solutions viable and scalable. #ClimateResilience #Cooling #HeatStress

🌍 Financing doesn’t fail because capital is scarce, it fails when it doesn’t fit. At the @SkollFoundation World Forum, Shell Foundation and the @gatesfoundation are co-hosting a side event on innovative financing for women at the nexus of climate and entrepreneurship. Bringing together investors, practitioners and partners, the discussion focuses on a practical question: how to better align financing with the needs of women entrepreneurs and farmers facing climate risk. Because across many markets, the challenge is not only how much capital is available, but whether it is structured in a way that reflects how these businesses operate, grow and manage risk. From blended finance to new investment approaches, the session will explore what is already working, and where gaps remain. Getting this right is critical, not just to unlock capital, but to enable solutions to grow, reach more people, and deliver impact at scale. #SkollWF #ClimateFinance #EconomicInclusion #WomensEmpowerment

🔥 Clean cooking is often framed as a health or environmental issue. In reality, for many households, it is primarily an economic decision. Evidence from the field shows that clean cookstoves can reduce fuel use, save time, and lower exposure to harmful smoke, while improving safety and everyday productivity. Yet adoption remains uneven. Not because the benefits are unclear, but because they do not always align with how people manage cash day to day. Upfront costs, fuel access, and income volatility still shape decisions more than long-term savings. At Shell Foundation, this is where we continue to learn: 🔹 When do efficiency gains actually translate into real savings? 🔹 Which models make these solutions viable for households with irregular incomes? 🔹 And where are we still overestimating demand? The challenge is not only to demonstrate impact, but to make it work within the realities of everyday life. Insights from our work in India show that adoption accelerates when solutions improve productivity and make costs more predictable for users, particularly those operating with thin margins and irregular incomes. Find our article here: shellfoundation.org/news/fro… #CleanCooking #EnergyAccess #InclusiveGrowth #Climate

🔋 For India’s EV revolution to work, it must work for the driver. 2 million electric vehicles were sold in India in FY 2024-25. EVs are no longer a "niche" solution; they are the backbone of how people move and earn. But if we look closer at the Vahan registration data, a gap emerges. Adoption is booming in states like Maharashtra and Delhi, but remains uneven elsewhere. The bottleneck isn't a lack of demand—it's economics. For small operators and daily drivers, the switch to electric depends on a single factor: Does it improve their daily income? To scale truly inclusive mobility, we must solve for: Upfront costs: Making ownership accessible. Cash flow: Aligning payments with daily earnings. Downtime: Keeping wheels turning without long charging breaks. Through our partnerships with Mufin Green Finance and @AmpersandEnergy, @ShellFoundation is supporting models designed for these realities—leveraging flexible financing and battery swapping to lower the barrier to entry. The real measure of India’s EV success won’t just be the total volume of sales—it will be how effectively we reach diverse geographies and every income segment. #ElectricMobility #InclusiveGrowth #EnergyTransition #ImpactInvesting #IndiaEV

👩‍🌾 What does it actually take for clean energy to work for women entrepreneurs? Our latest report on Gender Results-Based Financing looks at how Results-Based Financing (RBF), implemented with @OdysseyEnergyS, can expand access to clean energy for women. Through the pilot, companies received performance-based incentives to reach more women customers and test new distribution and financing approaches. One insight stands out: access alone did not drive adoption. What changed outcomes was whether solutions aligned with how women run their businesses, including cashflow, risk tolerance, and daily operations. The report also shows a more structural shift. Even after RBF incentives were removed, participating companies continued to serve women as a viable customer segment. 🌐 Read the full report: shellfoundation.org/wp-conte… #GenderLens #ClimateFinance #EnergyAccess

🍳 Clean cooking scales when it fits how people actually work. Our latest report on e-cooking for street vendors in India, developed with @Finovista and supported by the UK Government via the @TEAEnergyAccess platform, shows that adoption is not driven by full fuel switching. Vendors integrate electricity into specific tasks such as boiling or reheating, while continuing to rely on other fuels where it remains more practical. This hybrid usage is not a transition phase. It is a stable operating model shaped by cost, speed, and reliability constraints. The report also makes clear where progress remains limited. Infrastructure constraints, equipment compatibility, and upfront costs continue to restrict how far adoption can go. 🌐 Read the full report: shellfoundation.org/wp-conte… #CleanCooking #EnergyAccess #InclusiveGrowth

🏍️🔋 #OnTheGround | “I used to spend 700 shillings on petrol. Now I spend 200 to charge, and the 500 I save supports my children and pays my rent.” - Lillian Miyonga, delivery rider in #Kenya. As a rider and single mother, Lillian reduced her daily energy costs by switching to an electric motorbike. The money she once spent on fuel also goes towards ownership. After 18 months, the bike was hers. In Kenya, Shell Foundation supports partners such as @mkopakenya and @roamelectric to expand access to electric motorbikes for productive use. More broadly, across East Africa and India, it works with companies like @AmpersandEnergy, @ZyppElectric, and ETO Motors, to encourage the growth of the EV sector, through initiatives focused on interoperability, asset-light models like renting, and gender-inclusivity. For women like Lillian, this shift is about more than transport. It is about stability, support to her family, and entry into a sector where women remain underrepresented. The task now is ensuring these gains remain durable, and accessible to more women riders, as electric mobility grows. ⬇️ Watch her story in the video. #ElectricMobility #CleanEnergy #WomenInEnergy #InclusiveGrowth

⚡️ In the informal economy, the green transition is measured in income stability, not megawatts. More than 2 billion people work informally worldwide. In Africa and Asia, where this represents 86% and 68% of employment respectively, millions of street vendors, smallholder farmers and micro-entrepreneurs depend on affordable, reliable energy to sustain daily income. For them, energy does not simply power equipment. It determines whether they can receive payments, reduce losses, or increase productivity. Adopting cleaner solutions, however, involves upfront costs and financial risk, often difficult to absorb when income is irregular. Through its partnerships, Shell Foundation aims to support models that lower operating costs and align repayments with real income flows. Early evidence shows productivity gains in some cases. But this does not consistently translate into more stable or higher incomes. The real test now is whether the transition strengthens income stability, or shifts more risk onto those least able to absorb it. #InclusiveGrowth #EnergyTransition #InformalEconomy #ShellFoundation

📷 How can more value from bamboo stay with the farmers who grow it? Shell Foundation is partnering with @Industreefdn to launch a new approach to address this. Fast-growing and able to thrive on degraded land, bamboo can produce for up to 40 years. Yet much of its value is lost before it reaches industrial markets. Through a $4m grant, the programme is piloting a new, women-centric model, combining high-yield nurseries and solar-powered pre-processing centres run by women-led Farmer Producer Organisations. The objective is to help farmers capture more value locally, with a proof of concept targeting up to 40% income uplift—and potential to reach one million women by 2032. What we still need to understand is whether this model can consistently deliver higher incomes at scale while meeting industrial demand. #InclusiveGrowth #ClimateResilience #India #ShellFoundation

🌍 Clean cooking is usually framed as a household issue. New evidence shows it’s also a business opportunity. In #India, millions of micro food vendors depend on cooking for their daily income, yet most still rely on LPG exposing them to high upfront costs, price volatility and tough working conditions. New field evidence supported by Shell Foundation and the UK Government via the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform, and implemented by @Finovista, shows electric cooking can change that dynamic. In a recent pilot, 75% of vendors reported income increases. Not because they switched fuels overnight but because the way they worked changed: faster preparation, parallel cooking, cleaner stalls and more predictable costs. Adoption was incremental. Vendors integrated electric cooking task by task, expanding use as confidence grew reflecting how informal businesses actually operate. The lesson is clear: clean cooking works when it improves productivity and cashflow, not just when it cuts emissions. The remaining question is scale. Reliable electricity, fit‑for‑purpose devices and accessible financing will determine how far and how fast this can go. 🔗 Read the full blog: shellfoundation.org/news/fro… 📄 Explore the full report: shellfoundation.org/wp-conte… #CleanCooking #EnergyTransition #InclusiveGrowth #ShellFoundation

🌱 Smallholder farmers are central to climate solutions, yet they remain largely underserved by global climate finance. Too often, capital struggles to reach the farm gate in ways that are practical, investable, and aligned with farmers’ realities. That’s why Shell Foundation supported the launch of #FarmCarbon, a $53m climate finance vehicle created by Sistema.bio, with first close led alongside BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts and British International Investment (BII). FarmCarbon focuses on one of the most powerful drivers of near-term warming: methane, which accounts for 30% of global warming. By pre-financing proven biogas technology for smallholder and family farms, the vehicle enables farmers to access the value of future carbon reductions upfront — unlocking new income streams while cutting emissions at scale. For Shell Foundation, this is exactly where catalytic capital matters most: taking early risk, helping structure an investable model, and demonstrating that climate finance in agriculture can deliver environmental integrity, commercial discipline and tangible livelihood gains. The first close could facilitate financing for more than 90,000 Sistema.bio digesters, generating over 9 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions reductions. Learn more: sistema.bio/blog/sistema-bio… #ClimateFinance #Methane #SmallholderFarmers #CleanEnergy #ShellFoundation

👩🏾‍🌾 In #WestAfrica, #women make up up to 60% of the agricultural workforce, cultivating small plots with limited resources and high exposure to climate shocks. While technologies that improve yields and reduce post-harvest losses are widely available, women farmers are often excluded due to limited access to formal credit and capital. Supported by the UK Government through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (@FCDOGovUK), Shell Foundation and Startup Discovery School is launching the West Africa Aggregator Service Platform (WAASP), a pilot exploring risk-sharing and service-based models to reduce upfront costs, distribute risk, and make proven agri-technologies viable for women farmers. Additional support provided by Autodesk Foundation and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to enhance innovation design, technical validation and research rigor. We are leveraging three established farmer networks, myAgro in #Senegal, Vitara and Complete Farmer in #Ghana, the platform will aim to raise women's incomes by at least 20% and reach at least 200,000 farmers by 2030. The first cohort of technology and solution providers includes Synnefa (smart solar drying tech), ColdHubs Limited (solar-powered cold storage), Irri-hub (solar irrigation systems), and others that align with women farmer's realities. 🌐 Learn more: startupdiscovery.co/openinno… #ClimateAction #FoodSecurity #WomenInAgriculture

The results also offer practical lessons on what works – and what still needs to change – to ensure women entrepreneurs can fully participate in emerging clean energy markets.