Vincent Wierda
IDE Energy Lead, UNCDF
Believes strongly in market-based solutions in development, including for energy access, but also in the role of public finance to address market gaps and failures. With UNCDF since 2013, he has facilitated investment flows into a portfolio of private sector companies that use innovative and digitally enabled business models to bring energy solutions to people and enterprises in the most challenging markets. Starting in 1998 in Ethiopia, and with extensive subsequent involvement in both Asia and Africa, he has further experience in financial inclusion, SME promotion, business development, and climate resilient agriculture. In addition to UNCDF, he has worked with Enabel, Oxfam, UNDP, UNIDO and SOAS. Vincent has an MSc in Economics from the University of London.
Day 0
October 10
Sessions by Vincent Wierda
Day 1
October 11
Sessions by Vincent Wierda
9:30 am-11:30 am
Adlon Ballroom
Opening Plenary
Speakers
Dymphna van der Lans
CEO, Clean Cooking Alliance
H.E. Hajia Samira Bawumia
Second Lady of Ghana
Honorable Matthew Opoku Prempeh
Minister of Energy, Ghana
Adwoa Etsiwaa Sey
Chairperson, Ghana Alliance for Clean Cooking
H.E. Ingrid Mollestad
Ambassador to Ghana, Government of Norway
Honorable Virginia E. Palmer
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana
Carla Montesi
Director, European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships
Katja Lasseur
Deputy Ambassador, Government of Netherlands
Gabriela Elizondo Azuela
Practice Manager, Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, World Bank
Vincent Wierda
IDE Energy Lead, UNCDF
Ashvin Dayal
Senior Vice President, Power & Climate and The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, The Rockefeller Foundation
Fatih Birol
Executive Director, International Energy Agency
Damilola Ogunbiyi
CEO, Sustainable Energy for All
Kandeh Yumkella
Founder & CEO, The Energy Nexus Network
Leela Hazzah
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Lion Guardians
Dr. Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi
Presidential Advisor on HIV/AIDS, Executive Office of the President, Ghana
Shirley McAlpine
Founder, Shirley McAlpine & Associates
Day 2
October 12
Sessions by Vincent Wierda
11:00 am-12:00 pm
Breakout Room C
Unit Economics of Cooking Solutions: Understanding Critical Cost Drivers for Clean Cooking Business Models
Results-based financing (RBF), particularly through the growth of climate finance and carbon credits, was identified as one of the most promising opportunities of the upcoming decade. While exciting progress has been made to advance RBF for clean cooking in recent years, the value of clean cooking must be better articulated, transaction costs reduced, and participating actors supported for the sector to capitalize on this opportunity. Understanding clean cooking company revenues and costs for each unit of production, i.e., unit economics, is essential for RBF program developers as they determine demand and supply side subsidy levels. In turn, well-structured demand and supply side subsidies will enable existing providers to reach operational viability and commercial sustainability quicker. This improves the overall attractiveness of clean cooking markets for commercial investors and financial markets.
This session will present early findings from recent unit economics research and associated tools, focusing on insights into key drivers of company costs and profitability and recommendations on how best to sequence different capital stacks for each context and business model. This will be followed by a panel discussion reflecting on how the study and tool impact the panelists’ own work.
Speakers
Ed Day
Director, Greencroft Economics
Ada Marmion
Director - Partnerships, Knowledge, and Impact, AECF
Rocio Perez Ochoa
Co-Founder & Director, Bidhaa Sasa
Farai Seseko
Executive Director & Fund Lead, AfricaGoGreen Fund/Lion’s Head Global Partners
Susann Stritzke
Senior Research Associate, Modern Energy Cooking Services
Vincent Wierda
IDE Energy Lead, UNCDF
Day 3
October 13
Sessions by Vincent Wierda
Day 4
October 14
Sessions by Vincent Wierda
Sessions by Vincent Wierda
Sessions by Vincent Wierda
9:30 am-11:30 am
Adlon Ballroom
Opening Plenary
Speakers
Dymphna van der Lans
CEO, Clean Cooking Alliance
H.E. Hajia Samira Bawumia
Second Lady of Ghana
Honorable Matthew Opoku Prempeh
Minister of Energy, Ghana
Adwoa Etsiwaa Sey
Chairperson, Ghana Alliance for Clean Cooking
H.E. Ingrid Mollestad
Ambassador to Ghana, Government of Norway
Honorable Virginia E. Palmer
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana
Carla Montesi
Director, European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships
Katja Lasseur
Deputy Ambassador, Government of Netherlands
Gabriela Elizondo Azuela
Practice Manager, Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, World Bank
Vincent Wierda
IDE Energy Lead, UNCDF
Ashvin Dayal
Senior Vice President, Power & Climate and The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, The Rockefeller Foundation
Fatih Birol
Executive Director, International Energy Agency
Damilola Ogunbiyi
CEO, Sustainable Energy for All
Kandeh Yumkella
Founder & CEO, The Energy Nexus Network
Leela Hazzah
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Lion Guardians
Dr. Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi
Presidential Advisor on HIV/AIDS, Executive Office of the President, Ghana
Shirley McAlpine
Founder, Shirley McAlpine & Associates
Sessions by Vincent Wierda
11:00 am-12:00 pm
Breakout Room C
Unit Economics of Cooking Solutions: Understanding Critical Cost Drivers for Clean Cooking Business Models
Results-based financing (RBF), particularly through the growth of climate finance and carbon credits, was identified as one of the most promising opportunities of the upcoming decade. While exciting progress has been made to advance RBF for clean cooking in recent years, the value of clean cooking must be better articulated, transaction costs reduced, and participating actors supported for the sector to capitalize on this opportunity. Understanding clean cooking company revenues and costs for each unit of production, i.e., unit economics, is essential for RBF program developers as they determine demand and supply side subsidy levels. In turn, well-structured demand and supply side subsidies will enable existing providers to reach operational viability and commercial sustainability quicker. This improves the overall attractiveness of clean cooking markets for commercial investors and financial markets.
This session will present early findings from recent unit economics research and associated tools, focusing on insights into key drivers of company costs and profitability and recommendations on how best to sequence different capital stacks for each context and business model. This will be followed by a panel discussion reflecting on how the study and tool impact the panelists’ own work.
Speakers
Ed Day
Director, Greencroft Economics
Ada Marmion
Director - Partnerships, Knowledge, and Impact, AECF
Rocio Perez Ochoa
Co-Founder & Director, Bidhaa Sasa
Farai Seseko
Executive Director & Fund Lead, AfricaGoGreen Fund/Lion’s Head Global Partners
Susann Stritzke
Senior Research Associate, Modern Energy Cooking Services
Vincent Wierda
IDE Energy Lead, UNCDF